Hey, kid. Kid. Hey. Hey, you like a little story with a twist in the tale? You like a last-minute swerve? You like all that sweet tension ramped up in one final reveal that not only makes everything worse, but the whole story … better? Hey, kid, hey. Who would you kill to get that, huh? Who’d…
Buckaroo Banzai Rides Again…Maybe?
Kevin Smith…? That Kevin Smith? My feelings for Kevin Smith and the type of media he produces change with the most recent thing he’s done. My relationship with his work covers the full spectrum between love and hate. The overwhelming majority of his work in the ’90s is lost on me, despite how popular it…
What Devin Faraci Gets Wrong About Audience, Ownership and Power
Earlier this week, Devin Faraci of Birth Movies Death, wrote that fandom was broken. Out of control and on the attack, wild elements of the audience had broken free from their assigned role of mild adoration and GIFpreciation to wage war against creators. Hashtag campaigns, calls to action, death threats — described in one long…
The Sharon Carter Problem: How Marvel Keeps Failing Female Characters
Marvel movies are, by and large, not romances. And that’s okay. When I go to the theater to see a superhero movie, I don’t need to see anyone falling in love. If a romance can be played well within the confines of a rich and compelling superhero story, I’m not going to complain—I’m a sucker…
A Texas Broad Reads Preacher in 2016
This past March and April, I read Preacher for the first time, which feels like comics sacrilege in 2016. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s seminal late 90s creation about a man from East Texas who is burdened with glorious purpose—or, more accurately, the spawn of an angel and a demon—is held up alongside The Watchmen…
Brand New: An Analysis of DC Comics’ 2016 Logo
DC Entertainment released their new logo, along with a press release explaining its new branding and the motivations behind its decisions. See below for the full announcement. I have highlighted a few key phrases that point toward DC’s branding direction.
Gozer in Ghosbusters: Call Me Marshmallow Woman
Marshmallow Man is a woman. Granted, “Marshmallow Woman” doesn’t roll off the tongue with the same alliterative satisfaction as “Marshmallow Man.” It’s tough to pronounce two W’s in a row like that, not to mention adding an entire extra syllable. But, it’s the more accurate of the two. Accuracy versus a lulling literary device is…
Anime At 30 – What To Do When You Experience Anime Burn Out
I’ve been a fan of anime for almost 20 years. It occurred to me recently that my fanniversary is around the same time as Sailor Moon’s 20th anniversary. And knowing that there are young women and men watching Sailor Moon for the first time with the new Crystal adaptation, I’m beginning to feel like an…
Kesha vs Dr. Luke
Content warning: this article discusses rape and abuse. The Kesha case against Dr. Luke now has it’s own Wikipedia page, which means that this shitshow of humans failing to be decent is officially ingrained in the collective unconscious. This lawsuit is unprecedented in a lot of ways, but legal disputes between musicians and their record labels…
Dear Amanda: Letters of Caution
Cathy G. Johnson’s Dear Amanda plays catch with you for a while. Then it knocks the ball out of your hands. You thought you were reading a simple diary comic? You were reading a rather complex meditation on perspective, in fact. It knocked the ball out of my hands, I should say. Reading experiences may…
Dungeons & Damsels: Adventures of a First Time DM
I tend to get a little overzealous when I have an idea. Deciding to build a tiered vegetable garden, I went out and bought dozens of seed packets without having actually built anything yet. I wanted to start a gaming channel on YouTube, so I bought a recording program without considering the effort it takes…
Mental Health and Superheroes: The Problem with Labeling Sacrifice as Suicide
Content warning: This article discusses mental health, suicide, and depression. We, the fans, love our fandoms, so much that it’s possible for us to lose sight of the societal and personal impacts of our critical analyses. The past year has been a Thunderdome of fans who like or dislike the approach to characters they love. We’ve…
