tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40682904630071428022024-03-13T16:12:45.057-05:00Plastic HeroinesSuperheroines. Comics. Geek Grrls. Female action figures, past and present, photographed, critiqued, and coveted. The ramblings and rants of a collector and feminist.W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-17344870196393688602021-06-12T15:09:00.000-05:002021-06-12T15:09:24.847-05:00Maintaining an Inventory<p><span style="color: #444444;">Maybe you're new to collecting, maybe you're a collector who's never really thought about your collection in terms of "inventory" or "asset" – here's some things to consider, not just for the sake of avoiding the annoyance of duplicate purchases.</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444;"><i>Before I go any further: nothing in this post is intended as legal advice. I am not an attorney. If you have questions about insurance, an insurance claim, or legal issues about an insurance claim, you should speak to a qualified attorney in your state.</i> <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span><b>Insurance</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">If you have renter's or homeowner's insurance and something catastrophic happens where you need to make a claim, how will you know <i>what to claim </i>or <i>how to prove it</i> without documentation. Maintaining a good, current database of your collection is vital for this. Photograph everything, keep a list of what you have, and if you have really valuable collectibles, keep detailed purchase records. An insurance adjuster won't just pay a claim out on your say-so. <u><b>Note:</b> read your policy closely to see if it even covers your collectibles; it may not. </u><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span><b>No More Duplicate Buying</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">This alone will save you hundreds, but it only works if you maintain a current up-to-date database. (It also helps avoid having to return gifts that might be duplicates.)<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span><b>Track Missing Pieces</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">If your collection is missing a piece, and the collection is large, sometimes it can be hard to recall which piece(s) might be missing just by looking at a display. With a database tailored to your needs, you can flag those missing items. <span><span>Just remember that when you acquire something that you adjust the data accordingly.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span><b>Track Spending</b></span></span></p><span style="color: #444444;"><span><span>Maybe
you don't know how much you spend on your hobby, and you want to.
Maintaining a database will help you do that. (You might not thank me
for that suggestion...)</span></span></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><span>Gift Suggestions</span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">"What do you want for your birthday?" (sigh) Look, I know it, you know it: Amazon wish lists are a thing. Unfortunately, not everyone is able or willing to use that to our advantage. By using the suggestion above, you can also give ideas to people who aren't willing to hit Amazon up to shop. (If they don't do ebay, either, and all your ideas are deep dives, you'll have to get creative.)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span><b>Bragging Rights</b></span></span></p><span style="color: #444444;">I'm
not gonna lie: When my collection tipped over eight hundred figures, it
was a little thrilling. But it's hard to be thrilled about or proud of
what you're unaware of. Geeks are cool now, right? So let your geek flag
fly, my friend, and be proud of that collection you've amassed. Share
it with the world, and if your friends give you s#!t about it... well,
maybe you need better friends. (Seriously.)</span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>So how does it work? </i></b></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">I maintain my inventory using a free open source database software, called Open Office from Apache. (<a href="https://www.openoffice.org/" target="_blank">Download it here</a>.) Maybe you already have the Microsoft suite that includes Excel and love it (I loathe it), either will do what you need with some tinkering. Here's a screenshot of how my customized spreadsheet looks: </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8hOkzzFd18/YMTv7tcHbYI/AAAAAAAAHWA/CcNZE0G-i_Y3TvN_MK9F55qXzRPhNBsLACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/openofficescreen.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="272" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8hOkzzFd18/YMTv7tcHbYI/AAAAAAAAHWA/CcNZE0G-i_Y3TvN_MK9F55qXzRPhNBsLACLcBGAsYHQ/w484-h272/openofficescreen.png" width="484" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;">OpenOffice spreadsheet<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="color: #444444;">I cannot recommend OpenOffice highly enough, honestly. It's a free application, no one's paying me to say that, I'm not one of the devs, I don't <i>know</i> any of the devs – it's just good, simple, easy-to-use and will export the whole database as a PDF so I can read it on my phone or send it to someone else.<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444;">Column J, not visible in the above image, is "purchased from/price." I only recently started tracking that information, so it's mostly empty. You can include as much or as little info as you want. I included assortment and stock numbers for many, but not UPC, because I don't want to type all those numbers. The two lines in blue text are Wonder Woman figures, the only character I currently track in a separate color, and the only character I maintain a significant collection of variants in. (Using a different color just makes it faster to see at a glance while scrolling.)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">My database is strictly alphabetical by name, regardless of series. But that's <i>my </i>database, and what works for <i>me</i>. However you need to keep track of your figures to make it easy for you to maintain an accurate inventory is the way you should do it. <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span><b>Documentation</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">If you're going to keep your receipts, be sure to label them clearly. If you go to Target and buy action figures, it's not clear what you bought, typically. Since the paper is sensitive to heat and grease, be sure to keep them someplace cool and dry, or better still: scan the receipt and keep that with the photographs you take of the item.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">Take pictures of the front and back of the figure in the package, even if you plan to take it out (as I do). Sometimes those packages have information about the wave or series that might be useful about other items that are coming out later or out now that you might want to pick up. The photograph also helps provide documentation of the thing in your possession if you have to make an insurance claim. (Again, read your insurance claim closely to see if your collectibles are covered under your policy. If your collection is valuable and your homeowner's insurance is not great, there are insurance policies available just for collectibles.)<br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G-z6KUtP9FY/YMT8CnAREcI/AAAAAAAAHW0/-qqP8Jg_-ds3PQ90bZGqbEd7o-6bgR7ogCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/inventoryphoto.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G-z6KUtP9FY/YMT8CnAREcI/AAAAAAAAHW0/-qqP8Jg_-ds3PQ90bZGqbEd7o-6bgR7ogCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/inventoryphoto.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;">Inventory photos, front and back (one combined image);<br />this image also shows the price tag on the piece.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #444444;"></span><span style="color: #444444;">
The bottom line is this: Keeping track of your stuff is a good idea. Setting up a database and getting everything input into it the first time... well, that's a bit of a chore, to be honest. Once it's set up, keep it up and it won't be such a task. Inventory – data entry – isn't glamorous, but it can save so much hassle in the long run.<br /></span>W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-76901463541215122232021-05-27T10:21:00.006-05:002021-05-27T10:21:59.784-05:00NEW TOY! (Not What You're Thinking)<p>So we got a 3D printer, a <a href="https://creality3d.shop/products/creality3d-ender-3-pro-high-precision-3d-printer" target="_blank">Creality Ender 3 Pro</a>, and I've been messing about on <a href="https://www.tinkercad.com/" target="_blank">TinkerCAD</a> designing things for my collection. There's already plenty of figure stands to choose from on <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/" target="_blank">Thingiverse</a>, but I found the couple I printed to be a little clunky or just not useful for female figures, due to their smaller feet and narrower stance. Making my own allowed me to dial in exactly what I needed for those tiny little feet. </p><p>I'm also printing just a ton of risers, custom-measured for the shelves I have. Since I have to print them a little at a time due to the constraints of the printer bed, it takes me two days to make the six pieces I need for a single shelf. (I have 30 shelves that will have risers on them; not all of those will have 3 pairs.) Then I have another shelf with my Star Wars figures, with a different set of risers to print...</p><p>One of the reasons I am opting to go this route is the cost of lumber right now. It's expensive. Add to that, by using the printed pieces, I can get a lot thinner, a lot more precise, and the color (grey) matches the backing of the shelves in the bookcases the majority of the figures are in. So far, I have the top row done, and the difference is remarkable. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8XJxYeosiMI/YK-3im-QOQI/AAAAAAAAHTo/PRktAk0tMh80xc7t5qW1WjTQi--S_AZ5gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1358/risersbeforeafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Two images showing before and after, a shelf with action figures (no risers), and a shelf with action figures on risers." border="0" data-original-height="1358" data-original-width="1230" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8XJxYeosiMI/YK-3im-QOQI/AAAAAAAAHTo/PRktAk0tMh80xc7t5qW1WjTQi--S_AZ5gCLcBGAsYHQ/w290-h320/risersbeforeafter.jpg" title="Before and After - 3D Printed Risers" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 3D printed risers make a huge difference in how the figures display.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </p><p>I'm also working on some figure-interactive backgrounds that can be attached to the risers, but those are still in development. (Stay tuned.)</p><p>The best part of all this new stuff is that once I reorganize the shelves, I can do a <i>whole lot </i>of unboxing – I haven't wanted to start that until I get the shelves in better order. I'm well past 800 female figures now, and though there are some duplicate characters (Wonder Woman, Leia Organa, Captain Marvel, and a couple of others), for the most part, the vast majority of that is single representations of characters. I don't even know how many are still in boxes at the moment; 20? 30? It'll be a day, maybe a weekend to get that done. (Darn.)<br /></p><p><br /></p>W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-33008944499530497772019-12-31T16:02:00.000-06:002019-12-31T16:02:07.703-06:00Year's End (Thank the Universe...)Not going to do a Year in Review; plenty of far more articulate people are doing those. Not going to do resolutions; I never manage to keep them and end up feeling like a failure. Instead, let's all breathe a sigh of relief that this dumpster fire we call 2019 is <i>over</i> in a few more hours. Truthfully, I don't hold out much hope that 2020 will be much of an improvement, given the last couple of years, but depending on how you count, it's a new decade, and people are trying to be optimistic for the next Roaring Twenties.<br />
<br />
I have a milestone coming up in the middle of next year, and I'm hoping to make some life changes with that in mind. (Again, not calling them resolutions, since that never works out...) But looking at a half-century, and seeing that I could be doing things better, differently, more mindfully – that's a good thing, right?<br />
<br />
It will be a balancing act between wants and needs, work and home, me and family, and I'd really like for <i>me </i>not to get the short end of the stick by sacrificing everything for everyone else. Easier said than done, with a disabled adult child at home, but I am not the sole caregiver.<br />
<br />
I intend to finish Book Two of a series I'm writing, then go back and reread Book One and see if I need to make any changes to continuity, and the make edits to Two; first priority. Second, I want to construct the risers for my collection once and for all, which may mean going online and seeing about finding the materials for free (I'd rather not pay for scrap if I don't have to). Third, quit smoking – for good this time.<br />
<br />
I'd also like to get a website up and running for this stuff, something a little easier to manage than a blog. I have so much information about female action figures, and no good place to put it. The blog format is not ideal.<br />
<br />
Anyway... here's to surviving 2019. See you on the other side.W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-76434611519006939432019-07-24T08:09:00.000-05:002019-07-24T08:25:46.058-05:00Why Are We Still Debating Fake Geek Girls?This post was brought to you today by a Twitter thread by <a href="http://www.seananmcguire.com/" target="_blank">Seanan McGuire</a> (who is one hell of an author, if you haven't read her books – she also writes as Mira Grant), read the whole thread <a href="https://twitter.com/seananmcguire/status/1153885571762159616" target="_blank">here</a>. She begins with this: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">I am continually astonished by men who claim that the mere existence of women is political and "forcing social justice into fiction." I've been a geek girl since I was three years old and obsessed with Doctor Who, My Little Pony, and Vincent Price. – SMcG</span></i></blockquote>
I grew up in a very small town in a rural farming community. Across the street from my house was a corn or bean field, depending on the crop rotation that year. Mice in the walls every fall when they harvested. My consolidated high school was around 400 students, the population of my hometown at the time was 550. Small.<br />
<br />
When <i>Star Wars</i> came out, our older brother took me and my little brother to see it. The boys in my class were really into the action figures and toys and stuff. I remember enjoying the movie, but I didn't have any of the toys. I played with some of those boys, and was fine being Leia (the lone important female character), and don't remember missing having lightsaber battles since she never got one. The girls in my class, my friends, and the neighbor girls who were a year ahead of me in school weren't interested in it, though, and I drifted between the boys who played <i>Star Wars</i> and the girls who dressed Barbies and rollerskated.<br />
<br />
I remember the Community Center playing movies in the summer, old black and white monster movies like <i>The Deadly Mantis</i>, and insisting I be allowed to go see them. I remember Channel 3 having an <i>Early Show</i> program at 3pm that showed movies, and they had theme weeks, and I'd rush home from school to watch when there were Godzilla or Universal monster movies on that week. I <i>don't </i>remember any of my friends doing that with me.<br />
<br />
I watched <i>Wonder Woman, The Six-Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman</i>, <i>Charlie's Angels,</i> and <i>The Incredible Hulk</i> on TV when I could if there wasn't something else more interesting for my parents to watch<i>. </i>There was no shortage of heroic figures in my media consumption. I didn't have the toys to show it, though. (I honestly don't remember asking for dolls for WW, BW or the Angels, and I don't know that I would have received them. Not only did I grow up rural, I grew up working class – strictly blue collar. There might not've been extra money floating around for those toys even if I had wanted them.)<br />
<br />
My first comic books other than the Archie digests from the grocery store were from a box I found at a garage sale and begged for. (And still have.) Among them were some Bugs Bunny titles, Spider-Man issues, and a couple of <i>Where Monsters Dwell</i> issues (Marie Severin cover art). They weren't mint when I talked her into letting me have them, and after kid-me read and reread them, they certainly aren't mint now, but I love them and they are awesome. But this, too, was a solitary thing. I have no recollection of sharing my joy of this with my other friends.<br />
<br />
I was in 6th grade when I discovered Madeline L'Engle's <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i>. By then, I had already devoured the Trixie Belden mysteries. None of my friends seemed particularly interested in either series. (I'm still a little afraid to watch DuVernay's movie; the book was important enough to me that if the movie doesn't hold up to my girlish expectations it would be crushing... even though everyone says she did an amazing job.)<br />
<br />
This is a long and winding way of saying my experience with female geekdom as a child was relatively painless. I was isolated and had no way to know what I was missing, outside of the toys I could see and didn't have. It was a little lonely and sometimes hurtful, but for the most part I think I was comfortable in my solitude. <br />
<br />
Fast forward to adulthood. I managed to find another solitude-appreciating nerd in college, he's a bit more extroverted than I am, but we manage okay. I guess since I tend to avoid a lot of the social situations that could lead to my rejection, I haven't had many of the same "fake geek" bullshit experiences so many of my sisters have. The little RPGing I have done was done with a tight group of friends. When I played WoW, I was gamed with friends or alone because I didn't want to deal with the a-holes I knew were out there. Probably the worst I have experienced is the assumption that the action figures I'm buying are for a boyfriend/husband and not for me. That may be due to the fact that I carefully curated my experience to minimize exposure, knowing what lurked in the shadows; I made conscious decisions to limit myself to maximize personal enjoyment. (<i><b>AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO DO THAT! </b></i>We're clear on that right? Women everywhere have to avoid things they enjoy because men are openly hostile or harassingly "welcome.")<br />
<br />
I don't want to take away from the lived experiences of the women I have <i>seen</i> getting harassed <i>in real time</i> online. Women driven from the internet, from Twitter, from gaming, whatever, because male geekdom found their mere presence unholy. The fact that my wounds are superficial in comparison, doesn't mean I deny the deeper wounds of others. (On the contrary, it makes me want to fight for them, protectively.)<br />
<br />
Am I less of a geek because I have been unwilling to hang myself up as a target? No one who knows me would call me timid, but I don't enjoy being the butt of anyone's jokes (being the girl between two brothers will cure you of that right-quick). I just want to enjoy the media that makes me happy without people telling me I shouldn't like those things <i>now</i>, when I have all along, even if they're not telling me directly. Because honestly, when people are shitty to one of my sisters, that means they've been shitty to me. I always seem to be arriving too late to the scene to prevent it from happening, and maybe it's too big to "prevent" anyway – perhaps triage is all I can provide – but I'll be damned if it happens in my presence.<br />
<br />
We don't have to earn our place to be here. We don't owe anyone anything. There are no dues to be paid, no entrance exams. And we've got<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s4Rjy5yW1gQ" width="560"></iframe>W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-88015408054621344432019-02-01T22:18:00.001-06:002019-02-01T22:28:16.815-06:00Black Action Figures: Just the Ladies (Almost)There are not many black characters in pop culture. People of color (POC) are vastly underrepresented in the media we consume to entertain us. Certainly, there have been some inroads to inclusion, but there are still wide chasms to bridge. (And I won't even get into the pay gap; I am so not qualified to talk about that.)<br />
<br />
Since today marks the first day of Black History Month, and the truly wonderful <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/28daysofblackcosplay?src=hash" target="_blank">#28DaysOfBlackCosplay</a>, it got me thinking about dearth of black action figures (that goes hand in hand with the lack of black characters), which made me wonder how many I had in my collection. Sadly, this won't take that long...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ljQ3-mU7HMY/XFTDk2M4bwI/AAAAAAAAE8I/dXQ-PeQSSjYIQ3Y47TWBHLqI0ORB7lsMwCLcBGAs/s1600/aveline-de-grandpre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="356" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ljQ3-mU7HMY/XFTDk2M4bwI/AAAAAAAAE8I/dXQ-PeQSSjYIQ3Y47TWBHLqI0ORB7lsMwCLcBGAs/s320/aveline-de-grandpre.jpg" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aveline de Grandpré: Assassin's Creed<br />
McFarlane, 2014<br />
<i>This was the first female playable assassin in the game. Some fanbois lost their shit because cooties.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H1dLsq17Uak/XFTDk4qOatI/AAAAAAAAE98/5XhKiQsjrvgvL0tjZBRmvITuTwe5bEN7wCEwYBhgL/s1600/domina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="457" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H1dLsq17Uak/XFTDk4qOatI/AAAAAAAAE98/5XhKiQsjrvgvL0tjZBRmvITuTwe5bEN7wCEwYBhgL/s320/domina.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Domina: Spawn Reborn<br />
McFarlane, 2003<br />
<i>This is a repaint of an earlier figure that is white. The character in the comics also appears to be white. The repaint is one of McFarlane's many reissued, repainted figures for that cash cow.</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-da_C_-_HRQQ/XFTDlb7ke_I/AAAAAAAAE-I/wWT1hTdMdkk-eELFh-XprMib2QtwZTqQwCEwYBhgL/s1600/fatality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="332" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-da_C_-_HRQQ/XFTDlb7ke_I/AAAAAAAAE-I/wWT1hTdMdkk-eELFh-XprMib2QtwZTqQwCEwYBhgL/s320/fatality.jpg" width="184" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fatality: Green Lantern Corps<br />
DC Direct, 2002<br />
<i>I debated including this one. She's an alien, not from Earth, but the way she's drawn and colored she looks like she could be black, and she dated black Green Lantern John Stewart (who also destroyed her planet; comics are complicated).</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UboLWOTg5A4/XFTDl5_4b4I/AAAAAAAAE-A/YNQhPV2zBl4R-9WcPm57fuKScs8sER-awCEwYBhgL/s1600/gamora_and_misty-knight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UboLWOTg5A4/XFTDl5_4b4I/AAAAAAAAE-A/YNQhPV2zBl4R-9WcPm57fuKScs8sER-awCEwYBhgL/s320/gamora_and_misty-knight.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gamora – played by actor Zoe Saldana: Guardians of the Galaxy<br />
Hasbro, 2014<br />
<i>Saldana self-identifies as black, so here she is! Even if she is painted green...</i><br />
Misty Knight (Heroes for Hire)<br />
Hasbro, 2015<br />
<i>I have to kinda wonder if Knight's character (first app. 1975) was inspired by Pam Grier (Foxy Brown, et al.)...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qoqti8ds0Ws/XFTDmAR7kII/AAAAAAAAE98/JxWGtp64EjI2PGmmMokheYkToh_bMsIkgCEwYBhgL/s1600/garona-halforcen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qoqti8ds0Ws/XFTDmAR7kII/AAAAAAAAE98/JxWGtp64EjI2PGmmMokheYkToh_bMsIkgCEwYBhgL/s320/garona-halforcen.jpg" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garona Halforcen – played by actor Paula Patton: Warcraft (movie)<br />
Jakks Pacific, 2016<br />
<i>This was another one I wasn't sure to include or not. Patton's father is African-American, but I don't know how she, personally, identifies. I'm erring on the side of Barack Obama and including this figure.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o145aWDaSgE/XFTDmlG9B-I/AAAAAAAAE90/LP7ZLGO5H_YGQ0XHwB2xL0PLOuZb-42rgCEwYBhgL/s1600/guinan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o145aWDaSgE/XFTDmlG9B-I/AAAAAAAAE90/LP7ZLGO5H_YGQ0XHwB2xL0PLOuZb-42rgCEwYBhgL/s320/guinan.jpg" width="170" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guinan – played by actor/comedian Whoopi Goldberg<br />
Playmates, 1994<br />
<i>There were a few different versions of Guinan's character. This one is from Star Trek: Generations Basic Series. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K8Y8z_WwU_A/XFTDnbj7l5I/AAAAAAAAE-A/6vS2_y1mDXAja2BxifIuAHXXDJM3tq4ywCEwYBhgL/s1600/jackiejoynerkersee_florencegriffithjoyner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1251" height="183" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K8Y8z_WwU_A/XFTDnbj7l5I/AAAAAAAAE-A/6vS2_y1mDXAja2BxifIuAHXXDJM3tq4ywCEwYBhgL/s400/jackiejoynerkersee_florencegriffithjoyner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Starting Lineup/Timeless Legends<br />
Kenner, 1996<br />
Florence Griffith-Joyner: Starting Lineup/Timeless Legends<br />
Kenner, 1996<br />
<i>These are both reasonable likenesses, but they're not "action figures." There is very little articulation, and what there is is pretty meaningless. They are basically small plastic statues, that have a tiny amount of movement.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4vUTAptMhic/XFTDng1cJyI/AAAAAAAAE-E/rwj8aVzOgdYcXbfD48sWYdirV0Kl-twEgCEwYBhgL/s1600/lily-sloane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="280" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4vUTAptMhic/XFTDng1cJyI/AAAAAAAAE-E/rwj8aVzOgdYcXbfD48sWYdirV0Kl-twEgCEwYBhgL/s320/lily-sloane.jpg" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lily [Sloane] – played by actor Alfre Woodard: Star Trek: First Contact<br />
Playmates, 1996<br />
<i>On the card, she is merely "Lily, Zephram Cochran's Assistant," but in one Star Trek <a href="https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Lily_Sloane" target="_blank">source</a>, she is DR. Lily Sloane. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ghdxHG48h8/XFTDoPYSkxI/AAAAAAAAE-M/rsIHZxHBBRI-4heF5eFeOB1azxBf_OeWgCEwYBhgL/s1600/maggie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="299" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ghdxHG48h8/XFTDoPYSkxI/AAAAAAAAE-M/rsIHZxHBBRI-4heF5eFeOB1azxBf_OeWgCEwYBhgL/s320/maggie.jpg" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maggie: Evolve<br />
Funko, 2015<br />
<i>I don't know anything about this game. The fandom wiki page says her surname is Lumumba. She looks pretty badass.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-srOmT3Fk2uk/XFTDouFkliI/AAAAAAAAE-E/bjXTNAx7W881R92KeR2TvBBUcwRWn-_tQCEwYBhgL/s1600/martha-jones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="243" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-srOmT3Fk2uk/XFTDouFkliI/AAAAAAAAE-E/bjXTNAx7W881R92KeR2TvBBUcwRWn-_tQCEwYBhgL/s320/martha-jones.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha Jones – played by actor <span class="st">Freema Agyeman</span>: Doctor Who<br />
Character Options, 2013<br />
<i>Martha was available singly and in box sets. The one above is from the Companion Box Set.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z9c8miKG4K0/XFTDpLKpuSI/AAAAAAAAE98/_b_jCMLS-FAL6G_hBHZ4izbwZYmQcs-xACEwYBhgL/s1600/martia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="338" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z9c8miKG4K0/XFTDpLKpuSI/AAAAAAAAE98/_b_jCMLS-FAL6G_hBHZ4izbwZYmQcs-xACEwYBhgL/s320/martia.jpg" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martia – played by Iman: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country<br />
Playmates, 1995<br />
<i>This character is another alien, a Chameloid, so her attractive appearance portrayed by Iman is not her "true" form. But that's the action figure they made and how many people get to boast their own action figs, eh? (Plus I kinda love her character in the movie.)</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s1JnhsOfMxE/XFTDpzDCbRI/AAAAAAAAE-A/mpQatLRFyacspsMDhE22GG4spSOq_2giACEwYBhgL/s1600/michonne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="335" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s1JnhsOfMxE/XFTDpzDCbRI/AAAAAAAAE-A/mpQatLRFyacspsMDhE22GG4spSOq_2giACEwYBhgL/s320/michonne.jpg" width="186" /></a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michonne – played by Danai Gurira: The Walking Dead<br />
McFarlane, 2013<br />
<i>Michonne has a few different iterations of her character, this one is the TV Series 3 version.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhtTHObX-wk/XFTDqaQ9TTI/AAAAAAAAE94/gIozjqTtAjgopFf6RKiCuX_m_Ofy94FmACEwYBhgL/s1600/monica_rambeau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="387" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhtTHObX-wk/XFTDqaQ9TTI/AAAAAAAAE94/gIozjqTtAjgopFf6RKiCuX_m_Ofy94FmACEwYBhgL/s320/monica_rambeau.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monica Rambeau: A-Force<br />
Hasbro, 2017<br />
<i>This character has had a few different names in the comics, including Captain Marvel! Currently, we are set to meet her mother Maria "Photon" (Photon is one of her other aliases) Rambeau in the upcoming Captain Marvel movie. w00t!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dq3oodFL0-o/XFTDqwNmlFI/AAAAAAAAE90/ZsV4VviAAT0_AVFs31lVGoPjT2BTToHtwCEwYBhgL/s1600/nakia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="502" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dq3oodFL0-o/XFTDqwNmlFI/AAAAAAAAE90/ZsV4VviAAT0_AVFs31lVGoPjT2BTToHtwCEwYBhgL/s320/nakia.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nakia – played by actor <span class="st">Lupita Nyong'o</span>: Black Panther<br />
Hasbro, 2017<br />
<i>This particular series of action figures was a Build-a-Figure for Okoye: buy the 5 required figures, and assemble the character played by Danai Gurira. There is a forthcoming Wave 2 of Black Panther figures than includes a Dora Milaje with three different heads.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ntplpLxNTFI/XFTDrdCW5XI/AAAAAAAAE-E/BJszrGQ-Ysomm_NeiQqYl3FWQYvyMczPACEwYBhgL/s1600/niobe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="338" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ntplpLxNTFI/XFTDrdCW5XI/AAAAAAAAE-E/BJszrGQ-Ysomm_NeiQqYl3FWQYvyMczPACEwYBhgL/s320/niobe.jpg" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niobe – played by actor Jada Pinkett Smith: The Matrix Reloaded <br />
McFarlane, 2003<br />
<i>I love the detail in this figure, it's a good likeness of both the actress and the character. I hate that the pose is baked in. There's not much *action* in this action figure.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x5-9Ftsg0zg/XFTDr6xQHNI/AAAAAAAAE-A/vCvCpe6NTPAHZG4Y4Agjk_97j_ZCeD32wCEwYBhgL/s1600/onyx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="270" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x5-9Ftsg0zg/XFTDr6xQHNI/AAAAAAAAE-A/vCvCpe6NTPAHZG4Y4Agjk_97j_ZCeD32wCEwYBhgL/s320/onyx.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onyx: Golden Girl and the Guardians of the Gemstones<br />
Galoob, 1984<br />
<i>This was a "knockoff" of the Mattel She-Ra line. Great figures with real metal shields. The metallic coating on their capes have an unfortunate tendency to shed with age, though.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oCRKICVyXWM/XFTDsNwkbjI/AAAAAAAAE-I/dBRvJnBWorcuf6B_OFUu1X6ecKYRacWuACEwYBhgL/s1600/patty-tolan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="289" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oCRKICVyXWM/XFTDsNwkbjI/AAAAAAAAE-I/dBRvJnBWorcuf6B_OFUu1X6ecKYRacWuACEwYBhgL/s320/patty-tolan.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patty Tolan – played by actor/comedian Leslie Jones: Ghostbusters<br />
Mattel, 2016<br />
<i>The figures are great, a little monochromatic, but faithfully rendered. The packaging was cheap as hell, though, and when I bought mine all the boxes in the store were crushed, every one of them. Not only cheap, but ugly. So Mattel didn't commit to the packaging, didn't commit to the lame-ass build-a-fig Rowan ghost that came with buying all four. Kinda like how a lot of people didn't commit to the movie, and how awesome it really was.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_Rwk-wsHik/XFTDs6cyEFI/AAAAAAAAE98/AYloYiotr90uNNHKKfOyDQgdAffuhoK6wCEwYBhgL/s1600/rue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="366" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_Rwk-wsHik/XFTDs6cyEFI/AAAAAAAAE98/AYloYiotr90uNNHKKfOyDQgdAffuhoK6wCEwYBhgL/s320/rue.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rue – played by Amandla Stenberg: The Hunger Games<br />
NECA, 2012<br />
<i>Another really nice rendering of a character. NECA generally does well with their figures. Rue doesn't have a whole lot of articulation, but she looks like her character. If you've read the books or seen the movies, having this one in your collection will just make you sad and angry a lot.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wnsK2cajiW8/XFTDs7woN_I/AAAAAAAAE90/gS8wSELpJvgX-byGzYLNVP-orV29ZRiIwCEwYBhgL/s1600/sasha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wnsK2cajiW8/XFTDs7woN_I/AAAAAAAAE90/gS8wSELpJvgX-byGzYLNVP-orV29ZRiIwCEwYBhgL/s320/sasha.jpg" width="170" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sasha (Williams) – played by Sonequa Martin-Green: The Walking Dead<br />
McFarlane, 2017 (Walgreens exclusive)<i><br />This is an exclusive figure that was available only from Walgreens drug stores. Like most McFarlane figures, it's a good likeness of the actor. Incidentally, in order for an action figure to have a likeness of the actor, that person has to sign off on it. People have rights to whether their likeness is used (or NOT used), and if you see an action figure that looks nothing like the individual it portrays, it might be that person refused the use of their likeness.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIGssOUAoPI/XFTDthZ6qLI/AAAAAAAAE-A/Jo3NQVJpbxYtyYdKnslbhHfi9082ydZ6wCEwYBhgL/s1600/shard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="337" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIGssOUAoPI/XFTDthZ6qLI/AAAAAAAAE-A/Jo3NQVJpbxYtyYdKnslbhHfi9082ydZ6wCEwYBhgL/s320/shard.jpg" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Future) Shard: X-Men<br />
Toy Biz, 1997<br />
<i>I wasn't sure about including this character. According to her bio, Shard Bishop is the daughter of indigenous Australians. Some of these people refer to themselves as black, some don't. I honestly don't know how Marvel intends her to be perceived.</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ACFhwoc7Mic/XFTDuJfBUII/AAAAAAAAE94/QXyia39D640zvPcAlsfp2PiLAZV3KXJ8ACEwYBhgL/s1600/shonti_and_fallon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="442" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ACFhwoc7Mic/XFTDuJfBUII/AAAAAAAAE94/QXyia39D640zvPcAlsfp2PiLAZV3KXJ8ACEwYBhgL/s320/shonti_and_fallon.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shonti: Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic<br />
Mattel, 1995<br />
Fallon: Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders<br />
Hasbro/Kenner, 1995<br />
<i>Both of these figures came out about the same time, and were based on Magical Girl cartoon series. I have not seen either series, but the figures are cute. However, neither series caught on the way She-Ra did 10 years earlier. And neither had the popularity of Sailor Moon.</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RWjxyrJonLM/XFTDujQrI6I/AAAAAAAAE98/iTHgL3Tj-u4Z1UQJk4F5BXqyYbtqsjoGgCEwYBhgL/s1600/shuri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="349" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RWjxyrJonLM/XFTDujQrI6I/AAAAAAAAE98/iTHgL3Tj-u4Z1UQJk4F5BXqyYbtqsjoGgCEwYBhgL/s320/shuri.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shuri – Letitia Wright: Black Panther (basic series)<br />
Hasbro, 2017<br />
<i>There are two versions of this character, one based on the movie and the actress, and one based on the comic book character that came in a Toys R Us exclusive 2-Pack with Klaw. I bought the 2-pack and returned it when I saw the one above, so she would be more harmonious with the other movie Black Panther figures. The one that comes in the 2-pack does look cool though, I have to admit.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mm15lI2XLS0/XFTDvElAhTI/AAAAAAAAE-A/hzpWTKyFXRwy-M3pk4OOc4rOG83q1HcFQCEwYBhgL/s1600/stass-allie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mm15lI2XLS0/XFTDvElAhTI/AAAAAAAAE-A/hzpWTKyFXRwy-M3pk4OOc4rOG83q1HcFQCEwYBhgL/s320/stass-allie.jpg" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stass Allie (foreground) – played by Lily Nyamwasa: Star Wars: Attack of the Clones/Revenge of the Sith<br />
Hasbro, 2005<br />
Luminara Unduli (background) – played by Mary Oyaya: Star Wars: Attack of the Clones/Revenge of the Sith<br />
Hasbro, 2013<br />
<i>There are multiple versions of both these figures, but Luminara Unduli has more variations than Stass Allie.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o-bgWaInw8k/XFTDvtA8uJI/AAAAAAAAE-I/3X3zhN4yXNsPecILG1On-Bw4a4-P-GzZwCEwYBhgL/s1600/storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="384" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o-bgWaInw8k/XFTDvtA8uJI/AAAAAAAAE-I/3X3zhN4yXNsPecILG1On-Bw4a4-P-GzZwCEwYBhgL/s320/storm.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm: She-Force Series 2<br />
Toy Biz, 1996<br />
<i>Until the batteries wear out (or corrode), the lightening bolt on her chest lights up. This same figure came in a silver chrome, silver paint, and white versions as well as the black. There have been many Storm figures. She's the one black superhero that pretty much everyone can think of even when you ask non-comic fans, along with Blade (probably).</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NYVu7caT-RQ/XFTDwNEmsLI/AAAAAAAAE-E/_QDecxD5_n4NXtGAfGCWhCGQxsI8muTYQCEwYBhgL/s1600/uhura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="301" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NYVu7caT-RQ/XFTDwNEmsLI/AAAAAAAAE-E/_QDecxD5_n4NXtGAfGCWhCGQxsI8muTYQCEwYBhgL/s320/uhura.jpg" width="167" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lt. (Nyota) Uhura – played by Nichelle Nichols (and Zoe Saldana in the reboot): Star Trek<br />
Playmates, 1995<br />
<i>Uhura has several variations of her character. The one above is from the Classic Movie Series, from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. I liked it because she wasn't wearing that stupid impractical miniskirt.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pbx3Ta5jTAc/XFTDwvbhF2I/AAAAAAAAE-I/o-T-i7bzfZE2UQDySfHc1mND0dO2fgg7ACEwYBhgL/s1600/valkyrie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="358" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pbx3Ta5jTAc/XFTDwvbhF2I/AAAAAAAAE-I/o-T-i7bzfZE2UQDySfHc1mND0dO2fgg7ACEwYBhgL/s320/valkyrie.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valkyrie – played by Tessa Thompson: Thor: Ragnarok<br />
Hasbro, 2017<br />
<i>This figure came in a two-pack with the short-haired Thor from Ragnarok. He's out of the frame here, but Tessa is dragging Chris in sparkly net I made from sacrificed fishnet tights. Worth it.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AE_xwwXWfgU/XFTDxGP614I/AAAAAAAAE-M/U8IHrONrhiIfsdiPlzbj9Rehk85q9jgywCEwYBhgL/s1600/wanda-simmons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="278" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AE_xwwXWfgU/XFTDxGP614I/AAAAAAAAE-M/U8IHrONrhiIfsdiPlzbj9Rehk85q9jgywCEwYBhgL/s320/wanda-simmons.jpg" width="154" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wanda II (Simmons): The Art of Spawn<br />
McFarlane, 2005<br />
<i>This is a non-articulated figure, but it's so pretty I couldn't resist. If you plan to get this one for yourself, something to be aware of: the candlesticks are a fairly soft plastic, and warp easily. Mine arrived looking half-melted. I might be able to use a hair dryer to straighten them, but I haven't tried.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lL2hbxyOHX8/XFTDxn-RsZI/AAAAAAAAE-M/fPgbIzBuAcQFPSvOdxokbpMr5H8FSVl-ACEwYBhgL/s1600/zoe-washburn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="358" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lL2hbxyOHX8/XFTDxn-RsZI/AAAAAAAAE-M/fPgbIzBuAcQFPSvOdxokbpMr5H8FSVl-ACEwYBhgL/s320/zoe-washburn.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoë Washburne – played by Gina Torres: Firefly<br />
Funko, 2014<br />
<i>A good likeness of the actor. The Funko figures are sometimes hit and miss with their joints and swivels. This one was a bit of a miss for me. Her thigh swivels are kind of obnoxious, and her head barely moves because of the hair.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Okay, that's it for the ladies in my collection, even the ones I haven't unboxed yet. That was 32 female characters that are either black, are aliens played by black actors, or aliens that appear as black.<br />
<br />
I have one dude displayed who's black. I don't typically display male figures, even if they come with the female ones, but Ty and Tandy are kinda literally codependent. They need each other, so they're displayed together.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1nQVIrOtU9Q/XFTDk-6nPCI/AAAAAAAAE-I/-6DeHweKVq4-lcPkLZZBfdSLAZ6sCfChwCEwYBhgL/s1600/cloak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="541" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1nQVIrOtU9Q/XFTDk-6nPCI/AAAAAAAAE-I/-6DeHweKVq4-lcPkLZZBfdSLAZ6sCfChwCEwYBhgL/s320/cloak.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloak: Cloak and Dagger box set<br />
Toy Biz, 1997<br />
<i>This was a collector's set that came out way before the tv show. This pair has been in another 2-pack, and separately as 6-inch and 3 3/4-inch figures. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So including my codependent guy, 33 black characters (more or less). That is pitifully small, when you consider my collection is edging up on 700.<br />
<br />
If you love diverse media, support it. If you want to see diverse characters, demand them from the studios that create them. Hollywood saw, clearly, that a black superhero movie could succeed, beyond their dreams of avarice. Black Panther shattered records, and good for them! Let's see more of that, please!<br />
<br />
<i>For another resource, totally dedicated to this kind of thing exclusively, visit: <a href="http://www.blackactionfigure.com/" target="_blank">Black Action Figures</a>.</i>W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-67804497350880462982018-06-10T12:16:00.001-05:002018-06-10T12:20:01.424-05:00American Horror Story: Barbie Coven<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yeah, okay, so maybe that doesn't really strike horror into most hearts, but have you ever stared into the vacant, vapid, blank stare of a Barbie doll for very long? <i>Terrifying...</i></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H2zZdknLUXg/Wx07S3JnW0I/AAAAAAAAEmg/svdQwVd0uUwksQt3-OYk5c5Lct5XgymcACLcBGAs/s1600/portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H2zZdknLUXg/Wx07S3JnW0I/AAAAAAAAEmg/svdQwVd0uUwksQt3-OYk5c5Lct5XgymcACLcBGAs/s320/portrait.jpg" width="272" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"A witch ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest, Granny
Weatherwax had once told her,<br />because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her."<br /> -- Terry Pratchett, <i>Wintersmith</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A n y w a y... yesterday, I was working on something else which led to me deciding to finally fix the <a href="http://creativemisc.blogspot.com/2013/06/halloween-comes-early.html" target="_blank">spooky tree</a> that was sitting on the witch doll shelf in the guest room (before it fell over, taking half the dolls with it). I had to dismantle the base, remove the guts, re"stuff" it with a thick dowel leftover from something else and reglue it all. <i>Then</i> I had to repair the paint that got messed up because it's made of pipe cleaners, masking tape and paper, and some of the paint flaked (surprisingly little!). While I was at it, I added some lichen-y and mossy greens to the roots and knothole. It gave it quite a bit more dimension, I think.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kr5_Aq3e6wU/Wx07SvyOt_I/AAAAAAAAEnI/JvDhB8GI714QksXGn6iZgOzUOY-Z1jOqQCEwYBhgL/s1600/knothole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="328" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kr5_Aq3e6wU/Wx07SvyOt_I/AAAAAAAAEnI/JvDhB8GI714QksXGn6iZgOzUOY-Z1jOqQCEwYBhgL/s400/knothole.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Round about the cauldron go; / In the poison’d entrails throw.<br />
Toad, that under cold stone / Days and nights hast thirty one<br />
Swelter’d venom sleeping got,
/ Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot. <br />
<i>Macbeth</i>, Act IV, Scene 1<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I mentioned on Twitter that I was trying to tie this collection to some of the other things in the room, to make the room cohesive. The guest bedroom is currently an odd mix of children's library (it's adjacent to our daughter's room, so the logical place for kid's books after we ran out of room in the library downstairs), some memorabilia and art from New Orleans/Mardi Gras, and witches.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After I put up the shelf holds all the dolls, I had decided it would be cool to tie them to New Orleans by printing out a background of family crypts*, as if they were all meeting in a New Orleans cemetery. So that's what I did yesterday, printing out some altered photos on cardstock, then gluing them to foamcore. The idea is that they look like they're a bit in the distance, so the detail isn't sharp on purpose. I wanted the <i>concept</i> of the crypts without the images themselves fighting for prominence on the shelf. Unfortunately, the shelf is so crowded that now you can't hardly see the crypts at all. ::sigh:: (The one to the left of the tree is alleged to be Marie Laveau's true resting place. Of course, I had to include the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans!)</span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KgSYXR7k3UY/Wx07SL9ENcI/AAAAAAAAEm0/VooUZoYB7DwWYO-0BtskkbvU0ek6bOsJwCEwYBhgL/s1600/coven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="470" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KgSYXR7k3UY/Wx07SL9ENcI/AAAAAAAAEm0/VooUZoYB7DwWYO-0BtskkbvU0ek6bOsJwCEwYBhgL/s400/coven.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BpLkBypLeQ" target="_blank">Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hekate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I do have a solution to the crowded shelf problem, however. There is room above the headboard on the opposite wall for another shelf, and I do have another identical shelf waiting to be put up. I'm mostly waiting for more dolls to justify the trouble. I might need to find a new home for my old promo print of Bugs and Witch Hazel, though.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T7atSz3dmSI/Wx07RqZdIHI/AAAAAAAAEnI/LXt42U03yO8TR5s8FinXqGUKMkKmZpw3QCEwYBhgL/s1600/bugsandhazel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="432" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T7atSz3dmSI/Wx07RqZdIHI/AAAAAAAAEnI/LXt42U03yO8TR5s8FinXqGUKMkKmZpw3QCEwYBhgL/s400/bugsandhazel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Witch Hazel: </b>I warn you, dearie, I'm going to worm all your ugly secrets out of you. Tell me. Who undoes your hair?<br />
<b>Bugs Bunny:</b> Do you like it?<br />
<b>Hazel:</b> Like it? It's absolutely <i>hideous</i>!<br />
<b>Bugs:</b> I did myself up tonight.<br />
<b>Hazel: </b>There's nothing like a home permanent.<br />
<i>Broom-Stick Bunny</i>, 1956</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Flanking the bed are the taller bookcases, and more random doll assortments. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-clYYpYb2qo4/Wx07Rjfm9GI/AAAAAAAAEnE/0K5yZIULdvcWxYCTauRRyFILnAYVVPJcQCEwYBhgL/s1600/anne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="432" height="263" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-clYYpYb2qo4/Wx07Rjfm9GI/AAAAAAAAEnE/0K5yZIULdvcWxYCTauRRyFILnAYVVPJcQCEwYBhgL/s400/anne.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R: 2003 Halloween Fortune (Target excl.), 2000 85th Birthday Halloween ed. Raggedy Ann,<br />
2004 Boo-tiful Halloween</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--CEHd86RKY4/Wx07RtfeC9I/AAAAAAAAEm8/d36y6cV2JvUYNo9AAkG5IYQwhSRi-u3KQCEwYBhgL/s1600/bewitched.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="432" height="388" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--CEHd86RKY4/Wx07RtfeC9I/AAAAAAAAEm8/d36y6cV2JvUYNo9AAkG5IYQwhSRi-u3KQCEwYBhgL/s400/bewitched.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top: 1997 FAO Schwarz excl. Samantha Stephens <i>Bewitched </i>(Exclusive Premiere)<br />
Middle: (mostly hidden behind the plush dragon) 1972 Emerald the Enchanting Witch (Milton Bradley)<br />
Bottom L-R: Disney Store Evil Queen, 2010 <i>Bewitched </i>Barbie, Disney Store Maleficent<br />
Right: three Mardi Gras prints from NOLA artist <a href="http://www.mousie.com/" target="_blank">Mousie</a><br />
(clockwise from top, 2001 "Mardi Gras Moon Goddess", 1998 "Perfume", 2000 "Mardi Gras Eyes")</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The shelf with the little plush dragon (Leviathan, to be specific, he was a parade throw) and Emerald (who is sadly nekkid) holds my modest collection of modern and vintage witchy kids books. I've written one of my own that I'm still in process of working out the illustrations for, and writing a second.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then there's one of my recent acquisitions, and the source of much frustration for Jill Thompson, who worked for years to bring her to life: the Scary Godmother doll. She was a Kickstarter project (my husband backed it for me, and I even got to meet Ms. Thompson, who is lovely) and I was <i>thrilled</i> when she finally arrived. I don't plan on taking her out of the box until I have a dome to put her under.</span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-emnJ2UQVkss/Wx07THDshzI/AAAAAAAAEm8/YlqlF9HqsGAQ26S6yTgJhVXdNLHDS6czQCEwYBhgL/s1600/sc-godmother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="279" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-emnJ2UQVkss/Wx07THDshzI/AAAAAAAAEm8/YlqlF9HqsGAQ26S6yTgJhVXdNLHDS6czQCEwYBhgL/s400/sc-godmother.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Here's a treat that's fun to make and helps you get a word in edgewise.
Take two of your favorite crackers, spread one with jam, one with peanut
butter, smoosh them together, and jam them into the mouth of a
chattering werewolf."</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next to her on the shelf is a little experimental doll I made. Above the shelf on the wall is a collection of doubloons from my collection, and a drape of beads attached to the frame below it. I had a brief, mad obsession with doubloons and their history, and have a big 3-ring binder full of them, carefully sorted by year and put in little cardboard/mylar coin folders.</span><br />
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2fW67rXeCEs/Wx07SZ5X6II/AAAAAAAAEm0/TmNfrmzIabImA0tJh7yPb4NobtXcoH-lwCEwYBhgL/s1600/doubloons.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="243" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2fW67rXeCEs/Wx07SZ5X6II/AAAAAAAAEm0/TmNfrmzIabImA0tJh7yPb4NobtXcoH-lwCEwYBhgL/s400/doubloons.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, the last part of the collection in this room sort of serves as a warning, and is a souvenir from Salem, Massachusetts, so I suppose it's not <i>all</i> New Orleans...</span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iJ5WGvnqtZM/Wx07UferRvI/AAAAAAAAEnE/-7DBkdr15bYSjwGCyqWVWXhb0Gsl_lJ2QCEwYBhgL/s1600/witchxing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iJ5WGvnqtZM/Wx07UferRvI/AAAAAAAAEnE/-7DBkdr15bYSjwGCyqWVWXhb0Gsl_lJ2QCEwYBhgL/s320/witchxing.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By the way, in Colonies, they hanged "convicted" witches. Burning is what they did in Europe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Resources</b><br />If you're a witchy sort of collector, too, here's a fantastic resource for the Barbie Halloween dolls:<br /><a href="http://www.fashion-doll-guide.com/Halloween-Barbie-Dolls.html">http://www.fashion-doll-guide.com/Halloween-Barbie-Dolls.html</a></span><br />
For more witchy children's books, visit <i>A Mighty Girl's </i>blog:<br />
<a href="https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=10117">https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=10117</a> "With Broomstick in Hand, 40 Books Starring Mighty Witches"<br />
...and <i>Red Tricycle</i>'s "Which Witch is Your Favorite? 14 Witch Books We Love":<br />
<a href="http://redtri.com/witch-books-for-kids/">http://redtri.com/witch-books-for-kids/</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">_______________</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">*If you are unfamiliar, many burials in New Orleans are aboveground, because NOLA is below the water table. Any coffins that <i>are</i> buried have ledger stones to keep them down, or have stone walls around the coffin to keep out rising water. More info about those: <a href="http://liverytours.com/2014/10/new-orleans-cemeteries-and-graves/">http://liverytours.com/2014/10/new-orleans-cemeteries-and-graves/.</a></span>
<br />
<span id="goog_1893069015"></span><span id="goog_1893069016"></span><br />
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W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-10992167152769530322018-06-07T10:56:00.000-05:002018-06-11T07:29:19.318-05:00Summer Project: Shelf RisersAfter a bit of a recent mad unboxing spree, it became increasingly apparent that I really need shelf risers for the main wall. Three deep when most of them are the same height, you just can't see them all, and with the interior height of the shelf at 14 inches, I have the space to do that.<i> However</i>, with the size of some of the figures (and the bases/stands they came with), it may not be practical to do 2 tiers/3 rows like I was originally thinking.<br />
<br />
This brings me to another question: how important is overall symmetry? If I have one shelf with 2 tiers next to a shelf with just one, is that going to look weird? Do I go ahead and make all 60 risers (6 cases, 5 shelves each, 2 risers per shelf = 60 risers), with the thought that even if I don't need them <i>now</i>, I might need them later if I rearrange the shelves again? Rather leaning in that direction...<br />
<br />
I figured the max height of the taller tier should be 6 inches high, leaving enough room for even an 8-inch figure to stand on, and the shorter one should be 3 inches, elevating each row 3 inches above the other. It also seems logical to display the larger figures in the back, smaller ones in the front, maximizing the difference in height to my advantage.<br />
<br />
While I was rearranging the shelves, trying to figure out how to best use the 6th bookcase that I emptied to use for figures*, I really had some trouble with groups. Having a continuous row of Marvel and DC is no sweat. Having a continuous row of McFarlane is not happening. So I grouped them it a way that made the most sense to me. It's my collection, I can curate it how I please.<br />
<br />
I don't display many male figures (because I don't seek them out) and I don't vignette figures, generally, but when I got the Valkyrie/Odinson 2-pack (more accurately, my husband found it for me), I <i>had to</i> sacrifice a pair of tights to do this:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tvZ3TTeamg4/WxlNXhfleDI/AAAAAAAAElk/orOdsg7_ajgvPvDQJAV3L9Plkt4pQjS6QCLcBGAs/s1600/8capt-odinson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="585" height="195" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tvZ3TTeamg4/WxlNXhfleDI/AAAAAAAAElk/orOdsg7_ajgvPvDQJAV3L9Plkt4pQjS6QCLcBGAs/s400/8capt-odinson.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, drag him back to your lair...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Not sure how I'll set that up with risers, but that little scene stays on the shelf! The other dude-commentary I have made is with good ole Steve Trevor, the only non-Wonder Woman figure on the WW shelf. <i>But</i>... he's seated, passive, with his long gun across his lap, while all the Wondies are in various poses of alertness.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TucJvric8tg/WxlQZ0lqKMI/AAAAAAAAElw/UIEkDNEZcgYqyh-Uje5dnCmLAv9b8VywwCLcBGAs/s1600/5wonderwomen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="830" height="207" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TucJvric8tg/WxlQZ0lqKMI/AAAAAAAAElw/UIEkDNEZcgYqyh-Uje5dnCmLAv9b8VywwCLcBGAs/s400/5wonderwomen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What I do is not up to you."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Sadly, risers on the WW shelf will mean moving that <i>Wonder</i>-ful print by the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/151869452/we-are-all-wonderwomen-11x17-print" target="_blank">Satrun twins</a>, but that means it will be more visible somewhere else. There's already a dais there with pegs in it for feet that came in a Wonder Woman/Wonder Girl box set, but I think that will have to go in favor of the risers, unless it will fit on one of them.<br />
<br />
Really, now it's just a matter of tracking down the wood, and I think I have found a source for free scrap wood and "free" is definitely one of my favorite words, although it's a bit of a haul to get to. Once I have the wood, it's a matter of cutting, gluing and nailing. The natural wood will be fine, and disappear into the "birch" color of the shelving units. Then I just need museum putty to stick them to the shelves and risers, and I can do away with the dowels.<br />
<br />
Since there's still nonsense happening in June with summer school and other commitments, I'm hoping I can knock this out in July over a couple of weekends. (LOL -- <i>yeah... because it's entirely predictable that something else will come up to prevent this from happening until next year.</i> ::sigh::)<br />
<br />
UPDATE: This is the most recent set of photos of the collection, and why I need the risers in the first place.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1PQvOah6IJY/Wx5o7Mes3HI/AAAAAAAAEng/m6_xbaq8hGwIJUc0O9nnQmAZ3mb4R9mDwCEwYBhgL/s1600/1backwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="803" height="344" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1PQvOah6IJY/Wx5o7Mes3HI/AAAAAAAAEng/m6_xbaq8hGwIJUc0O9nnQmAZ3mb4R9mDwCEwYBhgL/s640/1backwall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of these shelves are so jammed with figures, it's hard to see anything.<br />
Others have room for growth, and others are too bulky to allow<br />
for much of anything, and risers may be problematic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RXcrHABrFrI/Wx5o7Kz9JNI/AAAAAAAAEn4/g3G-cF3_8uc5PlFmoUv04GiK5l22z-P6ACEwYBhgL/s1600/6aforce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="745" height="244" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RXcrHABrFrI/Wx5o7Kz9JNI/AAAAAAAAEn4/g3G-cF3_8uc5PlFmoUv04GiK5l22z-P6ACEwYBhgL/s640/6aforce.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A-Force assembled! Definitely needs risers...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1RbfIR4tWt0/Wx5o6hypqyI/AAAAAAAAEn0/XaPmKR7Mf50C4gnN6C--2VEvLkUcz64wwCEwYBhgL/s1600/10movie-tv-wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1RbfIR4tWt0/Wx5o6hypqyI/AAAAAAAAEn0/XaPmKR7Mf50C4gnN6C--2VEvLkUcz64wwCEwYBhgL/s640/10movie-tv-wall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately, these shelves are not deep enough, or have enough space between them to allow for risers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zDORt1udmRs/Wx5o5XEP56I/AAAAAAAAEn8/184TCKmBa3YAGBerRoJFM5QUaYOAoOLxACEwYBhgL/s1600/12scifi-wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zDORt1udmRs/Wx5o5XEP56I/AAAAAAAAEn8/184TCKmBa3YAGBerRoJFM5QUaYOAoOLxACEwYBhgL/s400/12scifi-wall.jpg" width="365" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and neither do these.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q4QQDphbRvw/Wx5o6gt-YGI/AAAAAAAAEnw/H6Z1V5guYrwF3lU9Qm8Hsu3DNhrtIQxeACEwYBhgL/s1600/13librarian-nancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="317" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q4QQDphbRvw/Wx5o6gt-YGI/AAAAAAAAEnw/H6Z1V5guYrwF3lU9Qm8Hsu3DNhrtIQxeACEwYBhgL/s1600/13librarian-nancy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fortunately, Nancy Pearl doesn't have to compete with anyone else in the library upstairs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
________<br />
*It had originally not held figures, in part because it was separated from the others by a beam in the ceiling, breaking the line. We used it to hold graphic novels, and a few misc., but it became clear I needed the space so I got more bookcases to hold the GNs, and gained 5 more shelves for the collection. It still may not be enough down the road.W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-12143370170763615142017-04-26T10:36:00.000-05:002017-04-26T10:45:48.940-05:00Superheroines on the Big Screen, Or: Why Do Studios Hate Women?<i>This post is an elaboration of a tweet storm I wrote the day it occurred. Recent events have inspired me to expand on the idea. Contains some salty language. Consider yourself warned.</i><br />
<br />
A few weeks ago at the end of our weekly comic discussion group, we ended up talking about female-led [live action] comic book movies. We ticked off the films we could recall: Supergirl (1984), Red Sonja (1985), Tank Girl (1995), Barb Wire (1996), Catwoman (2004), and Elektra (2005). We forgot Sheena (1984) and Josie and the Pussycats (2001).<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Eight</i>. We remembered six of eight films in more than <i>30 years</i>. </span><br />
<br />
Just to put that in perspective, Batman has had NINE movies, not counting direct to video or animated, since 1966. Counting the direct to vid and/or animated, Batman has 32. Superman also has nine, since 1951, but only 18 counting animated and DtV. Spider-Man? five since 1977, eight counting TV movies. <br />
<br />
There are also made for television movies, and a direct-to-video movie: Wonder Woman (1974, TV movie/failed pilot starring Cathy Lee Crosby), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996, TV movie/pilot, other TV movies: '98, '99), Vampirella (1996, direct to video), Witchblade (2000, TV movie/pilot), and Painkiller Jane (2005, TV movie/pilot). Now, to be clear, there are other female-led movies based on comics/graphic novels. I'm being a little arbitrary in how I'm looking at "comic book movies." I'm looking at superheroes, here, for the purpose of keeping this reasonably tight.<br />
<br />
So here are the Eight (live action, big screen):<br />
<br />
<b>Supergirl (1984) </b>Starring Helen Slater<br />
Budget: $35M, box office: $14.3M, loss: <span style="color: red;">$20.7M</span><br />
It was produced, directed, and the screenplay written, by dudes. (Shocking, right?) I've been trying to get my hands on a used DVD of this to revisit it. Oddly, if it's such an awful film, you'd think it'd be easy to find a used copy. You'd be wrong.<br />
<br />
<b>Sheena (1984)</b> Starring Tanya Roberts<br />
Budget: $25M, box office: $5.8M, loss: <span style="color: red;">$19.2M</span><br />
This screenplay was also written by a couple of dudes. I haven't seen this in years so I can't really comment on its specific terribleness. Ebert apparently thought it was more suited for the Playboy channel. I believe my husband recalls this movie with some adolescent fondness...<br />
<br />
<b>Red Sonja</b> (1985) Starring Brigitte Nielsen<br />
Budget: $17.9M, box office: $6.9M, loss: <span style="color: red;">$11M</span><br />
All dudes, again. But one of the things that sunk this ship was that Nielsen was a model, not an actress, picked up only weeks before shooting began. Naturally, she wasn't much of an actress in the film, because she<i> wasn't an actress in the first place. </i>(Also, the script sucked, guys. No amount of good acting could have saved it.)<br />
<br />
<b>Tank Girl</b> (1995) Starring Lori Petty and Naomi Watts<br />
Budget: $25M, box office: $6M, loss: <span style="color: red;">$19M</span><br />
A woman (Rachel Talalay) directed this, but it was written and produced by dudes. I have to assume that the world wasn't ready for Lori Petty in 1995, because this movie rocks, and I have no idea why it didn't do any better than that. Ms Talalay: Thank you for this gift you gave the world.<br />
<br />
<b>Barb Wire</b> (1996) Starring Pamela Anderson<br />
Budget: $9M, box office: $3.8M, loss: <span style="color: red;">$5.2M</span><br />
Directed and produced by dudes, story by Ilene Chaiken, who co-wrote the screenplay. Can't comment personally, as I haven't seen it other than snips and pieces. Enough to see Pam can't act. (Ugh.)<br />
<br />
<b>Josie and the Pussycats</b> (2001) Starring Rachael Lee Cook, Tara Reid and Rosario Dawson<br />
Budget: $39M, box office: $14.9M, loss: <span style="color: red;">$24.1M</span><br />
The writers Harry Effont (who has a cameo) and Deborah Kaplan also directed this film, produced by dudes. I have not seen it, but <i>wow</i> does it sound stupid. (Not as stupid as the Jem movie, but we're not going there...)<br />
<br />
<b>Catwoman</b> (2004) Starring Halle Barry<br />
Budget: $100M, box office: $82.1M, loss: <span style="color: red;">$17.9M</span><br />
Theresa Rebeck wrote the story with John Brancato and Michael Ferris, and those dudes wrote the screenplay with John Rogers (no idea what happened to Rebeck on the screenplay, why she wrote the story but not that). Denise De Novi produced it with Edward L. McDonnell, and it was directed by a dude. (Natch -- this movie was so male-gazy, could it have been anything <i>other</i> than a man directing it?) The story was bad, the script was bad, the fact that the Catwoman origin was so stupid was bad. And that fucking costume... <br />
<br />
<b>Elektra</b> (2005) Starring Jennifer Garner<br />
Budget: $43M, box office: $56.7M, on paper this made $13.7M (commercial failure)<br />
Written, produced and directed by dudes. Now, of the 8 movies this one did the "least bad." It made money, or at least made back the budget, but that's gross, so it's probably still a net loss in the books. It's been a while since I've seen this one, too, I don't remember being that impressed with Garner. (Wikipedia is kinder, but it's been a very long time.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Why did these movies fail? </span><br />
<br />
<b>1. Poorly written scripts.</b><br />
Write a better script, and you'll get a better movie. It's AMAZING! Invest some time into those characters, maybe hire a woman, since many of the men in Hollywood don't seem to understand how women think/act in real life. Can only women right female characters? Nope! Talk to Greg Rucka, who writes some of the best female characters in comics, it can be done. Sadly, he's not a scriptwriter... that I know of.<br />
<b>2. Poorly-chosen actors.</b> (Or not actors at all, <i>cough</i>Nielsen<i>cough</i>.)<br />
Not every actor is the right person for the job. Sometimes you get someone who turns out to be so damned perfect, you can't imagine anyone else, ever again, in that role. Who else other than Ryan Reynolds could be Deadpool? Who else other than Chris Evans could be Captain America (even though he was not-quite-right for Johnny Storm)? And yeah, I'm going there: who else other than Chris Reeve can be Superman? And Lynda Carter was an amazing Wonder Woman; that's a tough torch to pass. (I don't envy Gadot.)<br />
<b>3. Poorly designed wardrobe.</b> <br />
If you want women to come to your movies, maybe don't turn your female heroes into sexpots. Honest to god, Red Sonja looked less sexualized than Catwoman did, and she was wearing less. Male Gaze is a thing, y'all, and it's killing the movies for us women! So much about that Catwoman movie screamed <i>"this movie is not for you, it's for the fanboys"</i> while I watched it. Michelle Pfeiffer in her vinyl getup was less fetishizing than Berry was. Pfeiffer made me want to go find people to punch; Berry made me want to go wash. Is that really what you want your moviegoers to come away with? an urge to get clean?<br />
<b>4. Poorly promoted features.</b><br />
If you don't promote your movie, how will people get excited about it? How will people know you have faith in your film? This is especially true today with social media. Who's promoting the movie? Anyone, actors, studio heads, directors? Are there toys? Cereal tie-ins? Trailers? Bus stand ads? Ads in the comics themselves? If we don't see these things, we will think you don't believe in your project, and if you don't believe in it, why should we?<br />
<br />
Which brings me to my segue...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Why haven't we seen any Wonder Woman promotion?</span><br />
<br />
This is Wonder Woman's 75th anniversary. Why is DC not hyping the <i>shit</i> out of this movie? Why am I not seeing Gal Gadot's face everywhere? This is the first major superheroine on the big screen since 1984. It's been 33 years since DC gave us Supergirl (when they were capitalizing on Superman's fame and success, or trying to). <i>Thirty-three years.</i> We haven't had Wonder Woman since Lynda Carter's television series ran from 1975-1979.<br />
<br />
Am I concerned about the lack of visibility of Wonder Woman in the media right now? You betcha! If this movie flops, the way those eight up there flopped, the studios will all say, "See, superheroine movies don't work, even WONDER WOMAN can't make box office cash, so we're never doing it again!" and pull the plug on any super lady projects for every and ever, amen. Never mind the fact that Snyder has his dark and gritty fingers messing up the hope and light that is Diana... Never mind the fact that I'm already hearing that Pine is taking a forward role when Steve Trevor should be in the background... Never mind the fact that they aren't promoting this film...<br />
<br />
And if it's that they don't know how to market to women..? I dunno, maybe <i>hire some fucking women to your marketing staff and ask them?? </i>Here's a hint: it doesn't need to be pink to sell it to us. In fact, if it's pink with a Wonder Woman logo on it, I <i>won't</i> buy it. <br />
<br />
And this has significant ramifications for future films. What about Captain Marvel, that's been pushed back, what? twice now? If Wonder Woman fails, I bet you they pull the plug on Captain Marvel so fast... And we can kiss Batgirl goodbye, too, even if "make 'em suffer" Whedon is writing it. You know execs are watching to see what happens with Wonder Woman, to see whether or not to go forward with their stuff. <br />
<br />
<i>Any</i>way...
I'm looking at a list of "upcoming" comic book films and I'm seeing so many more superdudes... and I am so done with superdudes. One more fucking remake of one more fucking dude movie and I swear I will scream. But here's the thing: because the <i>comics</i> don't bother to develop their superheroines, they're hard to turn into movies. They're not much more than two-dimensional characters (if you'll pardon the expression) because so much more time and attention has been given to all the dudes. Goddamn ANT-MAN got a movie before Captain Marvel. Before She-Hulk. Before Spider-Woman. Before A-Force (I would watch the shit out of A-Force, man, oh please someone give me an A-Force movie). Give more life to those female characters on the page, and give them life on the screen. Make them people the same way the male characters are people. It's really that simple. Then the comics will sell better (they really will! honest!) and then you have material to make a movie from, which you can then promote, and make more money.<br />
<br />
Look, the whole point of comics is to make money, and it's not sustainable if you don't bring in new readers. Well, there won't be any new readers if the publisher keep pandering to the middle-aged white guys by saying shit like "diversity doesn't sell." No. You don't sell diversity because you won't promote it. Big diff, my dudes. But if you want to keep on with the same old white guy BS that you're shilling, and the male gazy crap in the movies, then I can take my dollars and spend it somewhere else... Lumberjanes is friggin awesome. Too bad a dude is writing the screenplay for that film... (/facepalm)W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-77168607708727116552015-05-13T12:27:00.000-05:002015-05-13T12:27:36.459-05:00Dr. Lepore, Meet Prof. BlanchYou've seen it, right? That ridiculous article Dr. Jill Lepore (author of <i>The Secret History of Wonder Woman</i>) wrote in the <i>New Yorker,</i> titled "<a href="http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/marvel-a-force-female-superheroes" target="_blank">Looking at Female Superheroes with Ten-Year-Old Boys</a>" is devoid of context. She admitted that she was an academic, not a pop culture nerd, when she wrote her Wonder Woman book, and researching a single character from that angle is an interesting idea -- a fresh perspective, even. For this, she relies on a ten year old boy (and her own biases) for her information about the
characters, because everyone knows young boys are right about
everything.<br />
<br />
Here's where I might have a few strong opinions*. To suggest that "they all look like porn stars" on the cover of <i>A-Force #1</i> is completely ignorant, <i>literally</i> ignorant. One only had to survive comics in the 90s, in those dark "bad girls" days, to know what "porn stars" look like in a comics context. (See Lady Death, Witchblade, Avengelyne <i>et al.</i> if you want porn stars.)<br />
<br />
"Their power is their allure, which, looked at another way, is the
absence of power. Even their bodies are not their own. They are without
force." There's another utterly stupid thing to say. First of all, technically, <i>none</i> of their bodies are their own, because all of the characters are subject to the whims of the artists and writers currently on the books; that is true of male and female characters. Secondly, she knows nothing about these characters, what their stories are, to be able to say something like that with conviction. She-Hulk, for example, has a helluva lot of agency. She's a character who's had love affairs (often disastrous ones), plus a career, plus be a <i>hero</i>... Jen Walters rocks! She's big and green and has mighty cleavage, but is having boobs a sin now? I have a pretty substantial rack, too. Perhaps I should start binding my chest, since that seems to be a bad thing.<br />
<br />
It's true that a lot of the female characters were created as female mirrors to the male, often to lock down the trademarks so no one else could. It's also true that for a lot of their histories, these female characters have been portrayed in a very male-gazey sort of way. But to suggest they have no power, no force, is bullshit. Plus, things are changing. To take these characters and "reclaim" them for a new generation of comics readers is a good thing. If she can't see that, then she's also not paying attention to what the industry is trying to do, even though she <i>admits</i> that's what Marvel is trying to do.<br />
<br />
The snide attitude throughout the whole article prompted me to remove the Wonder Woman book from my Amazon wish list. I don't like the stuck-up tone that vibrates off the screen, and if that's how she wrote <i>The Secret History</i>, I'll pass. (And frankly, the clumsy way she stuck that barely-contextual Marston research in the middle of the Marvel/A-Force article, doesn't give me much faith in her abilities, either.)<br />
<br />
I suggest that Jill Lepore needs to take a class or three from Christy Blanch at the first opportunity, if (soon to be Dr.) Blanch gets another Super MOOC going. Lepore could learn an awful lot in a Gender and/or Social Issue Through Comic Books class. Assuming her Ivy League tower would let her lower herself that far... <br />
<br />
You can be an academic without being a jerk about it. You can be nerdy and geeky and talk about Batman's PTSD and whether or not race-changing affects characters for good or ill. My fellow Super MOOC "graduates" do it every day, in a very civilized and academic way, discussing everything from video game portrayals to gendered toy aisles to mental health in comics. And not one of us has that snarky, superior tone that Lepore does, because she clearly thinks comics are not really worth discussing seriously, and it shows.<br />
<br />
I hope she reads the <a href="http://www.sub-cultured.com/jill-lepore-a-force/" target="_blank">open letter</a> Leia Calderon wrote her. I hope she reads G. Willow Wilson's <a href="http://gwillowwilson.com/post/118822887543/dr-lepores-lament" target="_blank">piece</a>, too. Frankly, I don't care if she reads this or not. She won't like what she reads here, and she wouldn't take me seriously anyway; I'm only a B.S.†, not a Ph.D. <br /><br />
_________<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I always have strong opinions. Ask anyone.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">†Bachelor of Science, Psychology, with minors in Philosophy & Sociology</span>W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-64507523505295951052015-05-12T21:06:00.000-05:002015-05-12T21:06:42.983-05:00I Am Elemental! Action Figures Review<i>This is a review I meant to write some five months ago, and somehow things just slipped away from me. How is it May already??</i><br />
<br />
I backed a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iamelemental/iamelemental-action-figures-for-girls" target="_blank">Kickstarter campaign</a> for a set of "action figures for girls" that promised to be both feminine and fierce, without having the ridiculous body-toppling proportions that so many of the female action figures have now. When I saw the campaign, I was all over the whole idea. Girls need this stuff, need to have the tools for imaginative play that allows them to be the heroes of their own stories, and innovative products like this would enable exactly that. I didn't hesitate, and pledged at the $65 level that included:<br />
<ul>
<li>All 7 action figures </li>
<li>IAmElemental journal</li>
<li>Drawstring bag</li>
<li>Bracelet (the figures' shields double as charms for the bracelet) </li>
<li>Trading cards</li>
<li>Carry case</li>
</ul>
The project was fully funded, shipped on time and I received my package in time for Christmas, even. (They really hustled to make that happen -- major kudos to them for that.) I snapped a phone pic of my loot before I got busy with family stuff:<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wd3AlF7DmIU/VVIMlSel5fI/AAAAAAAAEPg/MvfhEV7g7YA/s1600/iamelemental.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wd3AlF7DmIU/VVIMlSel5fI/AAAAAAAAEPg/MvfhEV7g7YA/s400/iamelemental.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merry Xmas to me!</td></tr>
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<br />
Here's a bunch more photos, better than that one. The box is a metal "lunchbox" style, 10x7x4", white with a black handle. The cardboard sleeve in the first two photos shows the action figures, front and back, and a list of the enclosed items. The box itself has the "I Am Elemental™" mask logo and "Play With Power™" slogan on the front and back. The side has the figures' elemental symbols.<br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHuYj7XvUAg/VVJgJR05d8I/AAAAAAAAERg/XI2f3MPe2xs/s1600/individual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHuYj7XvUAg/VVJgJR05d8I/AAAAAAAAERg/XI2f3MPe2xs/s400/individual.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each figure was packaged like this.</td></tr>
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There were actually two trading cards with each figure, one to keep and
one to trade. Collecting all the cards reveals a message when they're
arranged in the right order.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SdY_6pDSxyg/VVJb_H3XNuI/AAAAAAAAERI/inrzn6k_wGs/s1600/cards-bracelet.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SdY_6pDSxyg/VVJb_H3XNuI/AAAAAAAAERI/inrzn6k_wGs/s400/cards-bracelet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I did try to pose them like they appear on their cards.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Etr1uW7B4Y/VVJb--q2moI/AAAAAAAAERE/-k4fxljyqVQ/s1600/message.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Etr1uW7B4Y/VVJb--q2moI/AAAAAAAAERE/-k4fxljyqVQ/s400/message.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The
"secret message" is a quote from Joan of Arc, and when I put them in
order and saw it for the first time, I admit, I got chills. The good
kind. Then I flipped through the journal that came with everything and
wanted to cheer. The outside is grey with the logo design repeating all
over it, not all that remarkable, but the stuff <i>inside</i> is dynamite. <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ag-G1Diom1I/VVJkzDnI0YI/AAAAAAAAERs/Yud4-FQifvM/s1600/journal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ag-G1Diom1I/VVJkzDnI0YI/AAAAAAAAERs/Yud4-FQifvM/s400/journal.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QdcTqCutATQ/VVJk7le1GkI/AAAAAAAAER0/F1UVeVP2mQA/s1600/journal-fear.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QdcTqCutATQ/VVJk7le1GkI/AAAAAAAAER0/F1UVeVP2mQA/s400/journal-fear.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />There
are coloring pages, activity pages, inspirational quote, and guided
journal pages. It's a really nifty way for girls to consider and explore
their own strengths, or "powers." I love this addition. Yes, these are <i>action</i>
figures, but there's no reason why girls can't also do some serious
thinking when they're done playing. It's a big world out there; they
have a lot to get ready for!<br />
<br />
The seven 4-inch action figures, have slender but realistic female bodies (no impossibly tiny waists, no porn star boobs), in bright colors that suggest feminine without being pastel pink and sugary. They are wearing, for the most part, identical pewter-colored uniforms (Fear's is more gunmetal than pewter, just a shade darker), with variations in their boots or shinguards, and gloves or wristguards. Their armor coordinates with an "undershirt" -- Honesty's teal wings coordinate with her boots, bracers and undershirt. They are all wearing black domino masks to hide their true identities. Each heroine has her own unique hairstyle, which is one of the few distinguishing characteristics. Each has accessories that can be swapped interchangeably with the others. They are not "flesh-colored" -- not any race -- instead, they are orange, red, dark pink, and purple. However, their faces do have narrow Caucasian features, with small noses and not-too-generous lips. <br /><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EE_kguLsGAg/VVJV2oHKgrI/AAAAAAAAEQY/n9U31PXJNLk/s1600/figures1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EE_kguLsGAg/VVJV2oHKgrI/AAAAAAAAEQY/n9U31PXJNLk/s400/figures1.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P2mS8Tfz41Y/VVJV2ubRr3I/AAAAAAAAEQU/6KK5PzEWqjI/s1600/flatfeet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P2mS8Tfz41Y/VVJV2ubRr3I/AAAAAAAAEQU/6KK5PzEWqjI/s400/flatfeet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat feet! These girls can stand on their own!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wf66h5jOtSk/VVJV-wyjm6I/AAAAAAAAEQk/dm5TxTkUPqA/s1600/figures2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wf66h5jOtSk/VVJV-wyjm6I/AAAAAAAAEQk/dm5TxTkUPqA/s400/figures2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left: Persistence, Energy, Enthusiasm, Honesty, Fear, Bravery and Industry</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NqIXGuFS4ek/VVJWD9khmSI/AAAAAAAAEQs/VqOQGX6-59Y/s1600/accessories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NqIXGuFS4ek/VVJWD9khmSI/AAAAAAAAEQs/VqOQGX6-59Y/s400/accessories.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Accessories removed. Heads pop off to remove shoulder pieces.</td></tr>
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Two of the accessories make the figures a little back-heavy; Honesty's wings and Persistence's cape tend to make them a little off-balance, but considering the issues I've had trying to balance the massive hair and ...chest... of some of my other figures, a cape is no problem.<br />
<br />
Each of the figures also came with a shield that doubles as a charm that can be worn on silicone bracelet. Interestingly, Industry and Enthusiasm have hands molded to hold the shield in their left hands, while the other four have hands molded to hold the shield in their right. Fear alone has a weapon, a hand-held snake-looking thing that matches her spaulders, so she can't use her shield and the weapon simultaneously. <br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jAya-pxlu_w/VVJbll7GyMI/AAAAAAAAEQ8/lNyXtRSolkw/s1600/shield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jAya-pxlu_w/VVJbll7GyMI/AAAAAAAAEQ8/lNyXtRSolkw/s400/shield.jpg" width="342" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bravery</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The figures have 9 points of articulation: head (swivels, limited up/down movement), shoulders (rotate and bend), elbows (rotate and bend), hips (somewhat limited rotation), and knees (rotate and bend). I won't criticize the limited hip rotation because the trade-off there is that when she sits, her legs don't splay open. And while it would be nice to have some wrist or ankle articulation, these are only 4-inch figures, intended for children (who are going to play with them), and wrist and ankle joints at that size are going to break. As it is, the arms on these figures feel really slim, not so much proportionally, but in my hands -- but I am not their target play group.<br />
<br />
In the photos below, I tried to highlight some of the flexibility of the figures, using Bravery to illustrate. In the first image, she's sitting on a block of sticky notes and you can see that she can sit pretty normally, and almost cross her legs (ankle-to-knee). The second image shows her shoulder and hip flexibility. With her armor off, she can get her arms much higher over her head (almost making the "A" in <i>YMCA</i>). The third image was me trying to get her to do some semblance of yoga.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
So reasonably flexible, able to stand up, but not able to stand in a lot of "action" poses -- that's where the ankle articulation would be awesome -- but once again, these are <i>toys</i>, they're meant to be <i>played with</i>, not posed and admired. The girls who receive these are going to have adventures with them (I hope), not stand them up and take a bunch of photos. (That's for weird grownups to do...)<br />
<br />
I'd like to see more variation in the faces, more ethnic variation specifically. The bodies are fine. We want to promote health and realistic bodies, and these action figures have healthy-looking bodies, and tooling is expensive! BUT those faces are small, making variant faces would (I think, I don't <i>know</i>) be less costly than making a lot of variant bodies. Faces that have rounder features, wider noses, more generous mouths -- because not every girl has that narrow Western European profile.<br />
<br />
A few "cons": When I took Fear out of the package, the top of her helmet was off, and I initially thought this was so her shoulder armor could come off, but I realized that it was because there was a slight flaw in the molding of the helmet piece; the hole is too large for it to fit snugly on the peg on her head. I used a small dot of E6000 glue and it's fixed. <br /><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CYpoC6Iom94/VVKfy0eZsNI/AAAAAAAAESk/JYOTgVvsdJo/s1600/fear-head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CYpoC6Iom94/VVKfy0eZsNI/AAAAAAAAESk/JYOTgVvsdJo/s1600/fear-head.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I'd also like the both hands to be able to hold the shield, since typically a shield is held in the non-dominant hand while the dominant hand holds a weapon, and most people are right-handed. As it's molded right now, the hand that isn't intended to hold the shield can't really hold anything, it's basically a relaxed open hand. The last con, and it's nitpicky, is the metallic paint. It's going to scratch. I do like the look of it because it looks like armor, but it's not going to hold up very well to play.<br />
<br />
Truly, my complaints, such as they are, are miniscule. I think these action figures are tremendous. I wish I had had them when I was a girl. I wish my daughter had had them when she was small. I wish every parent of a young daughter sees these and gets them for her to play and dream and imagine... One of the slogans of IAmElemental is, "If you give a girl a different toy, she will tell a different story.™" That's an exciting idea, isn't it? <br />
<br />
There was one other thing in with the figures, a flyer marked <i>Series #1/Courage</i> that promises "Coming soon, Series #2/Wisdom." I can't wait.<br /><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yLNkgPInTzk/VVKnKLcDQiI/AAAAAAAAES0/-RJaryMxf_0/s1600/flyerfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yLNkgPInTzk/VVKnKLcDQiI/AAAAAAAAES0/-RJaryMxf_0/s400/flyerfront.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For more info or to order, visit <a href="http://iamelemental.com/">IAmElemental.com</a>.W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-35770829541358525152014-10-17T17:52:00.002-05:002014-10-17T17:52:43.507-05:00Nope: Why I Refuse to Buy the Supergirl Abomination Look, I know that I have plenty of action figures that are problematic. Some are just plain ugly, others are so over-the-top sexualized it's ridiculous. I have a small Supergirl figure from the animated series. She's cute. Small, but cute. Adorable, even. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Z-UA4Bl_Us/UA8QCsH6_VI/AAAAAAAABl0/U4lf7LTfvI0/s1600/supergirl1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Z-UA4Bl_Us/UA8QCsH6_VI/AAAAAAAABl0/U4lf7LTfvI0/s1600/supergirl1.JPG" height="320" width="189" /></a></div>
<br />
I would like to have a larger figure more on the same scale as the other figures, but this New 52 Supergirl... ugh.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9aedexhVA_E/VEGZDLg5WyI/AAAAAAAAEM4/X3Nuds2t6GY/s1600/supergirl___new_52___issue_6_by_spacecowboytv-d4cobhg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9aedexhVA_E/VEGZDLg5WyI/AAAAAAAAEM4/X3Nuds2t6GY/s1600/supergirl___new_52___issue_6_by_spacecowboytv-d4cobhg.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
<br />I hate it. I hate everything about it. Others have commented that the cape is ok, but honestly... that red bit over her crotch... it's like a sign: <i>Hey! Look at my pubes!</i> Who thought that was a good idea?? The boots are asinine too. Why are there cutouts at the knee? You can see them better in the product shot:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hd0ppPx0kKk/VEGb0s9dGiI/AAAAAAAAENI/9wUfHFKiS3Y/s1600/new_52_supergirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hd0ppPx0kKk/VEGb0s9dGiI/AAAAAAAAENI/9wUfHFKiS3Y/s1600/new_52_supergirl.jpg" height="400" width="381" /></a></div>
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<i>Duuuuummmmmb</i>. <br />
<br />
So, nope. Won't be buying it, DC. I hate the redesign, think the red pubic triangle looks idiotic; you can keep your plastic and I'll keep my $25. Give me something that doesn't look so freakin' stupid, and we'll talk.W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-78242859170301903742014-08-07T12:24:00.000-05:002014-08-07T12:24:33.019-05:00Guest Post for Geek Girl Con<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-utaGIo6TtJc/U-O2IqUYVlI/AAAAAAAAELk/1JkswXC0CFw/s1600/vixens_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-utaGIo6TtJc/U-O2IqUYVlI/AAAAAAAAELk/1JkswXC0CFw/s1600/vixens_cover.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></div>
I reviewed <a href="http://heaven4heroes.com/heaven4heroes/Heaven4Heroes_Home.html" target="_blank">Mike Madrid</a>'s forthcoming <i>Vixens, Vamps & Vipers</i> (coming this October) in a guest post for the <a href="http://www.geekgirlcon.com/" target="_blank">Geek Girl Con</a> blog. I was thrilled to do both. See it here: <a href="http://www.geekgirlcon.com/mike-madrid-vixens-vamps-vipers-3/">http://www.geekgirlcon.com/mike-madrid-vixens-vamps-vipers-3/</a><br />
<br />
<br />W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-77977558927658777572014-07-19T02:43:00.000-05:002014-08-07T12:29:30.162-05:00Divas, Dames & Daredevils: Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oSNdBLgFeCI/U8kNJhRSDjI/AAAAAAAAEKo/h3DDlgRy9ZY/s1600/divas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oSNdBLgFeCI/U8kNJhRSDjI/AAAAAAAAEKo/h3DDlgRy9ZY/s1600/divas.JPG" height="400" width="307" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Divas, Dames & Daredevils: Lost Heroines of Golden Age Comics</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">©2013 by Mike Madrid</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Forward by Maria Elena Buszek, Ph.D.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 978-1-935259-23-7 (print)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">978-1-935259-24-4 (ebook) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://exterminatingangel.com/" target="_blank">Exterminating Angel Press</a></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.heaven4heroes.com/heaven4heroes/Heaven4Heroes_Home.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.heaven4heroes.com/heaven4heroes/Heaven4Heroes_Home.html" target="_blank">Madrid</a>'s first book, <i>The Supergirls </i>(<a href="http://plasticheroines.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-supergirls-book-review.html" target="_blank">reviewed here</a>) is a wonderful overview of the women of comics. This book takes a closer look at some of the heroines time has mostly forgotten from the Golden Age*, and includes complete black and white† reprinted stories from some of them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the introduction, Madrid confesses his own geeky and nostalgic love of Golden Age comics, and how reader response to <i>The Supergirls</i> made him feel like he'd inspired readers of his book the way some of the '70s nostalgia writers had inspired him as a kid. I know it inspired <i>me</i> to want to learn more about those lesser-known heroines! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">He also gives a brief history of Golden Age comics, but here's a bit that nearly jumped off the page for me:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In these very early days of comic books, there weren't as many established rules about how women characters should or shouldn't act. As a result, many of these Golden Age heroines feel bold and modern as we read them today. They are presented as fearless and unapologetic about their strength. </i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(If that doesn't fill your heart with excitement about Golden Age heroines, I don't understand why you're even here, because this is the wrong blog for you...) When comics were young, the art and stories were simpler, but they weren't strictly for kids. This was inexpensive entertainment in a troubled world, and "a time when comics were fun."</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the section <b>Women at War</b>, Madrid paints a vivid picture of how American comic book heroes and heroines entered WWII before Pearl Harbor; they backed the war effort before the U.S. entered the war! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">In <b>Mystery Women</b>, he talks about the concept of the masked vigilante, something we're quite used to today, but cautions "these women are tough."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Daring Dames</b> introduces us a different kind of heroine, ones who didn't wear masks but fought bad guys just the same. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The section <b>20th Century Goddesses</b> contains superheroines more like we're accustomed to now, super-powered humans who can do extraordinary things.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The final section is <b>Warriors & Queens</b>, and according to Madrid, "[t]he heroes of comic book fantasy tales were often women." It's probably just as well this is the last section, because it's just getting depressing to consider all these awesome heroines that just... slipped away, vanishing into history. </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have encountered few people who write with the passion and enthusiasm for these characters as Mike Madrid does. His notes and commentary on the characters he's selected (some of them had 5 or fewer appearance in comics), the history, and the artists are pure gold. The brief biographies he provides for each of the heroines just whets the appetite for more, encouraging his readers once more to seek them out. Plus, <i>of course</i> you should buy this book for the amazing comics inside. But if you're expecting camp, you're in for a surprise. These <i>Divas, Dames & Daredevils</i> don't mess around! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is more than just an homage to "lost heroines," it's a time capsule§. Crack it open and look inside at what heroines used to be like. Then go look at what they're doing today and tell me he's wrong when he says "how far comics of today still need to go."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I'm really excited and pleased to note that there's a companion book to this one due out very soon. </i>Vixens, Vamps & Vipers: Lost Villainesses of the Golden Age<i> is due out in October 2014! Since I love bad girls more than anything, I can't wait! <b>Edited:</b> I didn't have to; I received an ARC and reviewed it for the Geek Girl Con blog - find my review <a href="http://www.geekgirlcon.com/mike-madrid-vixens-vamps-vipers-3/" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">__________</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">* The Golden Age is generally considered to have been from the late 1930s through the mid 1950s. The debut of Superman in <i>Action Comic</i> #1 is what most enthusiasts and historians see as the catalyst that started this "golden age" of comics.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">† Yes, black and white, no whining. The book would have been at <i>least</i> twice the cost if it had been printed in full color. Seek out color Golden Age comics at the <a href="http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/" target="_blank">Digital Comics Museum</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">§ A note on the comics themselves: they do contain some pretty bad ethnic stereotypes. The comics of the 1940s were not known for their kindness to Asian people especially, so keep that in mind while you’re reading. It was a different time and place. The world was at war, and xenophobia was rampant. (Not that it has entirely vanished today…)</span><style>
</style>W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-21656174155006675542014-07-14T20:56:00.000-05:002014-07-14T20:56:15.982-05:00Brilliant Idea (Or, "Why I Hate My Brain")A while back, I read about someone who had artwork of a superheroine that she loved that she took and asked for various creators to autograph not because they created the work but because their work had meaning to her, too. *wince* I'm recalling this poorly, I know, and I wish I could remember where I'd seen it, so I could link to it properly. (<i>If you have any idea what I'm talking about, please let me know in the comments so I can have that properly referenced -- thanks!</i>)<br />
<br />
In any event, I had a similar idea, but naturally one that makes me hate my brain that much more, because it means more work. <i>Way more</i> work. But it's so perfect (for me) that I don't think there's any way I can't follow through with it. What I'd love to do is create an altered book, one that includes quotes and biographies and images of amazing women. And then I'd like to leave it up to the various creators where they'd like to sign their names inside. It will be loud and colorful and full of the most amazing women... and then it will be even more full. Bursting with inspiration and touched by genius, quite literally.<br />
<br />
At least, that's what I see in my head, the reality is something else. Great ideas require the right materials. The base book will be something that I'll "know it when I see it." The other things will have to be gathered over time, and won't be completed quickly, even though I'd like to have it done in time for the next convention I attend. Especially considering I still have a costume to fabricate...<br />
<br />
...And that is why I hate my brain, because I needed another project like I need a hole in my head.<br />
<br />
<br />W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-31013452988678205782014-06-23T10:26:00.002-05:002014-06-23T10:26:54.963-05:00My Love/Hate Relationship with CollectingCollections require some care and maintenance or else they're just hoards. If they aren't organized in such a way that they can be enjoyed or pieces found easily, you're in danger of being one of Those People they turn into zoo attractions on reality television. In our old house, we were pretty cramped but still had stuff, so it was pretty borderline there for a while. Now that we have the space to organize <i>and</i> display the things we love, there's the responsibility to maintain it. Since I'm the one who's home all day, and I'm the one who's a little obsessively completist, that task falls to me.<br />
<br />
For the action figures, I maintain an inventory at <a href="http://www.collector-actionfigures.com/dash/home/" target="_blank">DASH</a>, which is more than just a database, there's also the ability to buy/sell/trade (I haven't done any of that myself, however). Sometimes I have to add a figure myself if no one else has yet, like the <i>Justice League War</i> Wonder Woman I got yesterday, so there are a few figures in my collection that aren't in the inventory database because I haven't added them yet. It's imperfect, but it's the best thing I've found so far.<br />
<br />
For the libraries (main and children's*), I keep track of our collection with <a href="http://www.librarything.com/" target="_blank">LibraryThing</a>, which is an online database. It took a few months for me to get all the books put in (over three thousand), so now a trip to the bookstore means books go to my desk for entry <i>first</i>. <br />
<br />
For the comic books, I purchased <a href="http://www.collectorz.com/comic/" target="_blank">Comic Collector</a>, from Collectorz.com, which also has an app (<i>not a stand-alone app, you have to have purchased the program first!</i>) that runs on my phone so I can double-check the collection when I'm rummaging in the old comics bins. They have various versions to suit your needs, it runs on Macs or Windows computers, and I love it. The same company also has inventory software for games, music, movies and books. They run sales every once in a while, and it's tempting to get some of the others, but I have covered, our movie collection that extensive, and our music is just weird... Anyway, new comics are dealt with the same way new books are dealt with: they go to my desk first and are entered into the database, and then they are read.<br />
<br />
Once all this reading material has been dutifully entered into the computer, it gets read, or goes into a pile to-be-read. Read books often end up in piles in the library, to-be-shelved. Read comics go into a box to be bagged, then once bagged into a box to be taken downstairs to be filed with the others. Since I am the one who's home, once again I am the sensible choice for being the one to shelve and file, put away and straighten... and I hate that part.<br />
<br />
Right now, I am procrastinating from doing the laundry. I don't actually mind the sorting/washing/drying part. I <i>loathe</i> the folding/putting away part. And socks. I bloody well hate socks. So laundry goes upstairs to be folded on the guest bed, where it usually sits in a wrinkled heap until I guilt myself into dealing with it... usually about the time I have to do laundry again.<br />
<br />
<i>Months</i> ago, I organized our comics. I got all of them entered into the database, put them all in order, put out a few accidental duplicates that I found, left room in the boxes for new comics to be filed... and since then, have taken down new comic, laid them on top of the lids of those boxes, or taken them down in other boxes and just left them there, waiting to be filed. *sigh* I hate filing. I don't mind data-entry, but filing is awful.<br />
<br />
Part of the issue (ha!) is that when I take the boxes off the bottom shelves, I'm going to cause an action figure avalanche. Then I'm going to cause another one when I put them back. Every. Time. Having the boxes on the bottom shelves of the figure display is awesome, because the bottom shelf is no good for display (plus dog temptation risk), but I suspect that once I take all the comics we have right now and file them, we're going to have full boxes, with no room for more. That means a new home is needed, and soon. But that's a task to procrastinate another day...<br />
<br />
<br />
_________________<br />
<br />
* We turned the formal living room into a library, but there was no room for children's books. We bought a bunch of bookcases for the guest room, adjacent to our daughter's room, and put the kids books there. W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-71009689623221394912014-05-16T16:26:00.002-05:002014-05-16T16:28:52.204-05:00"Action Figures for Girls"The Twitter account for <a href="http://www.geekgirlcon.com/" target="_blank">Geek Girl Con</a> shared this IAmElemental Kickstarter campaign. I didn't hesitate.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iamelemental/iamelemental-action-figures-for-girls/widget/video.html" width="640"> </iframe><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iamelemental/iamelemental-action-figures-for-girls" target="_blank">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iamelemental/iamelemental-action-figures-for-girls</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Much as I love my girls (and I really do love them, run-through-a-burning-house-to-save-them love), I completely recognize that many of them were made with the adult male collector in mind. "<b>More hooters than heroines</b>," indeed. So, where <i>are</i> the action figures for girls?<br />
<br />
Well, Mattel gave us the marvelous She-Ra line... in 1985. Galoob had the equally wonderful "copycat" line of Golden Girls, and there were several other knock-offs at the time. Ten years later, Mattel tried again with a much more insipid line Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic, and Kenner with Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders. Japanese author/artist Naoko Takeuchi gave us Sailor Moon in 1992. The toys that went with Sailor Moon were never called action figures; they were "adventure dolls."<br />
<br />
The paucity of adventuring toys for girls is pretty apparent. The gender gap in the toy aisles is pretty immense. If you're a girl, you get dolls -- fluffy, pretty, pink dolls. Boys get to have the adventures. Action figures reflect the art in the comics; most of it is pretty sexy, and some of it is salacious. I like sexy -- in its place. Kids don't need sexy toys or comics.<br />
<br />
This Kickstarter campaign was already funded when I clicked through, with 26 days to go! That's exciting! It tells me, and I'm sure it tells the creators, that there <i>is</i> demand for this. I look forward to everything this creative team has to share.<br />
<br />
I gripe about the sexism in comics and in toys, and I put my money where my mouth is when I can. I'm clearly not alone.W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-67893145019694069052014-05-04T10:44:00.005-05:002014-05-04T10:44:54.070-05:00Free Comic Book Day CrawlLast week, The Kid indicated that she wanted to go to Free Comic Book Day. She'd never indicated any desire for comics before, so I was pretty enthusiastic about taking her. We got a call that her glasses were in, so we ran to pick them up before we began our odyssey. She wore her She-Ra t-shirt, and I made her a last-minute sword to carry with it. (Painted cardboard.)<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L5vyjEf9KzI/U2ZfWV-rIpI/AAAAAAAAEHY/wJy1YA8dPBk/s1600/IMG_9229a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L5vyjEf9KzI/U2ZfWV-rIpI/AAAAAAAAEHY/wJy1YA8dPBk/s1600/IMG_9229a.JPG" height="400" width="168" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the honor of Grayskull...<br />(before glasses)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Glasses obtained, we headed to <a href="http://www.dreamlandcomics.com/html/retailstore.htm" target="_blank">Dreamland Comics</a> for the beginning of our crawl. We hadn't picked up our pulls for the week, so we got those in addition to the free comics plus a little Sailor Moon blind box figurine and Daenerys. Dreamland is long and narrow, so new people were allowed in as others left, looping around the store.<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PP19VA9vQuI/U2ZP5LEL2OI/AAAAAAAAEGU/klTeQJTVt0c/s1600/dreamlandhaul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PP19VA9vQuI/U2ZP5LEL2OI/AAAAAAAAEGU/klTeQJTVt0c/s1600/dreamlandhaul.jpg" height="203" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo doesn't include our weekly pulls.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />The Kid and I were starving and she wanted Burger King, so lunch was had before we headed to <a href="http://www.keithskomix.com/" target="_blank">Keith's Komix</a>, where I found a zillion figures that I didn't have, a few back issues and some new releases. (And a very savvy Girl Scout was there selling cookies. Score!)<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V7RPvyhKtJ4/U2ZSXpdRxbI/AAAAAAAAEGo/xZluKJyDGV8/s1600/keithshaul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V7RPvyhKtJ4/U2ZSXpdRxbI/AAAAAAAAEGo/xZluKJyDGV8/s1600/keithshaul.jpg" height="400" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't include the back issues/new books.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Our last stop was <a href="http://www.modernagereader.com/" target="_blank">Modern Age Comics</a>, and a couple more figures, and a few more free comics. I had planned to get Silver Surfer #2, but he was sold out. (Apparently, that was a popular issue, because Keith's had it when we were there, but later also sold out.)<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OAcuOe0juRo/U2ZSdAY2j_I/AAAAAAAAEGw/QNgcFOnvXTk/s1600/mahaul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OAcuOe0juRo/U2ZSdAY2j_I/AAAAAAAAEGw/QNgcFOnvXTk/s1600/mahaul.jpg" height="251" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only a few FCBD comics, because we mostly had the ones we wanted.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />We definitely spread the wealth around yesterday, which is important to do. If we want to keep comic book shops in business, they need to be supported. Confession: This was the first Free Comic Book Day I participated in because I really don't like crowds, but since our daughter indicated that she wanted to go, we went. (<i>ANYthing</i> that encourages her to read is a good thing.) Every shop we went to was orderly and organized. Everyone was friendly. The crowds weren't what I expected, but perhaps we had good timing. Then again, Illinois is <i>not</i> one of the <a href="http://blog.estately.com/2014/04/the-nerdiest-states-in-america/" target="_blank">nerdiest states</a> in the union (at #26), more's the pity... (but at least it's not Mississippi, at #50).W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-17217553749361603392014-04-30T06:20:00.000-05:002014-05-20T06:02:58.444-05:00Semi-Annual Chicago Toy ShowOnce again, this show ran concurrently with C2E2, but unlike last year, I decided not to go downtown to the con. There were panels I'm <i>really</i> sorry I missed, but the crowds are just unendurable for me. <br />
<br />
This year is the 41st for the <a href="http://www.chicagotoyshow.com/" target="_blank">Chicago Toy Show</a>, taking place at the Kane County Fairgrounds, in St. Charles, IL. It took me three hours to get though the buildings I wanted to (I skipped the "doll" building, partly because it's a little creepy). I still haven't found the Borg Queen, but I did come home with: <br />
<ul>
<li>Classic Silk Spectre (The Watchmen)</li>
<li>Aspen Matthews (Fathom)</li>
<li>Kim Arashikage (GI Joe, AKA Jinx; according to the seller, Hasbro lost her name copyright)</li>
<li>Dr. Elsa Schneider (Last Crusade)</li>
<li>Black Queen (Marvel Legends, TRU exclusive)</li>
<li>Jade (Golden Girl and the Guardians of the Gemstones)</li>
<li>Plaster of Paris (from The Spirit)</li>
<li>Arsia (Green Lantern) </li>
<li>Boodikka (Green Lantern) </li>
</ul>
So a good haul, really! And three hours all to myself, even if it was a little crowded. (People were queuing up to get in a half-hour before the gate even opened.) I got a little warm-up the day before, finding the Aliens: Resurrection Ripley and Walking Dead's Maggie Greene at Half Price Books, so my weekend total was eleven new figs.<br />
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The next show is October 26th, so mark your calendars!<br />
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W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-76504003111712155482014-04-18T08:09:00.000-05:002014-04-18T08:09:02.395-05:00Call (Alien: Resurrection) and Crime Syndicate SuperwomanI recently found Call, portrayed by Winona Rider in <i>Alien: Resurrection</i> (1997), at a <a href="http://www.hpb.com/" target="_blank">Half Price Books</a>
store. Made by Hasbro (still with the Kenner brand on the box -- Hasbro
bought Kenner and its licenses in 1991), this was from Hasbro's
"Signature Series." Unfortunately, they didn't also have Ripley, so the
only Lt. Ripley I have is the small 1992 Kenner figure that looks <i>nothing</i>
like Sigourney Weaver. Rider's likeness in this figure isn't bad, and I
much prefer the larger size. The box is pretty beat up, but since she
won't be in it for long, who cares?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YROHO4lgl9Q/U1EcLKenaII/AAAAAAAAEFc/jS1FU6x62ZE/s1600/call1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YROHO4lgl9Q/U1EcLKenaII/AAAAAAAAEFc/jS1FU6x62ZE/s1600/call1.jpg" height="400" width="333" /></a></div>
<br />
I'll be on the lookout for the Ripley figure from this series that has a much better likeness to Weaver (and is taller). <br />
<br />
Last Wednesday, I also picked up Crime Syndicate Superwoman at my <a href="http://www.dreamlandcomics.com/html/" target="_blank">local comics shop</a>.
This DC Collectibles figure is quite an attractive sculpt and paint.
The face in particular is awesome. Her blue eyes are rather piercing,
and they and her mouth were painted with a glossy paint so they have a
wet shine. She's also wearing high-heeled boots, so it should be
interesting to see how well she stands up out of the box. Which poses
the question: as (essentially) Wonder Woman's evil twin from an
alternate dimension, does she go on the Wonder Woman shelf, or with the
other DC figures? Leaning strongly toward "other."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5l053dNGSrE/U1EfsIstB5I/AAAAAAAAEFo/yGMOksynkKU/s1600/CSsuperwoman1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5l053dNGSrE/U1EfsIstB5I/AAAAAAAAEFo/yGMOksynkKU/s1600/CSsuperwoman1.jpg" height="400" width="230" /></a></div>
<br />
There's
another female figure in with the Super-Villains Crime Syndicate set.
Atomica, a small unarticulated figure, comes with Johnny Quick, but I am
not paying $25 for Quick when all I want is the little 2-inch Atomica.<br />
<br />W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-32474476212640695182014-04-14T08:56:00.001-05:002014-04-14T09:03:51.347-05:00ComiXology Is Now Part of Amazon Jeff Gomez at Business Insider has written an article about <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-comixology-acquisition-will-change-comic-book-industry-2014-4" target="_blank">Amazon's acquisition of ComiXology</a>. In it, he says<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Women 17 – 26 have risen to comprise <b><a href="http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2013/10/comixology-is-connecting-with-female-audience/" rel="nofollow">over 20%</a></b>
of ComiXology’s users, and that’s certain to rise after Amazon’s
acquisition. The books will now be exposed to millions of newcomers, so
it will behoove major publishers to make their stories more
female-friendly, streamlined, and accessible. [<i>Link is to a Comic Book Resources article from October, '13</i>.]</blockquote>
"Make their stories more female-friendly" is going to be the contentious point, I think. Someone accused Gail Simone of turning Red Sonja into a feminazi yesterday, so making stories "female-friendly" is going to be met with significant resistance.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SQawzMINohQ/U0vVh0jmDMI/AAAAAAAAEFM/xAO2Dev38Xg/s1600/feminazi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SQawzMINohQ/U0vVh0jmDMI/AAAAAAAAEFM/xAO2Dev38Xg/s1600/feminazi.png" height="640" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then she pretty much made fun of the idea all day. :D</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Don't get me wrong, I think the comics publishers <i>should </i>pay attention to reality and acknowledge the fact that WOMEN READ COMICS, and I stand to benefit from stories that are less about men's fetishes and more about actual <i>plot</i>, but I think there's going to be a lot of very ugly pushback. It's already there, as evidenced from Hungry_man above. Would he have been complaining to the writer if the writer had been male, or would he have accepted the story-so-far without accusing the character of being a feminazi? <br />
<br />
It seems like any time people (non-cis-white-male people) suggest that comics could be more inclusive, have better representation, be less male gaze-y, those cis white guys just get pissed off and circle the wagons around their precious male fantasies of power and big boobs. Because if their comic book females don't look like porn stars, who wants 'em??<br />
<br />
When the stories are better, everyone benefits. When women in those stories are more than seductive window dressing, take an active role in the story, it's a <i>good</i> thing. No, it's frickin' <b><i>great thing</i></b>, because it means women and girls will have the benefit of having heroes that look like them to emulate and be inspired by, <i>just like boys have had for decades.</i> Many of the men who read comics now, started out watching superhero cartoons and reading comic books. They love their heroes: Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, the Hulk... but what do you notice about that quick list? They're all straight white guys (except when Hulk is all angry and green). Who have women had, consistently, to look up to? Wonder Woman. That's it! She's the only really significant female character who's been with us since the early superhero comics, and she's been sadly underrepresented. DC has hemmed and hawed over why we can't have a stand-alone WW film, but pretty much everyone has called bullshit on their excuses. The fact of the matter is, DC in particular simply doesn't want to acknowledge that their old-guard way of doing things isn't going to cut it anymore.<br />
<br />
Which brings me back around to the original point: ComiXology now being part of Amazon is going to change things.<br />
<br />
Women are already a <a href="http://graphicpolicy.com/2013/09/01/facebook-fandom-spotlight-who-are-the-comic-fans-912013/" target="_blank">strong demographic</a> in comics readership. One reason for women to be a rising demographic for ComiXology is the safety of it. Comic book shops are <a href="http://comicsbeat.com/breaking-a-comic-shop-in-this-day-and-age-is-staffed-by-customer-repelling-losers/" target="_blank">not always welcoming</a> to female customers. Shopping online, no one can harass you or make you feel bad about what you read or don't know. Oh they'll still get you on Twitter or in various forums if you dare to voice an opinion, but at least you can <i>shop</i> in peace. <br />
<br />
With the juggernaut that is Amazon, that will only accelerate. More women will flock to digital comics, because they may not even have known about ComiXology in the first place. Now that Amazon has the property, it's going to be all over their front page, promoted and marketed. Amazon has <a href="http://www.wired.com/2013/03/publishing-industry-next-chapter/all/" target="_blank">changed book publishing</a>. Can anyone think that they won't force comics publishers to do the same?W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-10912141115301939432014-04-02T15:41:00.000-05:002014-04-02T15:41:29.693-05:00Big Bang Theory Mystery Minis Display The <a href="http://www.funko.com/" target="_blank">Funco</a> toys and figurines are everywhere these days. You can't go in a comic book shop and not see <i>something</i> from them. For xmas, my husband put a "Mystery Mini" <i><a href="http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory" target="_blank">Big Bang Theory</a></i>* in my stocking; it turned out to be Sheldon in the blue Superman shirt. Over the next few months, on a whim or availability, I picked up 3 more boxes and chanced onto Penny, Bernadette and Howard. Knowing the probability of getting Raj, Amy and Leonard (and not more Sheldons) was low <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>please don't ask me to do the math</i></span>, I picked up the last three to complete the cast on ebay.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s1Q3rxXpM0U/Uzxz2B1m8pI/AAAAAAAAEEo/JvdhHBTiGuE/s1600/minis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s1Q3rxXpM0U/Uzxz2B1m8pI/AAAAAAAAEEo/JvdhHBTiGuE/s1600/minis.jpg" height="173" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I had them sitting on a shelf on my desk, but Penny especially is <i>really</i> unstable the way she's sculpted (her hair puts too much weight on the dorsal side of the figure). Bernadette is too, but not as bad. I had to build a frame for <a href="http://creativemisc.blogspot.com/2014/04/dont-take-free-ride-in-your-own-life.html" target="_blank">another project</a>, and happened on some unfinished shadow box frames that I thought would do the trick. I'm going to paint it to resemble the colors used in the opening sequence<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vakCasAVEVk/UzwIrwy3B1I/AAAAAAAAEDs/dOfsonOD9AU/s1600/250px-BigBangTheoryTitleCard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vakCasAVEVk/UzwIrwy3B1I/AAAAAAAAEDs/dOfsonOD9AU/s1600/250px-BigBangTheoryTitleCard.png" /></a></div>
but not a perfect replication of it, and without the lettering. I want to highlight the figures without distracting from them. (And to help with the Penny Problem, I got wax adhesive.)<br />
<br />
I sprayed a light coat of primer on the bare wood to help with blending paint. I used a combination of yellow, light orange, red-violet and blue to get the colors where I wanted them. I sprayed a coat of sealant on it, which also give it a nice gloss, once the paint was dry.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-llFQdDrqM/Uzxzz1UXUgI/AAAAAAAAED8/P2mkc0AVqDA/s1600/frame1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-llFQdDrqM/Uzxzz1UXUgI/AAAAAAAAED8/P2mkc0AVqDA/s1600/frame1.jpg" height="347" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u14HrEJBW6k/Uzxzz3dZxgI/AAAAAAAAEEA/0iqCTDnlIdA/s1600/frame2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u14HrEJBW6k/Uzxzz3dZxgI/AAAAAAAAEEA/0iqCTDnlIdA/s1600/frame2.jpg" height="293" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hff6CndLDmI/Uzxz2Up__jI/AAAAAAAAEEc/Qz6Ihv8j87Q/s1600/frame3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hff6CndLDmI/Uzxz2Up__jI/AAAAAAAAEEc/Qz6Ihv8j87Q/s1600/frame3.jpg" height="336" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J3s-6yGHQzs/Uzxz0-MyZ8I/AAAAAAAAEEQ/YToZi1uwREE/s1600/frame4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J3s-6yGHQzs/Uzxz0-MyZ8I/AAAAAAAAEEQ/YToZi1uwREE/s1600/frame4.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This may be the best photo of how I blended the colors.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sXG3ua0ftaE/Uzxz1HpSvNI/AAAAAAAAEEM/CmpMLux3JlI/s1600/frame5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sXG3ua0ftaE/Uzxz1HpSvNI/AAAAAAAAEEM/CmpMLux3JlI/s1600/frame5.jpg" height="272" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I need to switch Raj and Howard around. Bernadette looks like she's<br />gazing adoringly at Raj, and that's no good.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not sure where I'm going to hang this, but at least I have another project completed.<br />
<br />
_______________<br />
* I have read a few criticisms of BBT that suggest it's "nerd blackface." First of all, to make that comparison is a little racially insensitive, and secondly, it's just wrong. It is NOT blackface, and here's why: it's a sitcom, and sitcoms parody and exaggerate real people to make jokes. Is the <i>King of Queens</i> blue collar blackface? (No.) The people screaming the loudest about this are the nerds who think they're being made fun of, after years of that in school. But BBT isn't ridiculing the characters -- yes, laughing at them because they're <i>funny</i>, but not in the mean high school way.<br />
<br />
And here's another thing, I am married to a Sheldon. Oh, he doesn't have the eidetic memory or some of the more annoying quirks that Dr. Cooper possesses, but it's there. (And remember, sitcom: parody!) He even has a degree in physics. When he gets into discussions with another physicist (who was the best man at our wedding), I feel a little like Penny when the math all shoots right over my head. <i>My</i> degree is in psychology (a softer science than neurobiology), and when we were in college, I took an incredible amount of flak from my then-boyfriend-now-husband about it being a "fuzzy science," much the way Sheldon regards Amy. Here's the Science hierarchy, according to the physics guys: Sociology < Psychology < Biology < Chemistry < Physics < Math. Sound familiar? If you think conversations like those that happen on BBT don't happen IRL, you're deluding yourselves.<br />
<br />
I don't love everything about the show, but I think it's a more accurate depiction of nerd culture than some of the nerds want to admit. YMMV. W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-44285445749531866142014-03-31T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-31T00:00:01.242-05:00Renae De Liz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-If-5FIzxPks/UxDG41jynDI/AAAAAAAAD-g/x348ziz2SBs/s1600/renae-de-liz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-If-5FIzxPks/UxDG41jynDI/AAAAAAAAD-g/x348ziz2SBs/s1600/renae-de-liz.jpg" height="400" width="220" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.renaedeliz.com/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Renae De Liz</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"> is
an artist who did an adaptation of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Last Unicorn</i>, and later helped create the Womanthology kickstarter project,
that finished with over 1500 backers, and resulted in a hardcover book
published by IDW, featuring the art and words from female creators of many
levels of ability. She’s also the creator of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lady Powerpunch</i>.</span><br />
<br />
<hr />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">This is by no means all of the influential women in comics! I tried to get a reasonable sampling across over a hundred years of women. For more information about them, and other amazing and talented women, I encourage you to visit the <a href="http://womenincomics.wikia.com/wiki/Women_In_Comics_Wiki" target="_blank">Women In Comics</a> wiki. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Additionally, lots of these women have various social media accounts that you can follow and interact with. The above wiki has some of their accounts linked, but it's not exhaustive. </span>
W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-58746071528751429452014-03-30T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-30T00:00:00.701-05:00G. Willow Wilson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ASwRCpjj024/UxDGcPJ-nfI/AAAAAAAAD-Y/2RLEhFtHojA/s1600/willow-wilson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ASwRCpjj024/UxDGcPJ-nfI/AAAAAAAAD-Y/2RLEhFtHojA/s1600/willow-wilson.jpg" height="400" width="261" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://gwillowwilson.com/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">G. Willow Wilson</b></a> is
a writer, and her graphic novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cairo</i>,
was inspired by her conversion to Islam (after being raised atheist) and being
an American Muslim in a post-9/11 world. She has been a comic fan since she was
a child, and she wrote the Vertigo series <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Air</i>
as well as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mysic </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vixen: Return of the Lion</i>, both
mini-series. Also to her credit, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Butterfly
Mosque</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alif the Unseen</i>, prose
titles. She has just started a new Marvel series, reviving the Ms. Marvel
character with a brand new, Muslim-American teenager in the role. </div>
W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-52868022263840605412014-03-29T00:00:00.001-05:002014-03-29T00:00:03.935-05:00Stephanie Buscema<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SlsP0nCwl2U/UxDF2-ilF1I/AAAAAAAAD-M/r-ZX5nPWQNc/s1600/stephanie-buscema.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SlsP0nCwl2U/UxDF2-ilF1I/AAAAAAAAD-M/r-ZX5nPWQNc/s1600/stephanie-buscema.jpg" height="400" width="245" /></a></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><a href="http://www.stephaniebuscema.com/" target="_blank">Stephanie Buscema</a><span id="goog_1216555664"></span><span id="goog_1216555665"></span> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">is an illustrator and painter, and got her start
in comics inking for her grandfather, John Buscema. She has illustrated picture
books, and covers, notably for Gail Simone’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Red Sonja</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Little Pony:
Friendship Is Magic.</i> She finds inspiration in mid-century album art, old
monster movies, and vintage illustration.</span>
W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068290463007142802.post-32742827640275263262014-03-28T10:13:00.000-05:002014-03-28T13:05:25.462-05:00SuperMOOC2, New Comics, Old Comics, and Action FiguresThis month, I started <a href="http://www.supermooc.org/" target="_blank">SuperMOOC2</a> -- Social Issues Through Comic Books, taught by the impossibly awesome Christy Blanch. This class, still through <a href="http://www.canvas.net/" target="_blank">Canvas</a>, is <i>not</i> through Ball State as the Gender class was. (Those crazy fools weren't interested in doing another one. Idiots...) I got introduced to <a href="http://www.comicvine.com/buzzkill/4050-67438/" target="_blank"><i>Buzzkill</i></a>, which was an interesting and somewhat depressing look at substance use and abuse, and am looking forward to the interview with Donny Cates (who co-wrote the series) next week. We have already had an interview with the very cool and very forthright Denny O'Neil, who wrote the <a href="http://www.comicvine.com/venom/4045-57170/" target="_blank"><i>Legends of the Dark Knight: Venom</i></a> and the <i>Green Lantern/Green Arrow</i> arcs we read. Modules for this class are addiction, the environment, social inequality, immigration and "media, government intervention, and information privacy." (See the full reading list <a href="http://www.supermooc.org/about-supermooc/" target="_blank">here</a>; unfortunately, I think it's too late to join the class.)<br />
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In other comics news, <i>Ms. Marvel</i> (written by G. Willow Wilson) is awesome and the new <i>She-Hulk</i> book is fun so far, but I am <i>not</i> loving Javier Pulido's interior art (I kind of hate it, actually). On the advice of a friend, I also picked up <i>New Warriors</i> and <i>X-Force</i>. Those may help fill in the gap that <i>The Movement</i> creates. [Pause for a moment of silence at the conclusion of that singular book, with issue #12.] I'm getting the <i>Captain Marvel</i> floppies (I had been reading the trades), and picked up <i>Rat Queens</i> (which is hilarious). <i>Pretty Deadly</i>, <i>Secret Avengers</i>, <i>Red Sonja</i>, Rod Espinosa's Steampunk one-shots (really loving those), <i>Trinity of Sin: Pandora</i>, <i>Batman '66 </i>and Brian Wood's <i>X-Men</i> -- I think that rounds out all my current reads.* It's gotten to the point that when we go to <a href="http://www.dreamlandcomics.com/html/" target="_blank">Dreamland</a>, I'm getting more books than my husband is. (Which reminds me, I haven't been this week...)<br />
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I've been slowly acquiring all of the <i>Promethea</i> comics from <a href="http://www.hpb.com/" target="_blank">Half-Price Books</a>, and am missing only ten issues. I haven't read them, because I don't have the full run. I've read the first one, because it was 99¢ on <a href="https://www.comixology.com/Promethea/comics-series/5732" target="_blank">Comixology</a> and I thought I'd give it a shot, which is what prompted me to start getting the others. I got the action figure off ebay.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4BoytBTF2EQ/UzWKPEytPaI/AAAAAAAAEA4/K_X1a0ORL1E/s1600/promethea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4BoytBTF2EQ/UzWKPEytPaI/AAAAAAAAEA4/K_X1a0ORL1E/s1600/promethea.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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Someone mentioned the <i>Batman </i><a href="http://www.comicvine.com/batman-579-orca-part-one-a-matter-of-principle/4000-98694/" target="_blank">"Orca" arc</a> in a discussion thread, and I was intrigued enough to snag those on ebay, too. If Christy ever wanted to do a class "Ethics Through Comic Books," those three issues would be a great addition. It's a very "ends justify the means" Robin Hood sort of story, where Orca (our new villainess) steals from a wealthy slumlord to help save a neighborhood. I totally sympathize with Orca's mission; this is a story railing against the 1%. It's also interesting to see Batman cast in the light of bad guy for being associated with the real villain of the story (the slumlord). Sadly, I don't have an Orca action figure (pretty sure there never was one).<br />
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Also found in HPB excursions, Ace and three <i>Austin Powers</i> figures. I initially had my husband put those three back because Austin Powers is asinine and stupid... then second-guessed myself and went back and got them later that evening. Soooo now I have Felicity Shagwell, Fembot and Vanessa Kensington -- hey, they were only $5 apiece. (Ace was not so cheap.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-euoca0XJ5RQ/UzWOlgIwC2I/AAAAAAAAEBI/FUrSgEaEWP4/s1600/austinpowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-euoca0XJ5RQ/UzWOlgIwC2I/AAAAAAAAEBI/FUrSgEaEWP4/s1600/austinpowers.jpg" height="228" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bad photos are bad, but I'm feeling too lazy to get out a real camera.</td></tr>
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* Oops! Forgot <i>Godzilla</i> and <i>Hactivist</i> (just back from the LCS). WOO! <i>Legends of Red Sonja</i>! And Aw... it's the last one. :(<br />
<br />W. A. Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632440382135736774noreply@blogger.com0