I’ve been a loyal but most recently disappointed fan of American Horror Story. Undoubtedly, there is a lot to be celebrated in the series. It showcases characters who are complex and unique in their suffering. Take Jessica Lange’s alcoholic, conniving character Sister Jude from season two; we went from despising her, to understanding her and finally…
Butch Woman Weeps: A Response to Noelle Stevenson
This morning a man about my age put his hand on my shoulder, pulling me back from the door while telling me I should let “ladies go first.” He also called me “young man.” My friend and I continued on our way without much comment, and I got into my office otherwise undisturbed. Upon checking…
Shall We Say No to Moe?
“It seems that Ming has some issues with you,” my friend Yu told me. Hearing her words, I shrugged and said nonchalantly, “I don’t care about his opinion.” Yu stared me for a moment, “You are truly a tsundere.” She laughed, “I know you do care.” I was surprised, not because Yu misunderstood me and…
Trading Outpost: Pan(demonium) et Circenses
Editor’s note: This installation of The Trades is comedically late, through no fault of your delightful host’s. Look for another Trades soon–and forgive a poor editor her trespasses. It’s The Trading Outpost, an extension of The Trades, with your friend, me, FST. The Trades is me and Aaron doing a podcast where we talk about comics and…
The Inescapability of Rape Narratives
Warning for discussion and description of rape scenes and spoilers ahead for Pointe by Brandy Colbert, The Diviners by Libba Bray, The Just City by Jo Walton, and Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee.
The Evolution of Princess Zelda
As the world waits with bated breath for the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2017, it’s fun to reflect and reminisce on the amount of progress that Nintendo’s protagonist Link has made throughout the years of his development. What once was a 2D top-view game for the Nintendo Entertainment System…
Outfit Select: Lara Croft, Vogue, & Personal Development
Thinking about Sarah Harris using “gaming heroine” to define to aesthetic spirit of the decade in British Vogue’s centenary edition–a Royal on the cover, input from seasoned industry greats, and women of the moment throughout, a real authoritative environment, if Harris’ name alone isn’t enough to convince you of the scale of this proclamation–I came…
The Killing Joke Is a Bad Joke that Just Won’t R.I.P
The animated adaptation of the comic The Killing Joke was officially released on July 25th. So far, only a few WWAC contributors have seen it and all declined to review it. Instead we got together to discuss adaptation’s controversial addition of a sexual relationship between Barbara Gordon and Bruce Wayne, and our thoughts on the…
Not at All Rare: Why Mark Millar’s Relaunch of “Kick-Ass” Spells Doom for a New Female Character of Color
Trigger warning for discussions about rape.
On Ghostbusters, Gender, and Hate
The Ghostbusters reboot has been at the center of much controversy and mud-flinging ever since the all-woman cast was announced back in January 2015. When the film premiered in the UK on Monday to pretty decent reviews— a certified fresh 75 percent on Rotten Tomatoes—a Ghostbusters Reddit thread appeared, claiming they needed to undermine the film’s…
Morals and Magic: How The Wicked+The Divine Depicts Changing Western Views of Identity and Sexuality
Kieron Gillen is no stranger to diverse teenage characters. The author of the Young Avengers relaunch, Gillen is experienced at writing characters from a variety of racial groups and sexualities and even won a GLADD award for his work. The Wicked+The Divine (pronounced “The Wicked and the Divine” or simply “WicDiv” for short) takes it…
Manipulation of Manhood: Julia Gfrorer’s Comic Book Misandry
Content warning: penises, breasts, rape of men. EDIT, October 2016: this article is an analysis of Gfrorer’s work as a commentary on phallocentric patriarchy. Cis masculinity is consciously centred in the readings of these narratives. I never really managed to think of a penis as a vulnerable thing until I caught the first fifteen minutes…