Visualizing Camelot in Popular Culture

From comic books to toys and games, from product advertising to  political cartoons, from the names of businesses and restaurants to examples of public art, few legends have had a greater or more pervasive influence on popular culture than those of King Arthur and his Knights. Visitors to Las Vegas, for example, can dine at Sir Galahad’s Prime Rib House at the Excalibur Hotel. Retirees can opt for “Independent Living Fit for a King or Queen” at senior villages like “The Camelot” in California. Bakers can choose from a variety of King Arthur Flours, including “Sir Lancelot” and “Sir Galahad.” Barbie enthusiasts can collect special editions of Ken and Barbie as “Guinevere and Arthur" or as “Morgan le Fay and Merlin.” Comic book readers can travel back to Camelot with such characters as Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Uncle Scrooge, and the Three  Stooges  or imagine an Arthurian future in Camelot 3000. Film fans can enjoy a host of Arthurian-themed movies and television shows as well as popular animated series such as King Arthur and the Knights of Justice. Such representation, reconceptualizing, and visualization brings the world of Camelot into our daily lives and confirms the ongoing popularity of the Arthurian legends in contemporary culture.