Gail Simone's Blog, page 1102
January 11, 2012
This is how I feel meeting readers at conventions.
This is how I feel meeting readers at conventions.
A Foot In the Vegetarian Pool...
I haven't had meat (still eat butter and eggs and the like) for a few weeks now. I am surprised at how many good vegetarian products and sauces there are now, even in my local, decidedly non-gourmet grocery store.
It's an adjustment, but I'm kind of digging it. I feel better, which is a bit surprising. I wasn't really a huge carnivore previously, but this hasn't been that painful yet.
Anyone here have veggie stories or recipes or advice?
kyrax2:
gailsimone:
This might be the most painful thing I've...
This might be the most painful thing I've read about comics on Tumblr in a long while. I don't even know where to start.
First, screw it, let's just get this out of the way…I met Kyrax in person at two different conventions, and spent time with her, she looked absolutely fucking FABULOUS, huge smile, great costume, I don't know what the OP could possibly be thinking. As if female comic fans don't already get enough crap already!
Second, she didn't 'hijack' any panels. These panels are, at best, a fun time for readers and comics creators to meet. At worst, they are just commercials for upcoming product. They're not solemn events where the audience isn't allowed to voice their opinion to the superpowerful comic book wizards. I've been to panels where readers have been far more vocal about things of no importance whatsoever, like minor costume changes. You're saying actually talking about things that MATTER is somehow bad form?
Let me tell you, I was proud as hell of Kyrax for getting up and asking her questions in a straightforward manner, and for her refusal to be intimidated. In a room full of people who went from apathetic to openly hostile, that took a Batgirl-level of courage. I was there, and what she said took guts.
AND it made a difference. I spoke with several panelists after and they nearly uniformly felt bad about it, and that they knew she had a point. This stuff is a slow, irritating process, but it does make a difference, and now we have Ann Nocenti on Green Arrow and Nicola Scott on JLA and more good news coming that I can't talk about yet.She didn't make feminists look bad, she made feminists look both BRAVE and EFFECTIVE.
Finally, I've visited with Kyrax, I've spoken with her many times. She's not some mean ol' spoilsport. She was far, far more gracious and kind and understanding about what had happened than she needed to be. She was forgiving to the people that booed her and to the creators that didn't really answer her. She doesn't want to simply criticize, she wants things to be better.
She is, in short, an adult.
An AMAZING adult.
I don't know the original poster. But I was there on the panel, and was nothing but awed by this Batgirl. We should ALL be so 'bitchy,' if that's how you want to define courage and doing the right thing.
Kyrax, you keep on being Batgirl, please. You inspired a lot of people.
Gail, I don't know what to say. Thank you, for your kind words, your warmth, and your support. You're an inspiration, not only as a successful woman in the comics world, but as a human being. You treat everyone with patience and respect, but you never hesitate to stand up for yourself or what you believe in. Thank you for setting such an amazing example for all of us.
Sweetie, you are way too kind, and this isn't about me, it's about you, it's 100% true and 100% well-deserved.
You're the hero. Take a bow!
Full of Whoa!: Resurrecting a good thing; an industry call to action
Last night on Twitter I mentioned that I was sad that due to the demise of Friends of Lulu, the organization devoted to female comic creators, that it meant the end of the Kim Yale Newcomer award.
For those of you unfamiliar with Friends of Lulu, it described itself…
It's a lovely idea, one I whole-heartedly support. Has anyone spoken to John Ostrander about this? He might have some ideas on the subject.
A Females In Comics Speculative Query...
It's true that some more female creators are coming aboard but I would still like to see lots more (along with POC and lgbtq creators).
Just for fun, if you had the power to hire any female comics creators to do any book at DC…who would you bring aboard?
YOU ARE IN COMMAND!
If They Mess Up Lois In The New Superman Movie...
…I am going to go to Hollywood and kick some people in the throat.
It's weird, but I am way, way more invested in a good Lois than a good Superman, at this point. I want a good Lois in this movie more than even a good Wonder Woman in her OWN movie.
I JUST WANT A GOOD LOIS!
marchingjaybird:
Batwoman & Batgirl | Genevieve...
Batwoman & Batgirl | Genevieve Farly-Tremblay
I can't WAIT for them to meet. Lovely drawing!
January 10, 2012
Certain Shades of Limelight: Some days I just really feel like reblogging my rant about Kingdom...
therearecertainshadesoflimelight:
Some days I just really feel like reblogging my rant about Kingdom Come all over again.
I undersand why the book is appealing to people. And the art is stunning.
But if you are a female comics fan who claims to care and be in-tune to how narratives make women feel about themselves and how much…
This seems to be aimed at me, a little bit. In which case, I agree, I might even go a little bit further, in that I think that Wonder Woman is also treated very shabbily in that book.
The Lois thing is bad, but so many of the heroes have tragic backstory in that book that it's hard to single one out. Most of the characters were hit by some gruesome tragedy, which was certainly the style of the day, and a big part of what led to Women In Refrigerators. It's been years since I read KC, my opinions might have changed. But I found a lot to admire in both the art and the narrative. Still, yes, absolutely, the female characters are not given the respect or dignity of the rest of the cast. It's extremely noticeable.
I was email friends with Mark Waid at the time, had no aspirations of being a pro, was just a fan. And the book was really very exciting to my young fangirl mind. I didn't know about fanfiction, but I made up little backstories for all the characters. I really enjoyed it.
But even then, man, the stuff with Wonder Woman and Lois felt like the book's anchor (and I don't mean that in a good way). It just felt particularly noticeable in what was otherwise something of a masterpiece. I was pissed about the Lois thing, but Wonder Woman's big moment at the end, where she is essentially the bad guy, and gets her head straightened around by that moral compass, BATMAN, of all people, that really bothered me, and bothers me still.
I remember I talked to Mark about it back then, the last issue hadn't been out for very long, and I asked, what is this, what were you thinking? And he said that it was true, it was a false moment. He just said that of all the DC characters, Wonder Woman was the one he had the toughest time understanding. It was that portrayal of Wonder Woman that I really loathe, where she's this sort of icy queen who doesn't know her own heart or identity and has to be scolded and told right from wrong by Superman or Batmant, urgh. Mark might read it differently, but my memory is that he is unhappy with that whole portrayal, as well.
I can love a book with a characterization that I hate in it, it's happened several times. And to his credit, Mark did get that he messed that up, and admitted it right away. Kingdom Come isn't his favorite of his works. And he has written some of my favorite comics women since then; Linda Park will always be one of my most beloved characters. He's still absolutely one of my favorite writers in comics.
Maybe I should read it again and see if I'm remembering it through rose colored glasses. I recently went back and read some comics stuff I loved when I was younger and it was just a horrid slog to get through.
"African American women's internal life experiences are part of the American story. So, when we're..."
- Melissa Harris-Perry (via sociolab)
This. Whenever (white) people preach about "the good ol' days," I want to punch them in the throat. (via ethiopienne)
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