I write this on what is the traditional land of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nations. In the first part of this series, I examined the main narrative of Bitch Planet through a critical race theory framework. Critical race theory is a theoretical framework developed by mostly Black American legal scholars and is used…
Rereading Bitch Planet in 2021: Back Off, Karens
I write this on what is the traditional land of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nations. I was introduced to comic books by my father and brother. Comic books are a traditionally male-dominated sphere and women trying to enter into this sphere experience misogyny, gate-keeping, bias and gendered microaggressions; I know this because I…
Addiction, Self-injury, and Women In Comics
Trigger Warning: This post discusses drug addiction, self-injury, and other mental health issues. In September, DC landed itself in some seriously hot water when a proposal went out for artists to draw Harley Quinn naked and attempting to electrocute herself in the bathtub. The proposal, dreamed up by series writer Jimmy Palmiotti, drew quick condemnation…
The Critics’ Jane Foster
I’ve liked Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster since the first Thor. In particular, a scene that still makes me laugh is when Jane accidentally puts her dirty dishes right back in the cupboard of her cramped trailer the first time Thor comes calling. It’s a cute scene, and Portman’s muttering Jane is flummoxed. In Thor 2,…
Interview with Jeremy Whitley of Princeless
When I initially describe Jeremy Whitley’s Princeless (Action Lab Comics) to people, I explain it as if we got to continue seeing the adventures of Princess Elizabeth from Robert Munsch’s The Paper Bag Princess. That story, published in 1980, was quite a feminist gold standard for the time: the young princess rescues her prince, and…
Interview with Janelle Asselin
Getting There The former DC editor talks getting more women into comics: not just reading, but writing and editing them, too. Elisabeth Pfeiffer By this point, Janelle Asselin should be a recognizeable name if you’re into comics at all. The former DC Comics editor, now a children’s magazine editor with Disney, took on the perceptions…
Carol Appreciation: Captain Marvel roundtable
This is the fifth (and final) post in our series of Carol Appreciation posts. Also check out Megan Byrd’s review of Captain Marvel #1, Valtyr’s ode to Ultimate Carol, Garrideb’s look at Carol and female friendship, and Damalur’s Love Letter to Carol. So I was chatting about the debut issue of Captain Marvel on Twitter,…
