When I sat down to play Fashion Forward I was at a bit of a loss. I don’t understand much about feminine fashion, and I couldn’t tell if the looks I put together were actually cute or just well-drawn. So I asked my good friend Katie Mayo to play the game with me. She’s a “casual gamer”…
Mom’N’Pop Culture: Can Kids’ Art Be Inappropriate?
Can kid’s art be inappropriate? It’s a loaded question, and one I’ve found to be sometimes answered with sarcasm or dismissive sentiments such as “they’re just kids.” This means they’ll draw what they see, and if grown-ups consider it to contain inappropriate depictions of body parts or scenarios considered too adult for children to understand, it’s…
Udon a Bad Thing: Frank Cho, Anuses, and Visual Impact
Much like many other areas of culture, monthly direct-market comic books are an industry, a scene, which is largely hostile to women even now, a place where harm is produced and reproduced, and objections are seen as shrill lies told for cheap thrills. I know it’s dull, but let’s talk about Frank Cho.
Fainted When She Saw My Body: Social Construction of Monstrousness in Saga
What is a monster? The easy answer is an “unnatural” being—your zombies, ghosts, or vampires. Stories from Frankenstein to The Walking Dead showcase the idea that humans can become monstrous through action, perhaps even more monstrous than the undead. Critics like David J. Skal and Stephen King argue that fictional monsters are metaphors, vehicles to…
A Less Stressful Writing Challenge: Flash Fiction Wednesday, May 4
Writing fiction is hard work, but it’s helpful to build a habit. Marjorie Liu recently shared how during a crossroads time in her life, she woke up at 6 AM each day, wrote 3000 words, and at the end of a month she’d written her first novel. Flash Fiction Wednesday is a monthly writing challenge…
Mighty Marvel Monday: It’s Gonna Be May
And we’re back for another Mighty Marvel Monday! Just as a reminder–this column will remain spoiler-free this week even though Captain America: Civil War has premiered internationally. My review should be out this Friday, and I’ll be linking to other reviews next week in a special Captain America: Civil War column. Also a reminder that…
