It’s that time again! The Lifestyle section Editor’s–that would be me–monthly round-up of carefully curated (meaning stuff I like) geeky lifestyle links! Hide your wallet now.
Remember The Fangirls: The Commercialization of the Her Universe Fashion Show
This year marked the third Her Universe Fashion Show at San Diego Comic Con, and it was definitely the biggest show yet. The Her Universe Fashion Show is a new genre of geek-related entertainment that I hope we see at other comic cons, because it really is an appreciation for geek fashion and the fans…
Feminism & Fat: Interview with Ragen Chastain
One of my biggest, long-time internet crushes on a person I have never, ever met goes to Ragen Chastain. I started reading her blog, Dances with Fat, several years ago as it not only affirmed some struggles and suspicions I had regarding the talk around bodies and health, but it also opened my eyes to the…
Against Body Policing: Get That Tattoo!
I got my first tattoo when I was 22. Initially, I thought ensuring my tattoo had some kind of “deep meaning” was the most important part, so I spent a year mulling over the design and what each piece of it meant until I had a mini speech about its symbolism memorized. Before and immediately…
Let Me Desire Myself: Sexy Drawings That Don’t Hurt [NSFW]
Erotica, one might hope, is intended to make people feel good. Erotica, as has been discussed at length on this site, can cause people to feel bad. All art containing bodies has the potential to push the viewer into a state of comparison. Desiring to encourage reflection upon the differences and the the reasons which span this…
Fashion Forward Review: Fashionista, Gaming Noob
When I sat down to play Fashion Forward I was at a bit of a loss. I don’t understand much about feminine fashion, and I couldn’t tell if the looks I put together were actually cute or just well-drawn. So I asked my good friend Katie Mayo to play the game with me. She’s a “casual gamer”…
Fainted When She Saw My Body: Social Construction of Monstrousness in Saga
What is a monster? The easy answer is an “unnatural” being—your zombies, ghosts, or vampires. Stories from Frankenstein to The Walking Dead showcase the idea that humans can become monstrous through action, perhaps even more monstrous than the undead. Critics like David J. Skal and Stephen King argue that fictional monsters are metaphors, vehicles to…
Frontier #11: BDSM, by Eleanor Davis
Frontier #11: BDSM Eleanor Davis Youth In Decline February 2016 BDSM takes place on a porn set. Two women, one a dom the other a sub, are playing out a mistress/maid scene while an all-male crew — save the makeup artist — directs and shoots. The director calls for a halt: the sub is too…
Masamune Shirow and Brandon Graham: A Dirty, Dirty Pair
Porn comics! I wish I could say I’m a bigger fan of them than I am. Sex unbound from just about everything up to including the laws of physics and the capitalistic forces that keep real live porn mired in racism and misogyny! What a concept. I’m sure there’s plenty of material out there for…
Criminal Underrepresentation: Big Hard Sex Questions For Fraction and Zdarsky
I was really excited by a tweet I saw from the Women Write About Comics account saying that the site would be spending the month of April focusing on the topic of sex. I’m definitely a casual reader of comics and a casual fan of sex, so I figured it was a match made in…
Accessibility and Cons: If Comics Are For Everyone, Can Everybody Reach Them?
Last time we talked, I discussed my own work as a comics creator and the ways in which I’ve worked to create my own disability representation in comics. This month, I want to delve into an issue that is broader in scope, but in many ways just as vital: accessibility at comic conventions. It’s con…
Representation & Desire: A Plus Sized Male Model
Plus-sized female models are making inroads in mainstream fashion, and while this representation isn’t without its problems, it is telling that the question of plus-sized male models has only recently entered the conversation with the signing of Zach Miko as Target’s first ever plus-size male model.