Archives! Archives! Archives! Once again we’re here to guide you toward some awesome articles from the WWAC past…
Apocalypse worries got you down? Never fear, WWAC has a roundtable for that, August 22, 2014,
This week the women of WWAC talked apocalypse fiction. What’s it all about? Why are we so fascinated by it? Megan P, Annie, Wendy, Claire, Jamie, Brenda, and Laura all chimed in.
Content Note: Frank discussion of trauma, violence, disaster and apocalypse prepping, end times fundamentalism, and murder.
Megan: I keep trying to write an essay called Your Apocalyptic Essay Is Some Bullshit. The topic is post-apocalyptic fiction and its unrealistic fantasies of total social collapse in the face of challenge. My argument will be that history proves that we are capable of overcoming social or economic apocalypses (apocalae?) and that even in the face of the most terrible circumstances, life continues, and small kindnesses and practicalities continue. Sometimes things really do fall apart, but it’s far from as inevitable as these stories make it out. READ MORE
There can never be too much chatter about Superman. Or can there? We’ll let you decide. “Snap his Neck! Man of Steel and Superhero Violence”, August 23, 2013,
As General Zod gets dangerously close to murdering a family of four, the thought that kept running through my head was, “Superman, just snap his neck!” And then he did.
Yes, Superman snapped General Zod’s neck. And then he screamed in anguish about it for a while. Reactions from the crowd in the theatre included laughter, gasps, cries of “oh, shit!” and stunned silence. READ MORE
Interested in some educational resources with a healthy dose of comics? Head over to Ramona’s article on “Gene Yuen Lang on Comics in Education”, August 25, 2014,
For this installment of Kids Comics Go to Class we’re looking at Comics in Education, a website run by Gene Luen Yang. That’s right. Gene-Boxers & Saints–American Born Chinese-Yang. The site and the webcomic featured on it were his final project proposal for his Masters of Education degree at California State University.
The project, a convincing, thorough examination of the effectiveness of comic books as a teaching tool, is divided into two parts: the history and the strengths of comics in education. READ MORE
Fans of Moomin will enjoy Claire’s post of Top 10 merchandising options, August 26, 2013,
A lot of the nerd identity is wrapped up in consumerism; maybe you’ve been there, but have you got the t-shirt? Did you make a Portal birthday cake? Do you wash with TARDIS soap? And I get it, of course – souvenirs are nice and they make you feel good. When you’ve had a swell time or been affirmed by the journey that you’ve taken, you don’t want to forget! We’re physical beings who exist in an object-filled world. We use objects to retain our experiences. That’s not wrong.
I like the Moomins a whole lot, and I see merchandise in their image fairly often. Usually in a chain calledAspire… but that’s another matter. Sort of. I look Moomin merch up fairly often cos I’m human and I have urges, and then I’m filled with a complex dissatisfaction. Let’s explore that. Together! READ MORE
And finally, an interesting piece by Megan on “It Feels like a Good Day to Talk About Mansplaining”, August 30, 2013,
So I should say straight off, that this isn’t an essay for the guys who don’t know any better. It isn’t an essay for my converted sisters, so we can nod our heads in unison. Nor is it an essay meant to flash my ally credentials at feminists of colour. Mansplaining, for all the goofiness of the term itself, is a real and serious act of silencing, and it is embedded in wider systems of oppression. And I’d like to talk with you (whoever you are, as long as you’re down) about the ways in which the geek community works to silence and marginalize, through translation, explanation, and self-validation. READ MORE
