Sequart Organization » sexism

Dracula, for the Mature Reader: How Marvel Built a ‘70s Horror Book Around a Victorian-Era Monster, Part 2

Gerard Waggett — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 11:00:12 +0000

On the 50th Anniversary of Tomb of Dracula, Gerard Waggett concludes his look back at the book, warts and all. [more]

Dracula, for the Mature Reader: How Marvel Built a ‘70s Horror Book Around a Victorian-Era Monster, Part 1

Gerard Waggett — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 12:00:06 +0000

On the 50th Anniversary of Tomb of Dracula, Gerard Waggett takes a look back at the book, warts and all. [more]

Suzanne Scott Discusses Her Career and New Book Fake Geek Girls

Nicholas Yanes — Sat, 18 May 2019 01:00:56 +0000

Fake Geek Girls" title="Suzanne Scott Discusses Her Career and New Book Fake Geek Girls" style="float:left;" />Currently an Assistant Professor of Media Studies at UT Austin, Dr. Suzanne Scott is a scholar focused on fan cultures, gender studies, popular culture, and the various ways they intersect. She has recently published a… [more]

The Metabarons Series Returns to Form in Newest Volume

Julian Darius — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 21:41:50 +0000

Metabarons Series Returns to Form in Newest Volume" title="The Metabarons Series Returns to Form in Newest Volume" style="float:left;" />Warning: this review contains spoilers for the current volume and the entire Metabarons series. It’s fair to say that Metabarons has now eclipsed Incal as the most famous Jodorowsky-penned sci-fi epic, at least in the… [more]

The Folly of Male Supermasculinity

Stuart Warren — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 11:30:06 +0000

When I discovered comic books I was already in college, but their influence was present in my life far before that. I had seen all the Batman films (Burton and Schumacher’s work) and the venerable… [more]

Julian Darius on the DC Cinematic Universe and the State of Pop Culture

Michal Chudolinski — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

What’s your feelings about Batman v. Superman teaser trailer? Do you like it or does it make you bored? My original reaction was underwhelmed. I know it was only a teaser trailer, but there’s not… [more]

Will Brooker on the Similarities Between My So-Called Secret Identity and the New Batgirl

Julian Darius — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 12:00:37 +0000

My So-Called Secret Identity and the New Batgirl" title="Will Brooker on the Similarities Between My So-Called Secret Identity and the New Batgirl" style="float:left;" />Dr. Will Brooker has published studies of comics and pop culture since his Batman Unmasked in 2001. In 2013, he launched the comic book My So-Called Secret Identity, which he writes. The series, illustrated by… [more]

Spotlighting Underrated Films: Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Marc DiPaolo — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 12:00:50 +0000

Jennifer’s Body (2009)" title="Spotlighting Underrated Films: Jennifer’s Body (2009)" style="float:left;" />I have a soft spot for brave-but-flawed movies that are rewarded for their efforts with Worst Movie of the Year awards. Jennifer’s Body has its problems, but it is one of the best “mainstream” films… [more]

“So Many Questions are Left Unanswered”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 39

Colin Smith — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 11:00:36 +0000

Continued from last week. For the third time in ten months, Millar’s Swamp Thing had presented abortion in a wholly negative light. Nothing that he’d write in the remainder of his tenure on the book… [more]

“Her Deepest, Hidden Secrets”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 36

Colin Smith — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 11:00:38 +0000

Continued from last week. As so often before, Murder In The Dark saw Millar indulging in two of his greatest fascinations: body horror at the expense of helpless female victims and the tradition and dogma… [more]

The Politics of Batman, Part 4: Sex, Sexism, and the Dark Knight

Marc DiPaolo — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 11:00:39 +0000

[Note: The following is reprinted from the book War, Politics and Superheroes] One of the main problems Batman has had from the outset of his career as Feudal Lord crime fighter is that he cannot… [more]

Failing to Defend Anita Sarkeesian

Marc DiPaolo — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 17:00:36 +0000

Can you debate a critic of Anita Sarkeesian? Is discussion even possible on the topic? As a casual fan of Sarkeesian and her well-constructed, well-argued, and entertaining Feminist Frequency videos, I’ve been appalled to read… [more]

Why Can’t Erica be Thor?

Emily Malabey — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 11:00:24 +0000

This is Erica. She will be the first to tell you all about the meaning of her name, and how it’s described in various books as the name for a female warrior, with adjectives like… [more]

An Apology to Pam Noles

Julian Darius — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 04:53:05 +0000

Early this year, I wrote an analysis of an interview Alan Moore did with Pádraig Ó Méalóid. One day after it went live, I learned that the “Batman scholar” referenced in the interview (whom I’d… [more]

Stop Sexually Assaulting Women at Cons!

Kevin Thurman — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 18:00:15 +0000

Convention season has become a really sad time for me. What was once a fun, light gathering of comics fans has become a Bingo card of sexual assault. Women of a sadly growing number are… [more]

Why We Shouldn’t Have to Play Detective When it Comes to “DB,” or Why Douchebags Need to Be Named and Shamed

Amy Maynard — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 18:00:43 +0000

On December 18th, MariNaomi, author of Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Résumé, Ages 0 to 22, posted an article on popular feminist website xoJane.com. It detailed how she was publicly humiliated and heckled by a heterosexual man… [more]

The Bechdel Test and a Sexy Lamp: Detecting Gender Bias and Stereotypes in Mainstream Comics

Forrest Helvie — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 12:00:43 +0000

Recently, the Swedish Film Institute began sponsoring a movement spearheaded by a number of theaters who are now making use of the “Bechdel Test” to evaluate their films in order to determine the extent of… [more]

On the Very First Star Trek #1

Julian Darius — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:49 +0000

Star Trek #1" title="On the Very First Star Trek #1" style="float:left;" />Star Trek has a long history in comics. In fact, the very first Star Trek comic book began in 1967, at the end of the original series’s very first season. This first series was published… [more]

Will Brooker on My So-Called Secret Identity

Julian Darius — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:00:49 +0000

My So-Called Secret Identity" title="Will Brooker on My So-Called Secret Identity" style="float:left;" />Will Brooker is Reader in Film and Television Studies at Kingston University, London, and editor of Cinema Journal. He is also author, editor or co-editor of nine books, including Batman Unmasked, Using the Force, Alice’s… [more]

On The James Bond Omnibus Volume 004, by Jim Lawrence and Yaroslav Horak

Colin Smith — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 12:00:08 +0000

The James Bond Omnibus Volume 004, by Jim Lawrence and Yaroslav Horak" title="On The James Bond Omnibus Volume 004, by Jim Lawrence and Yaroslav Horak" style="float:left;" />Did we really used to take this pretty much for granted? In what was considered a respectable, family newspaper? It seems absurd now. The nine newspaper strip serials from 1971-75 collected in Titan’s fourth James… [more]

On the Ethics of How and Why Hank Pym Created a Wasp (Part 2)

Colin Smith — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:00:11 +0000

By design and chance, Tales to Astonish #44 had presented a fledgling romance between Pym and Van Dyne which had the potential to constantly and plausibly generate both conflict and reconciliation over and over again.… [more]

On Rorschach #1

Colin Smith — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 17:40:22 +0000

Rorschach #1" title="On Rorschach #1" style="float:left;" />In which the blogger attempts to review Rorschach #1, despite the experience proving a thoroughly enervating one. Visitors should be aware that what follows contains spoilers and, uniquely for this article, a moment or two… [more]

On Body Typing in Comics: What We’re Not Saying and Why It Matters

Julian Darius — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:00:57 +0000

This is not an essay I wanted to write. Doing so, I’m conscious of wading into waters famous for their landmines. This is at least the sixth full draft of this essay. Most of the… [more]

Not the Way We Play the Game

Colin Smith — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:00:47 +0000

I’ve never once criticised the work of another blogger in public, so why start now? Yes, Gene Phillips’s Making a Dirty Breast of the Matter (parts 1 and 2) are appallingly written pieces which express… [more]

How Could They Do That?: Understanding Scott Lobdell and the New Comics Criticism

Julian Darius — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:00:57 +0000

Do That?: Understanding Scott Lobdell and the New Comics Criticism" title="How Could They Do That?: Understanding Scott Lobdell and the New Comics Criticism" style="float:left;" />I’m quite certain writer Scott Lobdell, writer of Red Hood and the Outlaws, didn’t intend to make Starfire in any way diminishing of women. I know this because it’s leaked that DC was concerned, prior… [more]

Sexism, Sexuality, and the DC Relaunch

Julian Darius — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:00:54 +0000

Last week’s DC relaunch offerings didn’t prompt much serious debate over which title was the best, but they launched a flurry of reactions against their portrayal of women. But first, a warning: my goal here… [more]

On Feeling Compelled to Boycott Greg Land’s Uncanny X-Men

Colin Smith — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 11:00:18 +0000

Uncanny X-Men" title="On Feeling Compelled to Boycott Greg Land’s Uncanny X-Men" style="float:left;" />I can’t do it, I just can’t. It doesn’t matter how much I admire Kieron Gillen as a writer, and admire him I most certainly do. He’s undoubtedly one of the best half-dozen writers currently at… [more]

Colin Smith on Comics Criticism, Part 2

Julian Darius — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:00:22 +0000

Continuing from part one, we now move on to discuss when it’s fair to criticize a work for depicting human rights violations such as torture and rape, writing personally, and comics culture. 6. When is… [more]

On Flashpoint #1: Sex, Gender, and the Superhero Crossover

Colin Smith — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:00:46 +0000

Flashpoint #1: Sex, Gender, and the Superhero Crossover" title="On Flashpoint #1: Sex, Gender, and the Superhero Crossover" style="float:left;" />We’ll talk of the value of Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert’s Flashpoint #1 solely in the context of a superhero comic at another time, but it’s worth saying in passing that it’s in many ways a… [more]

Moms in Ovens: Why Comic Books Hate Parents

Cody Walker — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:00:07 +0000

You’ve witnessed this origin story a million times and across all mediums; protagonist seems to have potential, but it’s the death of a parental figure that spurs protagonist to becoming the hero that he /… [more]

Black Hole

Jeff Chon — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 15:37:20 +0000

Black Hole" title="Black Hole" style="float:left;" />There are works out there that we get through the recommendations of others and then leave tucked away to collect dust, instead of digesting them right away and realizing that your friends have good taste.… [more]

I’m Gonna Sex You Up! (or, Why Wonder Girl Isn’t Allowed Out Any More)

Brian Graiser — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 01:46:06 +0000

Aloha, my tactless brethren, and welcome to another installment of Tact is for the Weak, the article that has naked pictures of all those other articles from that one really crazy party back in January!… [more]

Your Guide to Infinite Crisis: A Brief History of Power Girl

Julian Darius — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 12:00:40 +0000

Infinite Crisis: A Brief History of Power Girl" title="Your Guide to Infinite Crisis: A Brief History of Power Girl" style="float:left;" />Power Girl, one of the major players in Infinite Crisis, was one of several characters whose history became convoluted in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Originally the cousin of the Earth-2 Superman, that Earth’s parallel… [more]

The State of American Comics Address, 2001

Julian Darius — Thu, 15 Mar 2001 16:00:02 +0000

Okay, ground rules: I take it for granted that comics — or, rather, the medium of graphic literature (an important distinction) — is a serious artistic form, obviously under-appreciated by comparison to painting, sculpture, and… [more]