(Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for Skip Beat!) Shoujo manga—or manga produced for girls—is often dismissed by casual readers as manga brimming with stereotypes. In fact, oftentimes shoujo stories are not taken seriously solely because they are aimed at young girls. Despite the popularity of serious manga like Fruits Basket and Boys Over Flowers,…
The Wicked + The Divine: “Fucking Tara” and the Fame Monster
On Autonomy, Available Bodies and Asking For It Spoiler Warning: This essay contains spoilers for The Wicked + The Divine #13.
Silk: The Miles to Gwen’s Peter
With the support of readers and moviegoers, the comic book industry is finally moving towards showcasing a more diverse series of heroes. Last year, Marvel gave us Kamala Khan as the new Ms. Marvel, the first Muslim heroine to headline her own comic in the publisher’s history. In 2015, Marvel followed up the progressive move…
Productivity Without Perfection: Finding the Balance Between Anxious and Functional
Let’s admit it, being a functional, productive adult is hard. Doing so while also trying to manage an anxiety disorder adds a fun dash of horrific stress to the whole thing!
Fail Better: Folders Full of Chaos
In theory, I ought to be a really organized person. I was raised by a father who still uses the phrase: “There’s a place for everything, and for everything there is a place.” My dad is the definition of meticulous organization. He avoids clutter and can literally count on one hand how many times he’s…
Mom’N’Pop-Culture: Electronics Free Vacation or Meanest Mom Ever
There are usually mixed responses when parents talk about how much screen time they allow their children on a weekly basis. We are a family who like our electronics. I try to keep the mindset that if grades aren’t dropping and bad attitudes aren’t flowing let them play. Everything in moderation, of course. Each family has…
Cyril Pedrosa’s Three Shadows: Comics as Testament
I Hear You, I See You Cyril Pedrosa’s Three Shadows: Comics as Testament As humans we seek to understand injustice, transcend what we are told are limitations, and create for ourselves the world in which we want to live: encouraged to share and speak about what is affecting us. It is in this space where…
Age Appropriate Toys: Abuse, Recovery, and Playing Barbies as a Teen
Welcome to WWAC Game Section’s summer Barbie series. These months are often the time that children are free from commitments, away from their friends, and ready to let their imaginations take over. For many of us that meant playing with Barbies, and over the next few weeks you’ll see the many different ways Barbies affected…
Freaky Vegan Daughter: Summer Lovin’ & Adventurin’
Freaky Vegan Daughter (FVD) returns with some tips for your summer backpack adventures. It’s WWAC Warriors meets offbeat feminist southern debutante.
Books That Shaped Me: A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. LeGuin’s A Wizard of Earthsea sank into me like a song. I don’t recall the exact summer that I first read it. It was somewhere between Patricia C. Wrede’s Dealing With Dragons and Mercedes Lackey’s Arrows of the Queen, and I was somewhere between ages nine and thirteen. It was probably one of those summers I spent…
Dispatches From Academia: Where’s The Nerd Party?
If, like me, you hate failing at anything, academia is a tough place to be. When I got accepted for a PhD in comics research, I genuinely envisioned a three-year nerd party where I could enthuse about overanalyzing comics to my heart’s content. The research process would be challenging but rewarding. My amazing skills would…
Kanban Warrior – My Productive Life in Kanbanchi & HabitRPG
Last month for the lifestyle section, we explored the world of cosplay in its many manifestations. For the last month of summer, we are exploring organization and productivity in preparation for the approaching fall, new school year, and the slow fade of the lazy days of summer. Most of us work other jobs in addition to…
