I am ecstatic that the Peacemaker TV show has helped so many younger fans of the superhero genre discover the glories of ‘80s hair metal. It’s a sub-genre that brought radio-friendly pop hooks and ’70s glam rock and glam fashion aesthetics to heavy music. The series credits are a dance sequence set to the contemporary…
Are We OK Right Now or Did We Just Front for Hourly Comics Day?
One of the things I love about getting to read indie comics en masse — about going to a zine or comic festival and picking up a million little things and devouring them later — is the wide variety of art styles and perspectives. Engaging with art means I get to see the world through…
Shang-Chi is a Temperature Reading on Representation
As the MCU’s first film with an Asian protagonist, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings still relies on some age-old tropes and stereotypes. However, I also found some solace, empowerment, and escapism in how it spoke to being part of a Chinese diaspora. In particular, the film’s representation of women was noteworthy because…
Apocalyptigirl: An Aria for the End Times: Intended Audience and Its Role in the Commentary of Victimhood
Apocalyptigirl: An Aria for the End Times by Andrew Maclean is one of the best graphic novels I’ve read. When folks ask me what my recommendations are for their next read, it is always at the top of the list — especially when those folks have a young adult daughter as there are not enough…
[Patreon Exclusive] Jem & The Holograms And The Balancing Act of Multiple Identities
Our monthly Patron-exclusive essay series continues. You can read all of these incredible analyses for as little as a dollar a month on our Patreon. Originally based on a line of dolls of the same name, the ’80s cartoon, Jem and the Holograms tells the story of a young businesswoman named Jerrica Benton who inherits…
A Brief History of Webcomics: 2010 to Now
Though comics have been posted online since there was an online to post them on (the earliest known webcomic being uploaded on CompuServe in 1985), in the last decade, the landscape of the internet and digital comic hosting have changed drastically. Today, even children read webcomics on their smartphones, whether they be four-panel gags posted…
Patreon Exclusive: Revisiting the MCU’s Blip From a Pandemic Perspective
Our monthly Patron-exclusive essay series continues. You can read all of these incredible analyses for as little as a dollar a month on our Patreon. In comics, a crossover event is when something happens that’s so big, the implications from it are felt across the entire shared universe, rather than just a single comic series. People…
Humour in Times of Crisis: How Satire Can Lead to Self-Reflection and Social Action
Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal was introduced to me in March of 2020 by a highly valued friend and mentor, just as the world was locking down for the first time. It has become my comfort read throughout this wild journey we have been on in the past year as the post-apocalyptic collection of skit-esque…
Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back Illustrates How Passion Also Means People
Although Tatsuki Fujimoto is mostly known for Chainsaw Man, especially in light of its upcoming anime adaptation to be developed by MAPPA, he has always had a strong versatility to his craft not letting himself be boxed within the confines of the tropes typical to the shounen genre. Look Back was recently published as a…
Shang-Chi Isn’t Watershed Representation, It’s a Stepping Stone
It’s becoming a real Hollywood marvel.
Bang in the Coffin: Looking Back at Gatiss and Moffat’s Dracula
The BBC’s three-part adaptation of Dracula, written by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, did not air very long ago at all — just last year, in fact. However, it aired in the January of last year. This places it in the slice of 2020 termed pre-pandemic: an already antediluvian era that must surely be due…
Our Little Kitchen Shows That Picture Books Can Be Comics
The 2021 Eisner Award winners were announced on July 23rd, and one winner in particular stood out to me. Jillian Tamaki’s Our Little Kitchen, a beautiful picture book about neighbors cooking a meal in a community kitchen, won the Eisner for Best Publication for Early Readers. In an excited instagram post, Jillian Tamaki shared her…