"the entire universe is now aware of her awesomeness"
April 4, 2015 10:49 PM   Subscribe

"There are many ways we can envision women's liberation if we try. Since we total more than half of the world's population, our experiences as women intersect with almost every other struggle against systemic oppression. The lessons learned are personal and political. Tapping into this well can sometimes seem like an infinite journey: where does one start? Well, with comics, of course!" 19 Comic Characters Who Embody Women's Liberation, Ad Astra Comix

Your Brief And Wondrous Guide To Contemporary Queer Comics by Pricilla Frank at The Huffington Post

Reading List: A Field Guide to Fifteen Feminist Comics - Casey Gilley, CBR

Kapow! Attack of the feminist superheroes by Dorian Lynskey for The Guardian. Snippet: "It's tough to expect corporations to be in the vanguard,' says Howe. 'But even the people looking at the bottom line have the sense that you should have something better to offer women than hourglass figures in Spandex.'"

New Feminist Thor Is Selling Way More Comic Books Than The Old Thor - Danielle Henderson, The World Post:
"While the audience breakdown is not available and there’s no way to know if the new Thor is bringing in more female readers, it is clear that she’s outselling the last series by A LOT. The first five new Thor books are currently selling more copies than the last five Thor books from 2012 by close to 20,000 copies per month, not including digital copies."
These Feminist Cartoons Are The Perfect Antidote To Sexist Internet Garbage.

Related: The Emerald City Comicon 2015: Feminist Comic Creators Celebrate Non-Compliance, Champion Inclusivity (Casey Gilley, CBR):
"The line for Emerald City Comicon's Being Non-Compliant panel erupted down a massive hallway and circled two corners, with fans in Captain Marvel sweaters and fierce 'Bitch Planet' and 'Lumberjanes' cosplay gathering to see some of the most iconic feminists currently working in comics. Seats filled quickly and soon it was standing room only as Kelly Sue DeConnick (writer, 'Bitch Planet,' 'Captain Marvel'), Noelle Stevenson (writer, 'Lumberjanes'), Erika Moen (creator, 'Oh Joy, Sex Toy'), Kate Leth (writer, 'Edward Scissorhands,' 'Bravest Warriors') and Spike Trotman (editor, 'Smut Peddler') took the stage. Moderated by Patrick Reed, the formidable group assembled to discuss the future of representation and diversity in comics."
Previously: Sometimes it's hard to be a woman (who likes comics), When comics were weird and progressive
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome (12 comments total) 53 users marked this as a favorite
 
This was all really interesting. Thank you.
posted by She Kisses Wyverns at 3:48 AM on April 5, 2015 [1 favorite]


This all is making me incredibly happy!
posted by RainyJay at 4:36 AM on April 5, 2015 [2 favorites]


Yes, this has made my morning. Thanks!
posted by jammy at 5:08 AM on April 5, 2015 [2 favorites]


I will sing of my undying love of She-Hulk for all eternity seriously she is the best and I am so glad she is getting some love especially because I'm still mourning her comics ending. (and desperately hanging on to her appearance in Howard the Duck.)

Also new Thor is one of my favorite comics out right now. It deserves to be doing that well.
posted by KernalM at 6:56 AM on April 5, 2015 [2 favorites]


"women intersect with almost every other struggle against systemic oppression"
Almost?
posted by LonnieK at 7:11 AM on April 5, 2015


Great article, but this 80s gal kept scrolling down looking for Maggie and Hopey, as well as Hothead Paisan.
posted by matildaben at 9:54 AM on April 5, 2015 [8 favorites]


The most recent run of She Hulk and Ms. Marvel both blew my damn mind. Please go out and support these comics by purchasing them. We need more writers/artists working on stories like this.
posted by Fizz at 10:53 AM on April 5, 2015 [2 favorites]


For further consideration:

Maisie Ravier is a movie character, played by Ann Sothern in a dozen or so movies (and a series of radio shows), that spanned WWII, and shortly after. This was a pivotal time for American women. Many of them stepped into roles in the workplace that had been strictly reserved for men. Popular thinking at the time was condescending and dismissive at first, but as the war years ground on, women in the workforce became a significant part of our industrial base, and, at least among many women, the paradigm of "womanhood" shifted for the better, although not much of this improvement made it's way into the public's mind's eye. It was expected that women would withdraw from these "manly" pursuits after the war, and many jobs in the inflated war industry closed their doors. I believe the residual affects lingered, and made their way into the sensibilities of children in the following generation.

I wonder if Maisie's example was another stepping stone for the women of my generation (the fabulous 60's). Her movies never seemed to have made into the bibliographies of the times (when equality for women was a major hot-button issue), but young women (laborers in the work force during WWII) who saw her movies had to have been confirmed in their roles as competent and vital people. They matured to become a part of that Silent Majority that shifted its hawkish politics, or confirmed their dove-ish leanings, when confronted by the Peace Coalition's street theater.

I was too young to appreciate these movies when they came out, but Maisie was a part of the dialogue of adults during my childhood. I can thank Turner's Classic Movies for reacquainting me with her. She was a straight, white lower-class woman who took her own self-worth as a given. She deflected the piggish (among the) men in the movies, usually with grace (though sometimes a punch was necessary), and she left no doubt that she wasn't about to fulfill any of their wet dreams. Ms Sothern portrayed her with remarkable subtlety. She could have been a cartoonish, brassy ditz, a Boopy stereotype of the times, but Sothern's Maisie was a person complete with wit and compassion. These movies are also notable in that they are not preachy. Maisie simply does what she does.

I downloaded a bunch of her movies lately. Mrs Mule and I enjoy them, one at a time. In my mind they stand up well, even after nearly 70 years.

I believe some of these movies are available on the web. Aside from acknowledging their existence, Wikipedia seems to not have a clue as to their content.
posted by mule98J at 12:26 PM on April 5, 2015 [3 favorites]


Does anyone know if Priya's Shakti or Ms. Marvel are appropriate for a child? Or can you suggest any other kid-friendly comics with female leads?
posted by foobaz at 9:18 PM on April 5, 2015


Why have I not known about Ma Hunkel the Red Tornado (2nd link is fan art, I think) before? A big fat middle-aged urban mom in a homemade super-hero onesie of red longjohns with a stockpot helmet? In 1939?!
posted by Dreidl at 11:30 PM on April 5, 2015 [1 favorite]


As much as I love Shadoweyes, I'd have put Sophie Campbell's other ongoing creator-owned series, Wet Moon, in instead.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:21 AM on April 6, 2015


No Wonder Woman?
posted by scunning at 11:10 AM on April 6, 2015


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