Neopets, put simply, is a virtual pet website. In practice it is a whole universe. It was launched in 1999 and bought out by Viacom in 2005. Players of all ages registered for accounts, adopted their virtual pets, and entered the world of Neopia. The website allowed for layers of play — not only could you…
Let’s All Fart in Public: A Review of If It Were Socially Acceptable
If It Were Socially Acceptable Sage Coffey Disclaimer: WWAC received a review copy of this zine from the artist. If It Were Socially Acceptable is an innocuous-looking minicomic. The bright yellow cover features a little snake with legs, sitting on the ground and wearing a goofy smile. Readers flipping immediately to the back will find…
On Orlando and Supporting QTPOC Comics Creators
Early in the morning on Sunday, June 12th, 49 people were murdered and 53 injured at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. It quickly became clear that these were QTPOC (queer, trans people of color). A quick scan of articles about the club revealed that Puerto Rican and other Latinx drag queens were scheduled to perform…
WWAC Talks: Periods, Menstruation, Internal Bleeding, Pt. 2
Recently, WWAC writer Ray Sonne took one for the team and tried out Thinx period-proof underwear. This got a conversation going about the type of menstruation products out there and what this usually means for WWAC is “start a roundtable!” In fact, this topic got so many of us going that lifestyle editor, Ginnis, had…
Review: Threadbare: Clothes, Sex & Trafficking
Threadbare: Clothes, Sex & Trafficking Anne Elizabeth Moore (words), the Ladydrawers (art) Microcosm Publishing May 2016 When Microcosm sent the WWAC mailing list their latest releases, both Ginnis Tonik and Alenka Figa jumped on a comic about fashion, clothing, and the politics of production. Alenka had the chance to attend the launch party in Chicago and…
WWAC Talks: Periods, Menstruation, Internal Bleeding, Pt. 1
Recently, WWAC writer Ray Sonne took one for the team and tried out Thinx, period-proof underwear. This got a conversation going about the type of menstruation products out there, and what this usually means for WWAC is “start a roundtable!” In fact, this topic got so many of us going that lifestyle editor, Ginnis, had…
Seek Higher Things: 4 Takes On The 100 Season Finale
After a controversial season that saw the deaths of major lesbian and black male characters, season three of the CW’s apocateen drama, The 100, ended with torture, sacrifice, and the start of another nuclear apocalypse. Surprisingly low on mass murder, though! The 100 is a regular subject of complaints—and sometimes compliments!—in WWAC’s Slack, so I thought…
Zine Review: Abstract Door #6/Let it Sink #9
Abstract Door #6: Gargoyles & Garbage/Let it Sink #9: The Tears of Jim Joyce Jim Joyce and Vicky Lim Anything could be behind a door. I assume this is why my cat is fascinated by closed-off rooms, but for Vicky Lim, doors are an opportunity for both a writer and a reader to open themselves…
Inspiring Women in (Web)Comics Today!
Editor’s note: Starting this week and continuing until I run out of people to bug, WWAC will be running short pieces on some of the women working in comics now who are doing innovative or inspiring work. And not just women creators, but women working in comics retail, merchandising, marketing, editorial, journalism and more. If you…
Interview with Meredith Gran of Octopus Pie
One of the reasons I love webcomics is that they give readers the opportunity to see an artist grow and change. Webcomics are, with a few exceptions, published quickly after they are created, giving the reader a chance to engage with a work while the artist is still living through the experiences that influenced the art. Of…
Con Diaries: Chicago Zine Fest
It’s been two weeks since I attended the Chicago Zine Festival (CZF), but I still feel the aftershocks of love, community, excitement, and exhaustion. In my experience, zine festivals and alternative comics expos are designed with accessibility in mind. There is no entrance fee or admission cost is very low, events take place during typical…
Zine Review: Trans Man Walking #1
Trans Man Walking #1 Andi Santagata Sorry Mom Comix I’m very excited that the third and final zine I’m reviewing for Chicago Zine Fest is also debuting at the festival! Andi Santagata, the artist behind American Spirits: Freelance Ghostbusters—a webcomic that’s unsurprisingly about ghostbusting—just released a brand new zine called Trans Man Walking #1. It’s…
