Right now, I am sitting at the dining table in my new home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, working on one of three things I’m supposed to write today. It’s starting to get cold here, so I’m bundled up and drinking some hot tea. I’m still settling in, so boxes are piled up around me and…
Always the Weird Girl, Ever the Witch: Wanda Maximoff’s Unearned Reputation
I have so much love for Wanda Maximoff. There is a long and detailed history between Scarlet Witch and myself that I’ll make very short and sweet. Wanda Maximoff was the one who introduced me into the world of Marvel Comics. I know there are so many characters to choose from, but for some reason,…
Mom’N’Pop Culture: Thoughts on Class Dojo & Tracking Classroom Behavior
I don’t know about other parts of the country (or other countries), but here in Florida the public schooling gets real starting in third grade. Standardized tests are a must pass, and the A through F grading system takes over the “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” rating system of the previous three years. My daughter and I…
The Silent Lessons of Strange Fruit #2: A Review That Isn’t
Strange Fruit #2 J.G. Jones and Mark Waid (Authors), J.G. Jones (Artist), Deron Bennett (Letterer) BOOM! Studios October 4, 2015 Though Strange Fruit #1 was published in July, the BOOM! response to criticisms lodged about its racial insensitivity in the following weeks and months has been relative silence. I tried very hard not to blame them, as it’s a…
The Missing Dialogue in “Star Wars and the Power of Costume”
Disclaimer: an entry pass for Star Wars and the Power of Costume was supplied by the museum. If you’re reading this, you’re probably familiar with Star Wars, at least a little bit. The massive sci-fi franchise infiltrated popular culture decades ago. Just when you think you’ve seen the last of it outside of re-runs and…
Dia de Muertos Is Not Your Mexican Halloween
No puedes repaqueta una cutura. Translation: “you can’t repackage a culture.” In America, the cultures of people of color tend to be bastardized by white mainstream outlets in various forms. In recent years, the specific culture of Latinx Americans has been twisted, distorted, and conflated in regards to the popular Sugar Skull trend that has…
Death in Video Games According to a Five Year Old
My youngest brother is a gamer in the loosest sense of the term. He really enjoys watching others play games, almost as much as he enjoys telling others how to play games. He especially likes completely dictating every gaming action to another person and then celebrating the outcome as his own success. He’s six (five…
From Princess to Ash: Navigating My Childhood Halloween Costumes
Halloween tends to send us into a web of nostalgia. We reminisce over our favorite childhood Halloween candies (some of them long discontinued), our favorite scary movies, carving pumpkins, and of course costumes. Skimming through our memories, some of those costumes make us laugh, some make us cringe, and others forces us to wonder what…
New Jersey via Pakistan via Scotland: Making Mine Ms. Marvel
I can’t remember exactly where I read the announcement. But what I do remember is the excitement and happiness I felt as I rapidly posted about the introduction of Kamala Khan on Facebook. As I trawled through articles about the new Ms. Marvel and interviews with co-creators G. Willow Wilson and Sana Amanat, any fears…
Letting Yourself Harass Zamii For Love of Steven Universe: Life Lessons From Going Too Far
Content warning: we’re going to talk about harassment and self-harm. Do you get a shiver down your spine and a catch in your heartbeat when you tell somebody they’ve done something hurtful? That’s really entirely okay. Physical responses to internal stress and the feedback of bravery aren’t rotten. It’s alright to enjoy the roller coaster…
E – N – I – D: Ghost World and Name Fluidity
Ghost World Daniel Clowes Fantagraphics Books 1997 What’s in a name? Everything. Names play a big part in Ghost World. The characters are called by their legal names, nicknames, imagined names, and incorrect names. They receive these names through birth or social interaction, and the usage of these names communicate specific intentions.
My First Horror Movie: Alien
Although I enjoy watching Aliens a little bit more than Alien (Vasquez is the best!), Alien made a serious impact on me. I saw it on TV, alone at night. My mom worked as a bartender, so naturally I had stayed up late to watch stuff that would give me nightmares. Although I had seen…
