Gail Simone's Blog, page 817

Wait, how many Gail Simones are there?

14.

doortotomorrow:icantbelieveitsalawblog:I’m not that big of a...

doortotomorrow:

icantbelieveitsalawblog:

I’m not that big of a comics geek, but the whole “Fake Geek Girl” thing is incomprehensible to me. This comic seems to sum it up quite well.

This, that and whole lot of yes!

Reblogging this because I love it, John Kovalic, you are awesome!

Also, hey, what’s that comic they are reading?

thefingerfuckingfemalefury:kellysue:anklewings:im pretty...

thefingerfuckingfemalefury:

kellysue:

anklewings:

im pretty big on the idea of magical girl captain marvel

Preeeetty.

She is the one named Sailor Marvel :D

How cute is THAT?

You sell it?

Wha…?

thescarletrose:I’m just really fucking depressed.Does it help even a little if someone says...

thescarletrose:

I’m just really fucking depressed.

Does it help even a little if someone says they think you are extremely awesome?

ruckawriter:(I’ve been asked to make my answer rebloggable....

ruckawriter:

(I’ve been asked to make my answer rebloggable. Hopefully this will do that.)

I’ve been holding off on answering this for a number of reasons. The first was I wanted to give it due thought. The second was that I’m pretty sure I’ll end up offending someone, somewhere, and despite what may be perceived as a reputation for not caring about that kind of thing, I actually do, quite a bit. 

And third, it was a busy, busy week.

I’m not entirely up-to-speed on all the current video game releases and news, but I’m assuming you’re referring to the new Tomb Raider game that Square Enix is releasing, made by Crystal Dynamics. I’m also not up-to-speed on everything that’s been said about it, so my information is based more on heresay than anything else, but my understanding is that there’s certainly an active threat of sexual assault against Lara in the new game, though whether or not she is raped, I don’t know.

In the interests of full disclosure, I played almost all the Eidos Tomb Raider games, and I played and liked the first of the Crystal Dynamics ones. I haven’t played the second.

So, with all this in mind…

Fiction - regardless of its form, and video game narrative, I think we all agree, is fiction - at its best, reflects truths about reality. Fiction educates, even if it does so obliquely, or behind the cover of story. Fiction, ideally, asks questions that provoke thought and attempts to answer those questions posed.

Rape is a reality. Ignoring it empowers it. Diminishing it empowers it. Fetishizing it empowers it. Ignorance of it empowers it, and we just finished an election season here in the U.S. where that ignorance was on spectacular, non-ironic, display.

So, as if all the above wasn’t clear, I am very much speaking from my own opinion. Do I think rape has a “place” in fiction? Absolutely, yes. It’s a very specific place, I feel. It’s a place that must illuminate it as the crime against body and soul that it is. It’s a place where its weight and horror must be acknowledged, never diminished. It’s a place where it must be recognized as the evil it is. 

Yes, certainly, there are characters where being a rape survivor is a crucial element of who they are. For some, it is even their core motivation. In the right hands, written with the proper thought and care and - in my opinion, and most crucially - honesty, yes, there is a place.

But as a short-hand for “justifying” why a character - specifically a female character - is who she is, or does what she does? I hate it. I’m inherently very suspicious of it, to the point of active hostility. I am leery of the prurient interest, and in the case of Lara specifically, I cannot escape feeling that is hard at work here. I read a quote where one of the developers, I believe, claimed that putting Lara in this position, under this threat, would make the player “want to protect her.” I found that both condescending and remarkably ignorant. Having not played the game, I can’t speak with any authority on it, but I find it hard to believe that was their motive to begin with.

I am very, very tired of rape being used as an explanation for why a woman is “strong.” As if an explanation is required. I find that insulting as hell, frankly. And I’m a guy.

Long answer is long. Getting longer.

Characters - good characters - are never any one thing. A rape survivor should never be defined by the crime committed against him or her. But the nature of the crime is so vile, in my opinion, that incorporating it into any character demands it be given the full weight and consideration it deserves. Anything less, as I said at the start, diminishes the crime. That’s irresponsible writing, at the very least, and irresponsible writing is, to me, bad writing.

There’s more to say, but I’ve said enough for now, I think.

Hope this answers the question. 

My Poor Doggy

We have two dogs, both the same age, 13.

A Shetland Sheepdog named Static, he’s chubby and full of beautiful fluffy hair, and a rescued racer greyhound, ‘Scuro.

Scuro acts like a pup every day. He jumps up, he runs all over the place, he’s like a kid who can’t calm down even at thirteen. Greyhounds have shorter lives than most dogs due to poor nutrition and living conditions when at the track (most of the time, I guess some are treated much better). But Scuro acts like he has ten more years to go.

But my other dog, Static, named after my son’s favorite superhero, is not doing well. He’s very sluggish and slow-moving, he has had terrible skin allergies his whole life that make him uncomfortable and a bit obsessive. He had problems with his ears and now is totally deaf. And worst of all, when he wants to stand up, he has a very hard time getting his back legs to work, so he can’t always get up without help. Once he’s standing, he can move around.

I worry that his quality of life is starting to disappear.

I love this little dog. He was my son’s dog, and helped bring my son around when he had severe social anxiety. He was a little namesake from my friend Dwayne McDuffie, who has sadly since passed away, who was a hero to me.

He’s the smartest dog I’ve ever had. I hate to see his health deteriorate. I am happy to help him up. I am happy to give him medicine, whatever helps make him happy and comfortable. But he seems to be less comfortable all the time.

I’m not sure how much longer he has to live. We regularly take him to the vet, but they haven’t been able to discern the problem…he has tremors in his sleep, sometimes. The doctors gave him thyroid medication and baby aspirin, which seems to help a little.

This week, every time something good happens, I start thinking about my furry little guy, who loves all of us but has always been an independent fellow, and I can’t help but be sad.

Gail, I apologize if I'm getting annoying. I just wanted to clarify what I meant, and I suppose I should have posted all this in a post of my own. My main point boils down to the New 52 being the current continuity in DC, and that there are clear links to

I think that’s perfectly fair, no worries at all.

Some people are always going to prefer the previous version, that is absolutely fine, and we have a lot who jumped on board for the new version.

I do really actually like both. I hope they both exist someday, parallel worlds or something.

An Open Letter to the Women of Cosplay

An Open Letter to the Women of Cosplay:

:

My Dear Cosplay Ladies,

I want to start by telling you that I have so much admiration for you. You are so beautiful. You are so dedicated, so talented. You have so much heart. I love watching you dress to the nines at conventions and browsing the pictures that proudly show off your work. I am inspired by you every day – by how passionate you get over your fandoms, the hours you spend researching new building techniques, and the times you safety pin an outfit from a box of scraps for the fun of it.

We’re up against a surprising amount of adversity in this hobby, we women. At every convention, there’s somebody trying to shame us for not being “true” geeks. When photos show up online, we’re blamed for not being pretty enough or the right body type or the right gender for what we’re wearing. To do what we enjoy, we are forced to fight through a haze of doubt, criticism, and negativity. Given the state of the geek community and the state of the internet right now, this is our reality.

So my plea to you is: Be good to each other.

There is increasing bitterness between women who cosplay. It’s true that competition is common when women are in close contact over long periods of time. But most of us come from a background of feeling like outcasts for our interests, or feeling like we don’t measure up to others somehow. So why is there not more of an effort to make our space safe for each other? Why do we not stick together against all the things trying to tear us down?

Instead, our space is full of catty public comments, flash judgments, and sob stories. Why are cosplay girls writing hate-fueled blog posts ranting at each other for being posers or backstabbers? Why is it considered a point of pride not to accept blame when we hurt people with our words? Why do we use language with other women that we would never tolerate coming from a man? Why do we treat each other the way we were treated in elementary school?

Why are we not good to each other?

I will never understand the women who say that they don’t like other women. I am lucky to have close, supportive girlfriends in my life. I can tell you honestly: when you do it right, friendship doesn’t have to be a competition, and it doesn’t have to be an repetitive series of dramas. For that matter, nor does sharing a hobby with hundreds of women you don’t know – really. We will inevitably have problems with each other, but they don’t have to turn ugly. Be truthful. Be kind, as much as you can. Be thoughtful and supportive. Acknowledge that other women have feelings and that you can have an effect on them.

And please, I beg you, take the high road. When you’re tempted to bitch another gal out, don’t do it. When your fingers are hovering over the keys, ready to write a scathing Facebook post about the failings of soooo many girls who cosplay, don’t do it. Close the window. Close your mouth. Turn your judgmental thoughts around and use them to inspire yourself to be better. You cannot control each other; you can only control yourselves… And chances are, you will ultimately get what you give.

Please. Be good to each other, ladies. You all deserve it.

My support always,

- Roxy

http://comicimpact.com/2013/01/letter-cosplay/

This is a letter from one of my favorite cosplayers, presented without further comment except to say I was not familiar with the phenomenon she speaks about at all.

I like to think that the classic Pre-Crisis Earth One and Earth Two, and the Post-Crisis/Pre-Flashpoint New Earth still exist out there beyond the immediate neighbourhood of the post-Flashpoint 52 Earths. They must exist. After all, I still have stories fr

I think that, too, in my headcanon, but I’m not sure if the actual canon says they exist.

I know the word ‘headcanon’ sounds kind of silly, but I think it’s a really powerful idea, of a kind of personal ownership of the fandom you want to see.