Routledge will be publishing a series of scholarly texts on “Gender, Sexuality and Comics Studies,” as part of its Focus Collection, which offers quick publication of peer-reviewed work, of a length generally associated with a too-long chapter, or too-short monograph: 20,000 to 50,000 words including notes and references. The editor for the Gender, Sexuality and…
Learn to Be a Supportive Friend with The Breakaways!
The Breakaways Cathy G. Johnson (Writer and artist) and Kevin Czap (Colorist) First Second March 2019 Faith just started middle school, and on her very first day, she joined the soccer team—but not because she’s a confident go-getter. She maybe did it because Amanda, the pretty upperclassman who handed her the clipboard, is really cool…
Yes, Roya: Feminist Sex Positive Comics to the Rescue
Yes, Roya Emilee Denich (art), Kinomatika (cover), C. Spike Trotman (writing) Iron Circus Comics April 18, 2017 Yes, Roya is a book I couldn’t put down. Published by Iron Circus Comics, a comics publisher known for their adult titles and amazing anthologies (Smut Peddler), and written by their founder and fearless leader C. Spike Trotman, Yes, Roya affected…
Not a Hero’s Journey: Queer vs Normative Storytelling in Devilman
This article does not contain outright spoilers, so feel free to read it whether you’ve experienced any incarnation of Devilman or not. It does however imply the directions things take, so bear that in mind if you want to go into the series completely ‘blind’. My title means a few things, but one of them…
The Best Thing I Didn’t Know About Valerian & Laureline
It’s that they love each other. Valérian and Laureline is a french-language comic, originally published over six decades (the late 1960s through the first ten years of the 21st century), and in English currently by Cinebook. They put out single-volume books as well as bonanza compendiums; I’ve only, so far, read three of the former….
Fun Home On the Page and the Stage
Small and Big, Close and Far, Same and Different The award winning Broadway musical Fun Home, based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir of the same name, is now on tour. By the time this goes to press, the production will most likely be in Schenectady. Or Providence. And somewhere else after that. Whenever shows go…
Gerald’s Game Is A Harrowing Survivor’s Story
Gerald’s Game Mike Flanagan (director and editor), Michael Fimognari (cinematography) Adapted from Stephen King’s Gerald’s Game by Mike Flanagan Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas (cast) Released September 24th (Fantastic Fest), September 29th (internet release) Content Warning: Sexual abuse. I went into Gerald’s Game having not read the book (I shouldn’t be allowed to call…
Lea & Julius Antoine: A 1980s French Comic About Ephebophilia
Lea: The Confessions of Julius Antoine Serge Le Tendre (writer), Christian Rossi (artist) Fantagraphics, 1989 First published in French by Albin Michel, 1985 This article contains discussions of ephebophilia and paedophilia.
Previously on Comics: Living in a Hellscape
Seems like every time I sit down to write one of these, I gotta lead with people in positions of power in the comics industry using that power to punch down. We start the week off with Action Lab. Sorry, Action Lab Danger Zone, because the first thing that both bearers of the Action Lab name…
WWE #9: Shield Me From My Brother [GIFs]
WWE #9 Dennis Hopeless (Writer) Serg Acuña (Artist) BOOM! Studios September 27, 2017 It’s the Big Dog’s turn to shine in WWE. Issue #9 starts the third arc of the series. After concentrating on Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, we naturally move on to Roman Reigns. We also move onto the character hardest to tackle.
Disobedience Is A Slow-Burning Portrait of Grief, Love and Community
Disobedience Sebastián Lelio (director), Danny Cohen (cinematographer), Nathan Nugent (editor) Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, Alessandro Nivola (cast) Adapted from the Naomi Alderman novel Disobedence by Sebastián Lelio and Rebecca Lenkiewicz September 10, 2017 (TIFF) Sebastián Lelio made two films this year about women being denied access to the formal grieving process of their society. In…
From Sexy to Sexual: Witchblade’s Return & Top Cow’s Maturing Eroticism
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…