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From DC’s The Source Blog last week, the announcement that as of issue #55, Amy Reeder will be the new cover artist for Supergirl. Though that should be awesome enough news on its own, the post came with a preview of cover art for Supergirl #55 – and it’s beautiful. This is going to make Cover Solicits more fun than ever. Absolutely stunning.
In case you guys missed this a few weeks ago (in addition to being featured originally on Comics Alliance, it was also picked up by two of my favorite sites – Project Rooftop and Jezebel) here is part one of a great interview about superhero fashion with the illustrious Tim Gunn and comics historian Alan Kistler for the series Crazy Sexy Geeks.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fQwU7uUPcU&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
As I said in a comment on Jezebel when it popped up there…I don’t really want to criticize either of these guys and this interview IS completely awesome….HOWEVER (isn’t there always a however?) I find it pretty frustrating that two such smart guys are just skipping over a huge part of the problem of the idealized body types (I’ll give Tim a pass since he’s not a superhero expert). The issue is not inequality between male and female superheroes because they are both idealized forms…of course they are…the problem is what those forms are BASED on. For the most part men get idealized ATHLETIC forms, which denotes power, ability, and strength (etc); while for the most part women get idealized MODEL/PORN STAR forms, which denotes beauty, sexuality, and far too often submissiveness.
And this same theme carries through to costumes and posing. Women get posed sexually, men get posed powerfully.
Yes, both sexes wear spandex, but the men are fully covered up (with a few usually logical exceptions – Namor comes instantly to mind) while women are subjected to swimsuits, thongs, fishnets, heels, unzipped body suits, skirts, bare midriffs, boob windows, and beyond (as well evidenced in their discussion in this clip) without any regard for if that fits their “character” the same way it makes sense for a character like Namor.
So while I still love this (and both these guys) it’s frustrating to see them blow off such a complicated issues with “see? it’s the same inequalities and idealization for BOTH the men and the women”.
It’s not.
If it was there wouldn’t have been a discussion of women in that clip as being portrayed as vulgar and slutty. Those characters are NOT vulgar and slutty (not that there’s anything particularly wrong with those characteristics) but it’s unfair to pigeonhole them as such because men have designed ridiculous costumes for them and given them idealized porn star figures for years.
Okay, end of rant (although I’ve been working on a post that delves more deeply into this issue…so of course expect to see more in the future). If you liked this first clip of Gunn and Kistler, check out part two here.
A bonus for you SHNH fans this week, as I have a second post up today, a follow up on my Ross Campbell Spotlight post of yesterday. Today there’s an epic interview of Ross Campbell up. Check it out!
I wish I could say I discovered it on my own, but it was brought to my attention by site co-creator Tim Miner.
5 Minute Marvels began simply with Tim’s six year old daughter Grace drawing superheroes every night before bedtime. Once she asked her dad to join her, something he hadn’t done in nearly twenty years, a new tradition was born. Every night for five minutes before bedtime Tim and his two daughters Grace (6) and Cate (4) draw superheroes, and in that five minutes a lot of quality time happens, not to mention some pretty great results.
Grace and Cate’s Scarlet Witch is my personal favorite:
I love how Grace got Wanda’s curly red hair, and Cate’s creative use of the pointy red aspect of Wanda’s headpiece…it’s actually fascinating I think to see her inclusion of it into the face. Great stuff ladies!
Tim’s story of how this all got started, and his invitation for everyone to get involved can be found here.
I don’t actually have any kids to draw with, but Tim and his lovely girls agreed to draw my favorite heroine from when I was a kid, Rogue, so that I could participate remotely. Below are all of our Rogue versions. I have to say, it was the most fun drawing (even without a child present) that I’d had in a long time. I’d recommend this to anyone that has kids (or even if you don’t)…and if you do try it out, make sure to send your results in to Tim so he can post them on 5 Minute Marvels.
Tim mentioned that Cate (far left) saw Rogue’s white stripe as a star, but noted that she was too tired to draw a star, so she just went with a cross. Hilariously cute! Here’s my Five Minute Rogue…an old school (sorta) punky Rogue version:
Thanks for letting me participate you guys – I had a great time! Spread the word everyone…let’s get a whole new family tradition going.
Tags: things made of awesome
Adam’s and my financial situation needs to start looking up, because we are going to NEED these. ALL OF THEM.
Bif Bang Pow! is coming out with a line of Venture Bros. Action Figures AND at least Three Venture Bros BOBBLEHEADS.
There’s not a ton of information out there yet, but it sounds like the Bobbleheads are scheduled to debut this Spring 2010, and the Action Figures will arrive in the summer of 2010. Definitely click here to see Bif Bang Pow!’s 2010 Toy Show Action Figures Album…which includes great images of The Monarch, Dean Venture, Brock, Dr. Venture, Number 21, and Number 24.
Tags: things made of awesome, toys!
Look at these! I LOVE THEM.
They were brought to my attention by my pal Anis and are offered on Etsy by lucyravenscar.
Of course there are some problems. 1. I don’t have any money to buy them. 2. Even if I did have money to buy them I have nowhere to put them. and 3. “They” are not even for sale, but rather the pattern to make them is for sale. And I am A) too lazy to make them myself and B) not at all gifted when it comes to “crafts”.
So I will just have to dream of them…and write blog posts about them.
Tags: things made of awesome, toys!
I don’t know how I missed this…but if you love Adult Swim and want to watch and vote on some great matchups, head on over now. There are currently four matchups (although voting has already closed on the first one), and after four winners have been picked the four will go to the semi-finals. One winner will emerge triumphant and that pilot will air on Adult Swim March 22, 2010.
Interestingly enough, Adult Swim has matched up more traditional animations (though these animations are anything but typical) against more live action, or live action mixes.
As this is ADULT Swim, you should note that these are not cartoons for kids. The clips are not child friendly, and are geared towards adult themes.
Thanks to Jezebel for alerting me to this new ad by Planned Parenthood in response to the Tebow ad running during the Superbowl. The ad is respectful, informative, and open to personal freedom, like the Pro-Choice movement itself, which I’ve never understood why…continues to be vastly misunderstood.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utcxpuHF7jg&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
So we just cruised past 300,000 hits here on 1979 Semi-Finalist, and it’s kind of a big deal. Not that 300,000 is some magical number or anything, but a mere 6 months (ish) ago, in July 2009, we celebrated the two year anniversary of this blog – and the fact that we were closing in on 150,000 hits…that’s right, in a little over six months the traffic to this blog was more than what it was in the first TWO YEARS. And that is some mother fucking progress!
So I wanted to offer up a huge thanks to all of you that have made that happen – and to encourage you to stick with me here – as we’re only going up it seems!
Someone uncork the champagne, you all know I’ll use any excuse to drink some champagne (more accurately, an entire bottle)!
The girls have offered up their congratulations below…and maybe it’s just me, but their enthusiasm seems a little…uh, well…begrudging…if not full on sarcastic. I mean…look at that sign! Pitiful.
Then again, maybe they’re just punishing me for using them to continue testing out my Wacom Tablet…clearly, it’s going to take me some time to get better at using it…I may have to find some other less grouchy guinea pigs…
There’s cause for celebration in my house (alright, fine…apartment) tonight and now that Variety has picked it up, I can talk about it.
CBS has ordered a second season of The Good Wife.
The Good Wife, which is not only a great show (a show that has become my most looked forward to hour of television) is also the show my boyfriend works on. So, double good news. Yay! After a horrific week last week, and now getting sick, I’m ready for all good news all the time! Bring it on!*
*In case I was at all unclear, bad news need not apply, we have no openings for bad news.
