I’ve been pregnant twice. I won’t say I loved being pregnant. There were definitely down sides to the reproductive process, though compared to some my pregnancies were relatively easy. I do not say that to brag. Pregnancy is a frightening thing. A dangerous thing. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 800 women die daily from pregnancy or…
Attack on Titan: Inspiring Post-Apocalyptic Adventure or Japanese Military Propaganda?
Unless we live in China, we just can’t escape from Attack on Titan. In the post-apocalyptic manga by Hajime Isayama, the last bastion of humanity lives within inside walls built to keep man-eating titans out. But like the zombie horde fans so often compare them to, the titans find ways to breach the barriers, decreasing…
Start Together: Comic Series with Similar Premises and Singular Execution
A lot of people have noted that the Marvel and DC Comics universes tend to publish stories with similar themes at the same time, though they might diverge under the surface. Finding and discussing similarities and differences in stories we value is a diverting pastime, but it can also be a great way to discover new…
The “Legend” of Zelda: What There is to Learn From Link’s 80s Movie
Did everyone already know this? Was I that last Zelda fan to discover that there is basically a Legend of Zelda movie? Legend, directed by Ridley Scott, staring Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, and Tim Curry, debuted in the UK in 1985. It is a vision quest into the heart of the Kokiri Forest, complete with tiny, annoying fairy. Every…
The Lord of the Rings, The Magicians, and Finally Learning How Not to Nerd-shame
I’ve always had a lot of opinions about The Lord of the Rings and all of them were always correct. Between the ages of 10 to 15, The Lord of the Rings books were my books. I read them every summer—thanks to my less-than-great school system with no summer reading requirements—and thought they were the…
How Nana Helped My Dad and I Have a Better Relationship
I spoke to my dad before pitching this piece to Claire, Women Write About Comics’ Feature and Opinions Editor. I’m quite open with a lot of things on the internet and have written about a few personal issues before, usually under my real name. But, whenever it comes to discussing family, there is a hesitancy I…
Books Made Me (Figure Out That I’m) Gay
A lot of people live in fear: fear of the written word. They don’t want their children to read Harry Potter because it might turn them into wizards. Brave New World was banned in Ireland, to prevent children from learning about sex. Leaves of Grass was banned in the United States for being too sensual. Dozens of books…
Beauty in the Breakdown, Part 2: The Wicked + The Divine
Once again, we return. A few months ago, I did a breakdown of Jamie McKelvie, Kieron Gillen, and Matt Wilson’s comic The Wicked + The Divine, or WicDiv, as a compression of high and low culture. I played coy with you guys in Part 1, but I’m going straight to the postmodernism this time. Don’t…
Bande Diary: Little Blue Men
Way back in the 17th century, certain members of my family left their home in France, hopped aboard a ship, and arrived at what would become Canada. They settled in Quebec and stayed there for a number of years. As the years went on, different branches of the family spread out in different directions, including…
In Plain Sight: On the Authenticity of Queer Characters
I have been thinking about the ways in which queer people hide.
We Need To Talk About Iris West: The Problem With Secret Identities
I had no plans to write about the depiction of Iris West on The Flash because I thought my grumbling tweets were enough and that other people who were more moved by it could take it on. I didn’t think I needed to be the person because to be honest, the fun of the show…
