
Avi Santo
OVERLOAD TEACHING
Communication & Theatre Arts
Contact Information
Organizational Chart
Biography
Avi Santo is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Communications & Theatre Arts
Education/Credentials
Ph.D. in Radio-Television-Film, The University of Texas at Austin, (2006)
M.A. in Radio-Television-Film, The University of Texas at Austin, (2002)
B.F.A. in Film Studies, Concordia University, (1999)
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Research Interests
- Character licensing & merchandisingretail & lifestyle branding Fan-made merchandiseToys and play cultureMedia industries
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Articles
- Santo, A. (2019). "Retail Tales and Tribulations: Transmedia Brands, Consumer Products, and the Significance of Shop Talk". JCMS: Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, 58 (2), pp. 115--141.
- Santo, A., and Elizabeth, A. (2018). "Mediated Merchandise, Merchandisable Media: An Introduction". Film Criticism, 42 (2),
- Santo, A., and Elizabeth, A. (2018). Film & Merchandise. Film Criticism, 42 (2),
- Santo, A. (2014). “'Is It a Camel? Is It a Turban? No, It’s The 99': Branding Islamic Superheroes as Authentic Global Cultural Commodities". Television \& New Media, 15 (7), pp. 679--695.
- Santo, A. (2012). "A Teenie Weenie amount of ‘Goodwill’: Cross-media character brand merchandizing in the 1920s". Journal of Consumer Culture, 12 (3), pp. 283--305.
- Santo, A. (2012). “The Lone Ranger and the Law: Legal Battles over Corporate Authorship and Intellectual Property Management, 1939–1942.”. Critical Studies in Media Communication., 29 (3), pp. 185-201.
- Santo, A. (2011). “'Good Morals Are Good Business': The Cultural Economy of Children's Radio in the Late 1930s". Popular Communication, 9 (1), pp. 1--21.
- Santo, A. (2010). "Batman versus The Green Hornet: the merchandisable TV text and the paradox of licensing in the classical network era". Cinema Journal, 49 (2), pp. 63--85.
- Santo, A., and Lucas, C. (2009). "Engaging academic and nonacademic communities through online scholarly work". Cinema Journal, 48 (2), pp. 129--138.
- Santo, A. (2008). “Act locally, sell globally: Inuit media and the global cultural economy". Continuum Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 22 (3), pp. 327-340.
- Santo, A. (2005). “Between Integration and Segregation: Former Soviet Union Filmmaking in Israel.”. Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media, 46 (2),
- Santo, A. (2004). “Nunavut: Inuit Television and Cultural Citizenship.”. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 7 (4), pp. 379-397.
- Santo, A. (2003). “Film Ads in the Montreal Press: 1905-1908.”. Canadian Journal of Film Studies, 12 (1), pp. 69-82.
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Books
- Santo, A. (2015). Selling the silver bullet: The Lone Ranger and transmedia brand licensing. University of Texas Press.
- Santo, A., Kompare, D., and Johnson, D. (2014). Making media work: cultures of management in the entertainment industries. NYU Press.
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Book Chapters
- Santo, A. (2018). “AwesomenessTV: Talent Management and Merchandising on Multi-Channel Networks.”.From Networks to Netflix: A Guide to Changing Channels (pp. 245-254). Routledge.
- Santo, A. (2017). "Fans and merchandise".The Routledge Companion to Media Fandom (pp. 329--336). Routledge.
- Santo, A., Kompare, D., and Johnson, D. (2014). "Discourses, Dispositions, Tactics: Reconceiving Management in Critical Media Industry Studies".Making Media Work: Cultures of Management in the Entertainment Industries (pp. 1-24). NYU Press.
- Santo, A. (2009). "Of niggas and citizens: the boondocks fans and differentiated Black American politics".Satire TV: Politics and comedy in the post-network era (pp. 252--73). NYU Press.
- Santo, A. (2007). “Para-Television and Discourses of Distinction: The culture of production at HBO.”.. New York: Routledge University Press.
- Santo, A. (2002). "Why don’t you take a look in the mirror? Weight, body image, and masculinity in The Sopranos".This Thing of Ours: Investigating The Sopranos (pp. 72--94). Columbia University Press.
- Santo, A. (1998). “Israel at Fifty at the Library of Congress.”. (pp. 2-15). Washington, DC: Library of Congress Press.
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Presentations
- Santo, A. (March, 2019). “‘Here Comes the General!’: Black Panther Okoye and Shuri Fan-made merchandise and the commodity value of Black fandom.” presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Seattle, WA.
- Santo, A. (March, 2017). “Express Yourself: Buying into Fandom as Lifestyle.” presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Chicago, IL.
- Santo, A. (September, 2016). “Flow 10th Anniversary Panel” presented at Flow Conference Austin, TX.
- Santo, A. (June, 2015). “Style my StarDoll: Postfeminist Entrepreneurial Labor and the Politics of ‘Cuteness’.” presented at Console- ing Passions Dublin, Ireland.
- Santo, A. (May, 2015). “Come Shop at StarPlaza: StarDoll and the Licensing of Virtual Merchandise.” . presented at International Communication Association San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Santo, A. (March, 2015). “Managing children's franchisable lifestyles through consumer product extensions.” presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Montreal, Canada.
- Santo, A. (September, 2014). “Toys, T-Shirts, and Tumblers: These Are Not the Paratexts You Are Looking For (Hint: The Films Are)” presented at Flow Conference Austin, TX.
- Santo, A. (March, 2014). “License to License: Cultivating Professional Identity in the Contemporary Character Licensing Industry.” presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Seattle, WA.
- Santo, A. (March, 2014). “Studying Media Event Spaces” (workshop convener). presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Seattle, WA.
- Santo, A. (March, 2013). “Hangin’ out in Mickey’s Joint: The Cultural Geography of Licensing Trade Shows and Cultivating Investment in Licensable IP.” presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Chicago, IL.
- Santo, A. (September, 2012). “From Suits to Talent: “Management” in the Cultural Industries.” presented at Flow Conference Austin, TX.
- Santo, A. (March, 2012). “Is it a Camel? Is it a Turban? Muslim Superheroes in the Global Cultural Economy” presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Boston, MA.
- (January, 2012). “Reconfiguring Publishing” presented at Modern Language Association Seattle, WA.
- Santo, A. (April, 2011). “Game On!: Intelligent Designs or Fan Aggregators?” presented at Transmedia Hollywood 2 Los Angeles, CA.
- Santo, A. (July, 2010). "The Lone Ranger: Building the National Market One Icon at a Time" presented at Broadcasting in the 1930s: New Media in a Time of Crisis Symposium Madison, WI.
- (July, 2010). "Imagining Value: William Donahey's The Teenie Weenies and Struggles to Extend Character Brands in 1910s America" presented at On, Archives! – a conference on media, theater and history Celebrating 50 Years of the Wisconsin Center for Film & Theater Research Madison, WI.
- Santo, A. (April, 2010). “New Platforms” presented at The Digital University New York, NY.
- Santo, A. (March, 2010). “Selling the Silver Bullet: Licensing the Lone Ranger in postwar America” presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Los Angeles, CA.
- Santo, A. (March, 2008). 'Who’s That Little Chatterbox?’: Radio Orphan Annie, Child Consumers, and Authorial Moral Management presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Santo, A. (March, 2008). Scholarly Writing in the Digital Age presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Santo, A. (November, 2007). Provocation: The Future of TV Studies, or, When Do We Start Making Television? presented at Unboxing Television.
- Santo, A. (October, 2007). Rethinking Authorship from a Corporate Sensibility: George Trendle, The Lone Ranger, and the Management of Cultural Brands presented at Media History: What Are the Issues? Austin, TX.
- Santo, A. (March, 2007). Transmedia Brand Licensing prior to Conglomeration: Developing The Lone Ranger Brand, managing cross-media interaction and cultivating child consumers, 1933-1938 Chicago, IL.
- Santo, A. (March 14, 2007). Building Better Brand Value through Morality Management: Transmedia Licensing and The Lone Ranger, 1933 – 1954 presented at Humanities Junior Faculty Forum Norfolk, VA.
- Santo, A. (October, 2006). Response to Academic Publishing in the Digital Age presented at Flo Conference Austin, TX.
- Santo, A. (October, 2006). Response to Television's Future and the Role of TV Scholarship presented at Flow Conference Austin, TX.
- Santo, A. (March, 2006). Discourses of Authorship in the US Comic Book Industry presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Annual Conference Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Santo, A. (May, 2005). The Israeli Peace Movement as Framed by the NYTimes (1984-2002) presented at International Communication Association Annual Conference New York, NY.
- Santo, A. (June, 2004). Discourses of Masculinity in HBO's The Sopranos presented at Console-ing Passions Annual Conference New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Santo, A. (May, 2004). Nunavut: DIY Cultural Identity and Inuit Television presented at International Communication Association Annual Conference New Orleans, LA.
- Santo, A. (May, 2004). Michel Foucault and Confessions of Jewishness in Post-1967 Israeli Cinema presented at International Communications Association Annual Conference New Orleans, LA.
- Santo, A. (April, 2004). What’s in a (Brand) Name? The Case of Marvel Comics versus Sony Pictures presented at Popular Culture Association Annual Conference San Antonio, TX.
- Santo, A. (March, 2004). Are We Not Jews? Shifting Representation of Religious Identity in Post-Oslo Israeli Cinema presented at Society for Cinema and Media Studies Annual Conference Atlanta, GA.
- Santo, A. (February, 2003). FOX-y Original Programming: FOX, HBO, and the development of a product brand presented at Popular Culture Association Regional Conference Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Santo, A. (2001). How to Use Film and Popular Culture to Teach about the Middle East presented at Area Studies Middle and High School Teachers Workshop University of Texas.
- Santo, A. (2001). Between Integration and Cultural Preservation: Russian Filmmaking in Israel presented at Society for Cinema Studies Annual Conference Washington, DC.
- Santo, A. (2000). Israel’s ‘Peace Now’ and the Media: Strategies for Mobilization presented at Middle Eastern Studies Association Annual Conference Orlando, Fl.
- Santo, A. (2000). Teaching History through Film: Israel presented at Reel Histories John Cooper Upper School, Houston, Texas.
- 2013: National Endowment for the Arts
- 2008: National Endowment for the Humanities
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Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research
- Santo, A. "Cannonball Trail Mobile App" $5,040. Local. March 9, 2016 - May 18, 2016
- Santo, A. "Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada " $40,000. 2002 - 2005
- Santo, A. "FCAR Scholarship " $30,000. 1999 - 2003
- Santo, A. "Kyoon Sur Fellowship for International Students in Communication Studies " $500. 2001 - 2002
- Santo, A. "Dean’s Excellence Award " $2,500. 1999 - 2000
- Santo, A. "Pre-emptive Fellowship " $10,000. 1999 - 2000
- Santo, A. "Andre Bazin/Georges Sadoul Award in Film Studies " $500. 1998 - 1999
- Santo, A. "Concordia University Award for Academic Excellence " $500. 1998 - 1999