Oddz 'n' Endz

Hey guys!  So, I have been pretty busy doing that whole finishing school thing, and I really, super apologize for not putting a lot up here lately.  Even I haven't had time to read comics *sob*  But never fear!  I am now in the process of reading what I am assured is a really awesome comic, King City, so I'll be reviewing that as soon as I'm done.  Until then, hit the jump for a few awesome tidbits to tide you over.




ON THE INTERNETS! :

For our politically minded or artistic readers, may I humbly recommend the tumblrs Escher Girls and The Hawkeye Initiative.  Both focus on the issue of how women are portrayed in mainstream comics and manga. Escher Girls displays user submitted pictures from comics of women with anatomical faux pas such as the "boobs'n'butt" pose, "snake woman" syndrome, and the ever present "gravity defying boobs".  Often times they also post submissions where readers have fixed the anatomy of the subject along with detailed explorations of where and why the original art went wrong.  The is also a lot of discussion of women's costume and clothing design in comics, as well as their overall treatment and characterization (or more often, lack thereof).  The Hawkeye Initiative is a natural outgrowth of Escher Girls, which looks at the same art and asks, "What would this look like if a male character were placed in this pose?"  For reasons oft debated, Hawkeye has become their  go-to guy.  The pictures speak for themselves.  Seeing a man in some of the poses often inflicted on female characters is a quick and effective way to show how ridiculous it all is, and really brings attention to how institutionalized our acceptance of exploitation and sexualization of female characters are.  Seriously, for an enlightening laugh, check these sites out.  Keep in mind though, many pics on the site are NSFW, even if they are technically fully clothed (which should tell you something right there).

Also, if you just need a site for your day-today comics news, look no further than Comics Alliance.  It's a fantastic site with up to date news, fantastic writing, reviews, and editorials, and awesome treats like their "Best Cosplay Ever (this week)" and "Best Art Ever (this week)" features.


BOOKS!

Ok, more like, book.  A few months ago, I read Scott Snyder's (of American Vampire fame) Severed, and I absolutely ADORED it.  Unfortunately, I never got a chance to review it, so let me just tell you, if you're a horror fan, read it.  It's an amazing boogie-man, folktale type story, set in the early 1900s.  A young boy sets out to find the truth about his father, and ends up being hunted by evil incarnate.  Like I said, it's been a few months now, so the details are a bit fuzzy to me, but I was really struck by how good the writing and art was.  I'm quickly learning that Mr. Snyder is a master of pacing, which really shines in the horror genre.  Plus, look at that cover art!  Gorgeous!  Creepy!  Gorgeously creepy!

WEBCOMICS!!

Alright, well, following up my review of the first half of Questionable Content, I guess all I really have to say is, I was right.  Something icky did happen, and it changed the direction of the comic.  I am now up to date on the strip, and honestly, I feel a bit disappointed.  I think the reason is this: QC is probably going to go on for as long as Mr. Jacques can write it.  He supports his family with it, and he's been writing it for over a decade.  And as much as I like the characters and the ideas he explores (robot rights!), I really prefer a story to have a beginning, middle, and end.  Like many newspaper comics, I don't feel like that is something QC will ever have, and I think that is detrimental to the storytelling.  I was going to write a full post about it, but really, that's all I have to say.

On a less depressing note, I am in love with the work of Megan "Rosalarian" Gedris!  This smart and talented lady started writing webcomics in high school and hasn't stopped since.  She writes several ongoing comics simultaneously, and they are all awesome.  Even more impressively, she uses a different and distinct art style for each, and really pushes herself creatively.  My favorites so far are Yu + Me in Dreams (her debut comic; completed) and the ongoing Meaty Yogurt.  Meaty Yogurt is about a town with a curse, that keeps anyone born there from being able to ever escape it (even if you leave, you'll eventually die there).  Jackie is one such inhabitant, and she is on a mission to break the curse, by whatever means necessary.  She also writes a line of rather more, shall we say, amorous titles.  I haven't read these, but I am assured that they are just as great as the rest of her work.  To check out more of Rosalarian's work, check out her site here.



Alright folks, that's all I have for right now.  Hope you enjoy your copies of I Kill Giants, and keep an eye out for news about our movie night in January.  See you soon!