If you’ve been paying attention to Wikipedia lately, you might have noticed some new portraits of lesser-known feminist figures on the online encyclopedia. They’re all a part of the “100 Days 100 Women” series created by Rori, a St. Louis graphic designer and freelance illustrator. Although originally a personal project started with no press or…
Baroque Pop: Graphic Lives of the Young and Beautiful
“Lana Del Rey once said ‘Doing what you love is freedom. Loving what you do is happiness.’ It’s interesting how those twelve little words perfectly sum up the entirety of why artists endure and struggle and create. But one word from that statement stands out above the rest: love. Love has driven countless people to…
Sing Once Again with S. Jae-Jones of Wintersong’s Strange Duet
Every year, there’s a novel that catches my eye and I know, without a doubt, that it will be different. Not just new, not just exciting, but the kind of different that wrecks you just a little bit, draws you into the deep of the forest and brings you back changed. In fall 2016, I…
Myth, Motherhood and Buttered Toast: An Interview with Sophia Wiedeman
Nothing makes me happier than a story that gets in my head, manipulates my emotions, and controls how I read. I am a fast reader, and poor pacing or lazy writing — whether in comic or prose form — cause me to speed through a book, letting my impatience get the better of me. This…
Comics Academe: Christine Hoff Kraemer on Graven Images
Rather than looking inward, I decided that for this Comics Academe, I’d like to talk to someone else in the field of comics. I keep saying that it’s important for scholars in “new” fields like comics to learn from each other and not lose collective knowledge, so I thought I would do as I say!…
What’s Ahead for 2dcloud: An Interview With Raighne
Comics publisher 2dcloud has had a pretty great year for 2016 — their catalog includes the critically acclaimed Turning Japanese by MariNaomi and Someone Please Have Sex with Me by Gina Wynbrandt, and 2017 looks to be full of promise too. Their Fall 2016 Kickstarter wraps in 3 days — three books, three zines, and some extras. Since…
Interview: Sequentials, a New “Comics” Journal
As part of Comics Academe, one of the things I want to do is to promote what’s happening in academia and comics studies–especially when what’s happening is something that is innovative, or challenges what academic “scholarship” can be. When I first heard about Sequentials, a new comics “journal” being put out by the incredible English…
Zorse: An Interview with Ramzee
When I caught Ramzee (the Artist formerly known as Ramsey Hassan) at November’s premier comics convention Thought Bubble, he was one day post-award show. On stage at the Young People’s Comic Award presentation (which he did not win, but top-five nationwide is nothing to sniff at) Ramzee wore a black and white Union Flag robe. Minding…
The Best There is at What He Does: Examining Chris Claremont’s X-Men
The Best There is at What He Does: Examining Chris Claremont’s X-Men By Jason Powell, Cover by Steven Legge Sequart Organization (October 2016) A copy of this book was provided to WWAC in exchange for an honest review. It’s no secret that I’m a big X-Men fan. I’m not talking about whatever rebooted/rehashed/resurrected business Marvel…
Melanie Gillman’s Stage Dreams: A Story of Queer Romance and Espionage!
There is a great deficit of happy stories about queer and trans people, so it’s extra exciting to find an artist that creates them. Melanie Gillman has been a champion of such stories, and has been building impressive body of work. They currently draw As the Crow Flies, a webcomic about a queer 13 year old navigating the…
CHIPRC Fosters Community and Creativity for Self-Publishers
One of the most inspiring aspects of the self-publishing community is the support creators provide for each other. Whether it’s zines, comics, poetry, or essays, self-publishers are always willing to offer advice, resources, and anything they can to help. However, building connections can be difficult, even in the era of twitter, which is where organizations…
Creator Spotlight: Olivia Stephens
As one of the rising voices in comics today, Olivia Stephens’s approach to story, art, and relationships reveals a raw look at the human experience. Steve Morris at Comics Alliance recently said he doesn’t “think there’s anybody in comics right now who captures the human spirit like Olivia.” I caught up with Olivia via email to…
