Jane: Documents from Chicago’s Clandestine Abortion Service 1968-1973 Firestarter Press, 2004 January 22nd marked the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Perhaps it is more apt to say it sort of legalized abortion as, according to a recent article from Mother Jones, over 1,000 state laws restricting abortion…
Feminism and Realism in John Allison’s Giant Days
Amongst the barrage of “best of” comics lists that closed out 2015, I was delighted to see John Allison’s Giant Days pop up in multiple places. The comic follows three friends—Esther De Groot, Susan Ptolemy, and Daisy Wooton—as they navigate their emotionally and academically tumultuous first year of university (a.k.a. college, for the Americans like…
Zine Review: The Gaysi Zine, Issue 04
The Gaysi Zine: Issue 04 Editor In Chief: Priya Gangwani Art Director: Sreejita Biswas Contributors: Karishma Dorai, Soumya Menon, Pratap Chalke, Nandini Moitra, Upasana Agarwal, Amruta Patil, Sajid Wajid Shaikh, Rachna Ravi, Ankita Ghosh, Kruttika Susarla, Karishma Dorai, Anushka Jhadav, Ojoswi, Sakshi Juneja,Amirkhan Pathan, Harshit Vishwakarma, Solo, Vivek Nag, Siddhi Surte, Vivek Tejuja, Prabha Mallya,…
Art History Shipping: Who Should Get It On With Whom
Fandoms love to ship. And by that I mean, they imagine their favorite characters falling in love—whether or not that romance plays out in the story. Which character should be with which other character often leads to fond conglomerated names of the wished-for OTP (One True Pairing). Take “Korrasami” versus “Makorra” from Legend of Korra, for example. Shipping…
Zine Review: Sporgo No. 1
Sporgo No. 1 Lara Pallmall Laura Pallmall is a relatively new comic creator, with only a couple years of zine-making under her belt. Like many artists working in the punk scene, she started out by illustrating album covers, posters and t-shirts. “My drawings would go on flyers and band merch and then just kind of…
Get your Optimistic Sci Fi Fix with The Immortal Nerd
I first encountered H-P Lehkonen’s comics when their activism group, Femicomix Finland, visited Chicago and teamed up with local comics activists The LadyDrawers to discuss their work. Lehkonen radiates positivity; whether its with stories that look to the future or biographical works that look to the past, they always seem to celebrate the brighter, more…
Last Minute Gift Guide: Books for Adults
Earlier this week we shared our last minute gift guide for the young readers on your list. Now we’re continuing our recommending spree for the adult readers you’re still planning on buying for. Whether they like fantasy, horror, or are looking to join the adult colouring book craze, WWAC has you covered.
Last Minute Gift Guide: KidLit Edition
I know I’m not the only one who still has some last minute shopping to do this holiday season. Thankfully, the ladies of WWAC are here to help you with your shopping needs. The first edition of these last minute gift guides will focus on any of the younger crowd you may have on your list.
Zine Review and Interview: Atalanta and the Footrace by Salt
Zines come in all different sizes. There are big, chunky anthology zines, slim fanzines, teeny minizines, and emotionally heavy perzines. The contrast between the size of a final publication and the incredible amount of effort put forth to create it really hit me when I received Kim Salt’s Atalanta and the Footrace. Specs from the etsy shop description highlight…
ESSAY: Disability and Language in Adventure Time’s “Bonnie and Neddy”
The seventh season of Adventure Time brought its audience back to a Candy Kingdom facing big changes. An exhausted and frustrated Princess Bubblegum handed her throne over to the selfish, air-headed King of Ooo, and left to build a new life in the middle of nowhere. In the midst of the first true regime shift…
How to Pitch a Zine Review
I love reviewing zines. There is a huge volume of self published work sitting in independent bookstores and inventory piles in basements, waiting to be read and adored. I hope that by writing reviews and interviewing zine writers, artists, distributors and publishers I can demystify this world for new fans. However, while the number of outlets…
Queersplay Cosplay Creates Safe Spaces at Cons
If you have never attended a convention, know that it is a very unique space. Jumping headfirst into con culture can be exhilarating. The creators behind your favorite media are a just a queue away, fabulous geeks wearing fabulous costumes are everywhere, and for a weekend you can put the outside world away and celebrate that rare…