For a long time I’ve been pondering the roles that mothers play in fiction, especially media aimed towards younger viewers. Sometimes nameless, occasionally silent, women who are either helpless, shrill, or too often dead before any story can begin. These aren’t always terrible roles for characters to play, given the right attention and nurturing they…
Queens, Pirates, and Goddesses: The Women of Swords & Sorcery
Although pulp swords and sorcery books feature plenty of scantily clad women on their covers, sometimes there is a different kind of woman inside. She fears neither man nor beast, leads men into battle, captains pirate ships, and lures men to their deaths. Belit and Valeria fought alongside Conan as equals, while Jirel of Joiry…
Geek Moms Shine with Halloween Costumes
Editor’s Note: As self-identified geeks, we really like Halloween around here, and I like to think that geek culture staples like cons and cosplay have contributed to Halloween being a bigger and bigger deal each year. Considering this, I asked our writers to share their stories about Halloween costuming. — Ginnis Tonik
Book that Shaped Me: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
When I look over the facts and the honest-to-god evidence of my childhood reading habits, the answer to the question What’s your favorite book? is clear as day: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This is, most notably, because I literally read my copy to pieces. When I moved away from home and my…
Loving Parody: Jason’s Twist on Genre Films
B-movie monsters, private detectives, vampire hunters and damsels in distress—Jason loves them all, and he loves to make fun of them all. From High Noon to The Big Sleep, he has re-written old genre stories with the twist of dark, deadpan humor that has become his signature. While it’s obvious that he genuinely loves spaghetti…
Audiobooks: For Your Listening Pleasure
I’ve set myself a a goal of reading 100 books this year and am doing pretty well. I include audiobooks in that list, though I used to sheepishly believe that letting someone else read to me was cheating when it came to reading challenges. But I love to read and when life gets too busy…
Sex, Drugs, and Being Whole : Welcome to the World of Gangsta
It’s hard being an older fan of manga and anime. Think about the most popular titles: Naruto, Attack on Titan, and Noragami. Do you notice a pattern? About their protagonists maybe? That’s right. They’re teenagers. Even up-and-coming Tokyo Ghoul features young college students. That’s nice and all, but what about those of us who are…
Razors vs. Lasers: My Adventure in Laser Hair Removal
As I said in our roundtable back in May, I’ve had a facial hair problem all of my adult life. It is a pretty significant source of anxiety for me, so once I found a laser removal solution I was willing to try, I decided to chronicle my experience for posterity and for other women…
The Major’s Body (10): Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: 2nd Gig
Boys, Sex, and Love Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: 2nd Gig is the second season of the weekly anime, covered here, and a direct thematic continuation. I might love it even more than Stand Alone Complex. [Oshii said] “And with Motoko Kusanagi, I had trouble putting my finger on the true identity of…
Books That Shaped Me: His Dark Materials
When I was young, my parents would take me to a bookstore at least once, sometimes twice, a month. I lived in a sprawling suburb, so we usually frequented either a Barnes & Noble or Borders or—on the rare occasion—a Media Play. I would not discover the pleasures of an independent bookstore until well after…
Scrabble Vs. Family Feuds: Games Are All That Hold Us Together
Scrabble is one of the few links between me and my dad’s side of the family. There are other things we share, mainly our last name and genes. But the one hobby that my brothers and I share with them is Scrabble, and this bond is possibly the one thing that could hold us together….
When Down Is Up: What’s Wrong With Indie Comics?
We’ve already discussed why “mainstream” comics are not that mainstream these days in my last “When Down Is Up” article. Let’s now look at the opposite of the mainstream at the so-called indie or creator-owned comics.
