Back when I spoke to Matt Hawkins in March, we spent a little time talking about the sexual legacy of the first ten years or so of Top Cow. We also spoke a little about Witchblade–a title about a woman who carries a living weapon disguised as a bracelet–which is being resurrected in December, with…
Iconic Scenes: Beauty and the Beast’s “A Tale As Old As Time”
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was released in 1991 and was the first Disney film to incorporate digital animation. Since its release, Belle has become an integral part of Disney’s Princess brand, and the film has been adapted into a stage musical and as a live action film, due out later this year. The film…
Black Heroism and “The Man” in Luke Cage
So now—Luke Cage is a hero. The arc of his heroism passes from the (messy) pilot into the end of the fourth episode, when he announces to the press that his name is Luke Cage. For some reason, I suppose. On the one hand, the rationale for his involvement with Cottonmouth is quite clear: Cottonmouth…
Cover Girl: Why Doesn’t Riri Williams Look 15?
This J. Scott Campbell Midtown Comics variant cover for Invincible Iron Man depicts 15 year old Riri Williams in the same outfit as she wore on the cover that introduced her to us. She has the same hairstyle, the same earrings. Instead of the ghost of Stark’s past in the background, there’s an industrial robotic…
Frontier #12: Kelly Kwang — It’s the Aesthetic
Frontier #12: Kelly Kwang Kelly Kwang Youth In Decline May, 2016 When I recommend Frontier to people, I say that it’s an anthology of comics and art books by interesting indie cartoonists. This issue, Kelly Kwang’s first published work, is a bit more art book than illustrated story. It’s still a comic, though, so don’t…
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…
Manipulation of Manhood: Julia Gfrorer’s Comic Book Misandry
Content warning: penises, breasts, rape of men. EDIT, October 2016: this article is an analysis of Gfrorer’s work as a commentary on phallocentric patriarchy. Cis masculinity is consciously centred in the readings of these narratives. I never really managed to think of a penis as a vulnerable thing until I caught the first fifteen minutes…
The Power of the Black Panther
Comics have helped shape guest author Krystal Kara’s life. Through the many pages she’s read, she’s found both support and encouragement in the stories and actions of superheroes and now uses that strength to empower others. The non-profit Be Super initiative calls upon the superhero in all of us “to bring to life the heroism within people” and…
Brand New: An Analysis of DC Comics’ 2016 Logo
DC Entertainment released their new logo, along with a press release explaining its new branding and the motivations behind its decisions. See below for the full announcement. I have highlighted a few key phrases that point toward DC’s branding direction.
Comics Are For Everyone, Or So We Say: Goodbye, Comics and Cola
For the past five years, Comics and Cola has been a reliable source of information, connection and reflection upon… comics. Very little Cola content. But Zainab Akhtar has had enough of the Islamophobia that’s permeated comics so blazing since #jesuisCharlie, and before and after that, and all through everything. She doesn’t want to be a…
Dear Amanda: Letters of Caution
Cathy G. Johnson’s Dear Amanda plays catch with you for a while. Then it knocks the ball out of your hands. You thought you were reading a simple diary comic? You were reading a rather complex meditation on perspective, in fact. It knocked the ball out of my hands, I should say. Reading experiences may…
Let Me Desire Myself: Sexy Drawings That Don’t Hurt [NSFW]
Erotica, one might hope, is intended to make people feel good. Erotica, as has been discussed at length on this site, can cause people to feel bad. All art containing bodies has the potential to push the viewer into a state of comparison. Desiring to encourage reflection upon the differences and the the reasons which span this…