A critical look at comics and culture
In the comments of my previous post about Wonder Woman’s feminist origins and how changes in the character often resulted from historical changes in the social role of women, several readers expressed an interest in my interpretation of Brian Azzarello’s controversial Wonder Woman series.
Well, I’m glad you asked.
Before I go any further, I should address the giant misogynist elephant in the room.
Dragon Con was amazing. Let me start by sending out a great big thank you to everyone who made it out to my panels. You all packed that conference room and were the best audience I’ve ever had the pleasure to speak to. On Saturday night, we even had a bunch of people hang out for an extra two hours after the panel officially “ended” to chat about gender, race, and sexuality in comics.
Getting the chance to talk to so many intelligent and passionate people about the things I care about was exhilarating. You all made my con. Thanks for being so awesome. Continue reading ‘DragonCon 2013 and a Look Forward’
My Favorite, Funny, Feminist Superhero Fan Art continues to be one of the most popular articles on the site. Since you all seem to like it so much, I’ve decided to turn it into a ongoing series.
First up is Batman from Fernacular’s series If Male Superhero Costumes were Designed Like Female Superhero Costumes. Fernacular says that she was “tired of guys having no idea why girls find female superhero’s costumes kinda sexist” so she decided to enlighten them. Her goal was to make the viewer think of sex (“whether you want to or not”), make men uncomfortable, and highlight the ridiculousness of it all.
Speaking of an uncomfortably sexualized Batman that makes men uncomfortable… Continue reading ‘My Favorite, Funny, Feminist Superhero Fan Art (Vol. 2)’
DC’s May “Channel 52” back-up feature (aptly renamed “Channel 2” for its Earth 2 coverage) features a glimpse of the New 52’s Red Tornado.
Guess what! She got DC’s patented New 52 Sexy Makeover™!
It’s disappointing to see one of DC’s only full-figured characters reimagined with the same cookie-cutter body type as the rest. I assume this is a new Red Tornado (I very much doubt there’s supposed to be a skinny Ma Hunkel under that cooking pot) but it’s still part of DC’s larger homogenization of body types. We all remember what the New 52 did to Amanda “The Wall” Waller. Continue reading ‘Did DC Just Introduce a New “Sexy” Red Tornado?’
I just want to give a quick update on the status of my 2012 Superhero Census.
All of the raw data has been collected. It’s a massive amount and information and includes roughly 250 characters that appear across more than 300 individual comics.
Right now, I’m having a few associates proof the collected sex, race, and sexual orientation of all the characters. I’m also working out the best way to display the data. Once I get all the finer points ironed out I’ll publish a series of post examining the results so make sure to stay tune!
Transgender characters are still a rarity in superhero comics but hopefully this is changing. Just last month, each of The Big Two featured comics in which a transgender character comes out.
I’m thoroughly enjoying Matt Fraction’s run on FF. It’s a fun, offbeat book with a lot going for it. Mike Allred’s art and a Fraction written She-Hulk both stand out, but it’s Mik, Korr, Turg, and Tong that really steal the show.
As if I didn’t dig these four little Moloids enough, this touching scene graced the pages of FF#6. Continue reading ‘Transgender Comic Characters Come Out: ‘Batgirl’s’ Alysia and ‘FF’s’ Tong’
Paradise Island first appeared with Wonder Woman in All Star Comics #8 in December of 1941. Since then, it has often been referred to as a “feminist utopia.”
Please stop doing this. Paradise Island is not a feminist utopia. Continue reading ‘Stop Calling Paradise Island a Feminist Utopia’
I’ve been looking forward to seeing this independent documentary since I first saw the trailer last year. I finally got my chance earlier this week when Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines aired on PBS’s Independent Lens. Continue reading ‘‘Wonder Women!’ Documentary Explores Wonder Woman’s Impact on Feminism and Pop Culture’
‘Stormwatch’s’ Apollo and Midnighter Kissing
I enjoyed making the first batch of LGBTQ superhero marriage equality memes so much that I decided to do another. Plus, as Baby Nightsoil pointed out in the comments, there are a few major same-sex comic book couples that I overlooked in the first round.
Just like last time, if there’s one you like, please feel free to pass it around, use it as your profile pic, etc. but please include a link back to my site. Continue reading ‘LGBTQ Superhero Marriage Equality Memes (Vol. 2)’
Today, the last day of Women’s History Month, I’d like to take a closer look at the most influential and recognizable superheroine in comics, Wonder Woman.
She may not be the the first comic book superheroine or even the first heroine to star in her own comic, but you can’t deny the impact that Wonder Woman has had on the history of comics and our culture as a whole.
As a character with strong feminist roots, Wonder Woman has certainly seen her share of ups and downs throughout her publication. Continue reading ‘Women’s History Month Superheroine Spotlight: Wonder Woman’
Journey Into Awesome 