Like any good ’90s kid, I vividly recall the Captain Planet animated series and Whoopi Goldberg’s role as the voice of omniscient Gaia, the spirit of Mother Earth. Goldberg was a part of my childhood, specifically her role in The Lion King as Shenzi the hyena. Those three hyenas were my favorite characters in my…
All I Want Are Chicks with Agency Blowing Shit Up!
The Internet has exploded post-Age of Ultron. Joss Whedon has fled Twitter. People are sending and receiving death threats over … a movie. We have critiqued the representation of Black Widow and celebrated it. Emily explored the religious themes in AoU, and Annie and Meredith really dug it. Also, Jamie did a sharp and thoughtful…
What We’re Playing: May
May. The month of blooming. The month of Mother’s Day. The month of warm weather (I have been saying this for like three months, so please let it finally be true). And it’s been filled with gaming, as always. Jo Fu and I chatted about Tower Defense Games. We revisited Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening with…
Mighty Marvel Monday: A Paean to G. Willow Wilson
There is a flurry of speculation coming out about Captain America: Civil War, currently filming, and other upcoming projects, but today I want to take a step away from the MCU for a moment and focus on one of Marvel Comics’ superheroes: G. Willow Wilson. A couple weeks ago this article by Jill Lepore was…
DC Drops the Bomb(shells) This August
Back in 2013 DC debuted a new line of statues, collectively referred to as “Bombshells.” These statues, designed by Ant Lucia, took classic female characters and gave them the “pin-up” treatment. The line started with Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, but quickly expanded to include other characters like Batgirl, Black Canary and even…
WWAC Warriors: No Adamantium Needed
I love getting dirty, I relish in the scent of my own particular shall we say … fragrance after a few hours, days, or more on a camping trip. I don’t mind the sun beating down on my shoulders or a sudden rainstorm forcing me to duck under a tree and quickly pull on my…
My Problem with the Sex in Sex Criminals
Sex Criminals is awesome, but I probably don’t need to tell you that. You’ve either heard about it, are currently reading it, or are already well and truly part of the Brimper fandom (even Margaret Atwood’s on board and if that doesn’t get you at least a bit interested, I don’t know what will). The…
Making Manga is Hard—and Funny: Manga Dogs Reviewed
Manga Dogs, vols. 1–3 Ema Toyama (mangaka); William Flanagan (translation); Jennifer Skarupa (lettering); Phil Balsman (cover design) Kodansha What do you think of comics artists and writers? Okay, I can probably answer some of that: if you’re reading this, you’re probably not among the camp who thinks of them as weirdos. Or maybe you do,…
Con Diaries: Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF)
I attended the 2015 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, also known as TCAF, this past weekend and man, it was a whirlwind. It was my third year attending and I like to think of it as my San Diego Comic Con minus the television, film and essentially anything that isn’t comics. Then take out major companies…
Kickstarter of the Week: Elsinore
When a Shakespearean tragedy holds a Groundhog Day twist, a young woman must try to change the future to prevent the death of everyone in the castle. A team of six friends are hard at work developing Elsinore, a time-looping adventure game. In Elsinore you play as Ophelia, a young noblewoman, who has a terrible vision…
Heavy Metal: How to Make Chainmaille
Last year my partner and I decided to make barbarian costumes. We figured we could use them for Halloween as well as a themed dinner coming up, and it was a fine excuse to teach ourselves how to make armor out of foam and for me to learn how to make chainmaille. It’s a lot…
Button-Zines and More: Chicago’s Zine Fest
It’s about zines. It’s an independent event. It’s like an indie convention. It’s about accessibility. And art. And sharing. It’s free. It’s about small presses and independent publishers. It’s about DIY. And community. And it’s really super cool. Chicago Zine Fest was started in 2010, took place at Columbia College and Quimby’s Bookstore, and has…