Ann Patchett in Truth and Beauty: A Friendship writes, “Whenever I saw her, I felt like I had been living in another country, doing moderately well in another language, and then she showed up speaking English and suddenly I could speak with all the complexity and nuance that I hadn’t realized was gone. With Lucy…
Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover: The Action Lab Conundrum
Middle school cookie dealers, hockey stick wielding magical girl vigilantes, princesses who don’t need saving, a space demon slaying comic retailer, and a time travelling chef who cooks prehistoric creatures. Action Lab is making comics you should be reading… so why aren’t you? The “Action Lab Conundrum,” as I call it, is one I’ve become…
Can a Bad Anime Be Art? Heat Guy J
Heat Guy J was a twenty-six episode animated series that aired in Japan in 2002 and wasn’t particularly well-received. For whatever reason, possibly in recognition of the positive reception director Kazuki Akane had previously enjoyed in the West through Escaflowne, it was exported anyway. Box sets with dub and sub experiences available were later sold…
Women in British Animation: A Short Introduction
While the United Kingdom never had an animation industry on the same scale as those of the United States, Japan or Russia, the country has long played host to a vibrant subculture of experimental animation. Animation, like any other medium, started out as an experimental endeavour. In Britain, it was pioneered by turn-of-the-century filmmaker Arthur Melbourne-Cooper,…
Take THAT Fashion Industry! Learning to Sew for Myself
I just got engaged, and I’ve decided to do something that seems completely ridiculous to many of my friends: I’m going to sew my own wedding dress.
[NSFW] Moon Over June Offers Vulvas and Nothing Else
Moon Over June is super problematic. Several websites have called it out for its anti-Japanese sentiments from a Japanese character, the fact that the Ob-Gyn character is aroused by her pregnant patients, and the goofy facial expressions of the characters. Reading it for the purpose of reviewing, it taught me a valuable lesson: Sometimes it is…
Animal Crossing Saved My Life
(Content Warning: Abuse, Rape, Physical Abuse, Attempted Murder) Animal Crossing saved my life. That’s not hyperbolic.
Mom’N’Pop Culture: Summer Entertainment and Sanity
I had children for the same reason I got married—I wanted someone to share my life with. However, that does not mean I want to spend every waking moment with them. It’s a somewhat harsh truth, but I’m honest and not afraid to share this sentiment with my family. I’m an extreme introvert, and that means…
Morals and Magic: How The Wicked+The Divine Depicts Changing Western Views of Identity and Sexuality
Kieron Gillen is no stranger to diverse teenage characters. The author of the Young Avengers relaunch, Gillen is experienced at writing characters from a variety of racial groups and sexualities and even won a GLADD award for his work. The Wicked+The Divine (pronounced “The Wicked and the Divine” or simply “WicDiv” for short) takes it…
This Week in WWAC History: Summer Fun
Summer officially began this past Monday in the U.S., and I’m happy it’s here because we have a great selection of articles with a summer theme. Whether it’s essays on the comic This One Summer, or our summer cosplay series, I think you’ll find something to read while you enjoy a lazy summer day with…
Why I Game: Trying to Try
I’m not a gamer. I don’t think I could check the “gamer” box if asked to fill out some sort of imaginary label survey for my life. I play games, mostly the tabletop and board variety, but I wouldn’t call myself a gamer. Maybe it’s an unfair assumption or stereotype that I have and that…
Is Warren Ellis a Prophet? Transmetropolitan in 2016 U.S. Politics
This piece is part of a series of comparative essays examining Transmetropolitan against the backdrop of the 2016 U.S. Presidential campaign. It is not a retrospective on whether Transmetropolitan is good or if the comic and its characters have aged well. I’m concerned with only two questions: Is Warren Ellis a wizard who can predict…
