Mapping mediatization BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY In 1932, Merian C. Cooper, an adventuresome showman with a flair for the dramatic and a passion for exploration, aviation, and cinema, teamed up with old pal and newsreel photographer, Ernest B. Shoedsack, and the creative originator of stop-motion animation, Willis O’Brien, to create the classic horror film King Kong. Little did these men know that seventy-five years later, the 18-inch primate made of bendable wire, foam rubber, and rabbit fur would become one of the most cherished and enduring cinematic icons of our time. Today, this misunderstood monster has inspired seven “official” films, several spoofs and rip-offs, and countless other movies that play with Kong’s original premise. In addition, Kong ignites the public imagination as he (or images/ideas linked to him) can be found in advertisements, songs, television shows, toys, greeting cards, collectibles, and the list only goes on. Today, King Kong stands for much more than the terrifying gorilla Merian C. Cooper imagined all those years ago.