The January 14th issue of Newsweek magazine centers its article on women in comics on Gail Simone, bookending it ::rolled eyes:: with the differences in approach to WW's costume between Jodi Picoult (who wanted it changed) and Gail Simone (who doesn't). The article goes on to describe the growth in female audience (since the 1960s, so Newsweek is catching up, I guess), the movie based on Marjane Satrapi's PERSEPOLIS graphic novel, Megan Kelso's feature in The New York Times Magazine for her strip "Watergate Jane," and--gasp!--manga, particularly shoujo manga. Still, its greatest attention is for Gail and for a truncated version of Gail's career, mentioning Women in Refrigerators and my husband's and my beloved "Birds of Prey." Gail puts in an effective pitch for Wonder Woman being a strong female character, rather than an agenda-driven feminist one. Those who read her work know she lets her characters be human beings, not messages, and they are far more powerful that way, but it's good she spelled it out for those who don't know her work.

The article is typical outsider fare. Its title, for one thing, is "Holy Hot Flash, Batman!" (::rolled eyes:: again). Still, it should bring home one very clear point to the Comics Powers that Be: when it comes to Teh Outside World, Gail Simone and Wonder Woman are a stellar combination. They rate headlines, and not only in the fan journals. People who drifted away from comics are going to say, "Hm," and come looking for these books for their kids. Their daughters.

I've read WW 14 & 15, and I'm delighted. I moved away from Wonder Woman a long time ago. I didn't like the bullets-and-bracelets (too cute for words), hated the invisible plane, was really bugged by the blurbs saying she was all sorts of things as much as actual gods (this is what happens when you get into mythology in 4th and 5th grade--you know that when humans run around saying this stuff, it's called hubris, and the gods strike you down for it, and you come to dislike the humans who do say it), and--since this was the Sixties, loathing her for moping over a weenie like Steve Trevor. This was a hero I was supposed to love and model myself on? And all that about Amazons being better than regular folks and particularly men? I didn't go for that at ALL. (I was one hard-assed little pre-teen.)

But this Wonder Woman is someone I like. There is always a vivacity and clarity to Gail's writing, and here she has brought her A game. Wonder Woman's dialog is tongue-in-cheek, intelligent, and even kind at points. We get to see her functioning well as a normal human being as well as kicking majorly muscled butt in all her Amazon glory. We see the woman bullied by her boss turn the tables as a merciful Amazon princess. Only Gail can manage a character who is these two people and yet write them as one, integrated, person. Moreover, with Hippolyta's rounds of the cages of the traitors, Gail establishes a creepy forewarning that something very, very bad is going to happen, because we all know that in comics, bad people locked in cages always seem to get out.

Do you feel a seismic shift in the Wonder Woman universe, folks? Like it's starting to matter? To have POWER?

I mean, I'm happy that it does for me. But I'd love to share.

The wondersome, brilliant, and insightful Elizabeth Bear matociquala wrote this column for the Winter 2007 edition of Subterranean Press. I saw it, of course, via When Fangirls Attack, the entry for December 3.

If you read Bear's column, you'll know why it appealed to me. Check it out:

. . . I’ve been hearing some complaints that women are taking over fantasy and science fiction, getting our relationship and character germs all in it, and ruining it for honest blaster-lovin’ men. That our books are all soft and fuzzy and full of ponies with braided manes and pretty princesses and happy endings where true love triumphs over the wicked king and then there is a wedding.

Now, me, I love a good blastering as much as the next guy. But apparently, I’m in ur genre, spreadin’ my girl germs, and ruining it for the boys.

It seems I’ve become a poster child for female SF authors (an interviewer told me not too long ago that I was notorious for penning strong women) which amuses me to no end, because the odd thing is, I can walk around for days on end without remembering that I Am A Girl. I just don’t think about it, frankly. Except when I have to put on a bra before I walk to the corner store.

I don’t think of myself as a woman writer. I think of myself as a writer, full stop, or a speculative fiction writer, if it comes right down to it. If somebody asks what I do for a living, I tell them I’m a novelist. I don’t tell them I’m a woman novelist.

This could be me, only my area is fantasy for teenagers. In the last couple of years, there has been a lot of stuff about how we don't have enough books out there for boys. Subtext: there are too many girls writers out there. We are getting our girl cooties all over things, with our pretty princesses and our long-maned horsies and our royal weddings. We're getting relationship and character germs all over teh Bookz and the boys are running screaming with their t-shorts over their heads out of the libraries--

to read gamer manuals, gaming magazines, computer magazines, whatever's online, plus books by Eoin Colfer, Anthony Horowitz, Clive Cussler, comics, and nonfiction.

Bear is also right in that we girl writers are not being sponsored by charitable institutions as an alternate means of putting us in sweatshops. (Trust me, a lot of us would sew our fingers to the Britney t-shirts.) We are on the shelves because we have a market, and it is made up of both sexes. My own audience now stretches from ten to eighty, with more and more over-twenties at every appearance. And a lot of those are librarians, teachers, and booksellers.


This led me to a second conversation on WFA, this one being held on the blog of anon, a mouse, in the thread ur doin it rite. Bear's column was the subject, and women writers finding an audience, whether it is with the comics Big Two--Marvel and DC--was one point raised. That's when a lot of things came together for me: what the posters were saying (at least one of whom I've had knock-down, drag-out fights with), what Bear said in her first paragraph, and my last two years' experience in the world of comicdom. I had a moment of comics satori

As far as the Big Two are concerned, women are never going to get a serious foothold. I'm not as 100% positive on this where DC is concerned--they make moves like hire Gail Simone to do Wonder Woman and try the Minx line, still going when other houses would have dumped it, and my conviction wobbles. But I am certain about Marvel. I am also certain about the fanboys. Not all of them. There are seriously good guys out there, and I feel bad for them, being tainted by the brush of the rabid, vicious, snapping, wild-eyed, runny-nosed, spitting, slavering, howling, gnashing, straining, grunting, muscle-flexing, finger-clenching, vein-popping, yapping, knee-jerking guttersnipes who turn on and savage anyone who dares to breathe on their comics worldview. They encourage each other to descend to their circle of the mudpits with slaps on the back and bonus points at each tentative sign of trogdom.

And they hose any person not one of their cherished creators if that person attempts to do anything in comics. They create a closed circle of stagnant growth with the connivance of the Big Two.

We don't have to do this. Every woman who has made a name for herself and her own vision in the arts has done so by taking whatever opening she was given and muscling her way to creating her own audience, those who appreciate her unique vision. Gail has been able to do that at DC, but Lea Hernandez established her kingdom with the indies. There are women building their audiences with independent comics, creating their worlds without the savagery of the Big Two and their fanKomodos to fight. Yes, it's thankless. Yes, it would be cool to write Spider-Woman, Storm, Huntress, Rogue, Black Canary, et al., who were our heroes as kids.

But on the other hand, rather than be dissed time after time, maybe it's time to turn our backs on the asshats and build our own icons, online and via the independents. Yes, it will take years and lots of frustration to do it. It will take some of our own money and soul-crushing day jobs.

In 1979 I went to work for a literary agency. It was there I learned that 80% of us--people in the arts, including writers, DON'T MAKE A LIVING AT IT. Most of my friends have day jobs. I knew, after three years of reading income statements, reverting rights for authors, and going over contracts, that my chances of making a living were slim. I was going to write anyway, because I was dirt poor and had nothing else to make me better off. So I worked as a secretary and wrote. I began to publish a book here and a book there. Then I was told I could do better if I wrote boy heroes--but I didn't want to write boy heroes. So even though I knew I could do better, I kept writing girl heroes, because that's what I wanted to do. Things got really bad in the 90's, when I quit working in an office and tried to get a writing career off the ground--but by then I'd become one of the 1% who can barely live on her writing. By 2000 I was one of the .5% that made a good living at it. And I was still writing girl heroes.

Fuck the meanness and the smallness of the mainstream comics. Let's do it for ourselves. Let's build a new publishing empire. We know there's a market, otherwise who is manga selling to? But who needs this abuse, from the publishers who make fun of us to the fanboys who abuse us? Let's do it like we want it.

Take that, troll-dogs: no less a media source than the New York Times thinks it's worthy of note that Gail Simone has come on board with Wonder Woman!

Does this make me happy? Oh, yes! The attention for comics is great. The attention for women in comics is great. And the attention for Gail is well deserved. Gail has been working in the industry for years, has risen to the top through hard work, wit, humor, and the ability to deal with the tsurris that women in the industry get from pros and fanboys alike. She encourages other women. When Tim and I came into the business, Gail was right there with good words, advice, and feedback--I'm proud to call her a friend. She is splendidly productive over a wide array of comics, whether they feature male heroes or female ones. She gives fans high action comics that don't sacrifice on character, that give us humor and tragedy with a real life touch.

I am one happy camper. Congratulations, Gail. You have earned this!

Edited to add:
Note: you may notice a troll in the comments. Please do not feed the troll. I was wrong to mention him. If we don't feed him, he will go away, if not wither up and die. Thank you. /tammy/end Note


Big surprise: I'm at a low boil over Rational Madman's post on Wonder Woman #14. His comments about her looks were pure low-grade cheese and had nothing to do with a review, but that's what this guy does when attempting to talk about feminism: he goes for the low ground.

I can't talk about his comments on the comic at present. I just returned from my local comics shop, having gone in search of it (I was at a science fiction con over the long weekend, one that didn't sell comics). I wanted to read for myself after all the discussion and maybe contribute my opinion, but lo! It's all sold out!

I'm assuming some of those buyers are guys, and they aren't all disgusted with the comic. For that matter, where were all those men complaining how anti-male Birds of Prey was, as the "Rational" Mad Man claims?

I know! Maybe they don't think Gail Simone is anti-male! What a concept!

More when I read the new issue.

When the discussion at ComicCon turned to who people would/would not like to see "killed off" during her upcoming Wonder Woman run, Our Gail replied,

"I would protect every female character in the DCU."
*

Can we just start sending her Woots! and lots of spiritual energy and cheer? If anyone can make me love Wonder Woman, it's Gail (yes, I am Apostate)--I have always known this. This only confirms my belief.

Go, Gail, Go!


*Thanks to Mortlake on the Schuykill's blog entry Gail Simone at the Con for this bit of happy-happy-joy-joy and more Gail strength!

And so I should do some thinking about the end of the year, if my thinker isn’t broken. As years go, this one has been . . . odd.

I went to Bangkok and to Taipei. I rode a ferry on the Chao Phraya River, walked through the Grand Palace (which was the map for the palace in Rajmuat in the Trickster books, made friends with a number of gorgeous fishes in ponds and big pots, had my heart broken by stray animals in both places, saw Buddhist monks and Buddhist, Hindu, and Chinese temples, ate fruits I never knew existed, saw the Emperor’s toy box with all its tricky compartments. I heard languages I’m not used to hearing, saw elephants at work, and rose in a hazardous vehicle with open sides and no seatbelts through rush hour traffic.

The midterm elections in the U.S. presented me with a glimmer of light, Democratic control in the House of Representatives, and the potential for control, barring partisan politics and general bullshit, in the divided Senate. I’m not so sanguine as my friends and Spouse-Creature over the possibility for reform in civil liberties and a change in American policy. I’ve watched the Democrats retreat from any kind of meaningful stand for anyone but those of wealth and power for years; I’ve watched them compromise, waffle, excuse, ignore, and back down, despite protests, petitions, and all common sense. I’m not holding out any hopes that they’ll finally discover their courage or their principles. But maybe they’ll force a return from Iraq on the White House, which would be something more than what we’ve had. What I would prefer is candidates, and a party, with principles, but I have to live with what’s available.

I let go of SheroesCentral at last, handing it over to a not-for-profit corporation in May. For the first time since I co-founded it with Meg Cabot in June, 2001, I was not responsible for it. Tim and I had run it for four years after Meg’s career took off in Fall 2001. We had seen it through September 11, 2001, and through growth explosions and assorted fusses. Then a team of administrators and moderators came in to help out, then take over the running of it in the last year, until I finally realized that it was time for me even to step away from my ownership of the boards. They seem to be doing fine without me, and I hope they continue to do so. But it was still a funny thing, after five years.

Tim and I wrote and saw published our first comic books, not without controversy.

After 27 years in New York City, we moved from apartments to a house, with a yard, in Syracuse, New York. We went from four cats and two birds to (at present) 6 indoor cats and a semi-stable population of feral outdoor cats. Squeaker and Powderpuff are the new indoor girls, barely out of kittenhood, while outside Cloud, Butch, Stripes, Marmalade, Mr. Speckles, and BooBoo all appear to have put on weight since we moved in. So, for that matter, have the squirrels. The Scrap, PeeWee, Gremlin, Scooter, Timon, and Egg appear to have adjusted to these new housemates and neighbors with as much equanimity as can be expected. They’re not sure why so many more human beings now come and go in our home, but the cats have more places to hide than before, and the birds were always sociable, so they adjust.

I got to hold a sparrow in my hand. At first I thought his neck was broken, so I had the amazing experience of holding him steady as he recovered from a nasty head smack, got his bearings, walked up and down my arm, fluttered up and down my arm, then took off, all better. I was one grateful person, because I’m really fond of the little guys. I’m also fond of watching skunks and raccoons come into my yard at night to eat leftover blue jay peanuts. I can smell their musk in the morning, and hear their conversations at night. I also get to laugh when my friend and landlord has fits when I tell him how close to the skunks I was to hear their conversations. He thinks I’m one fool city girl.

In Seattle, as you know, I saw my first giant octopuses. Here I saw my first immature sharp-shinned hawk, in my yard, two days ago.

I learned to drive again after 27 years. I can’t even try to describe how happy I am to be on the road again, driving through the rucked-up striations of the Delaware Water Gap, or down one of the back roads here between heavy-laden summer tree branches, listening to night crickets or waiting for geese to cross.

In September I got the third award of my career, the Boston Public Library’s Literary Lights Award, a chunk of Tiffany crystal that says people have noticed what I’m doing. I know that people do, because they write to me about it all the time, but if you could see my desk, and the jars and plates and bowls of rocks on it, you’d know that having a rock that says so means something special to me.

My dad’s oldest brother, my Uncle Lysle, died this year. I will miss him forever. He was a Marine, a veteran of the South Pacific in World War II, and one of the best men I ever knew, with the biggest heart. My dad was a cross-grained old S.O.B., a Korean veteran and regular Army, and yet you always knew they were brothers. They both loved Pennsylvanian and American history, and you couldn’t hide anything from their eyes. I bet they’re somewhere right now, arguing about something.

I finished two books this year, TERRIER, which is out, and MELTING STONES. I have to rewrite MELTING STONES. Full Cast Audio will be recording that one in February—it makes its first appearance as an audio book, not as a print book. As far as my friend Bruce Coville, who owns Full Cast, and I know, that’s a first. Better still (ha, ha), I’ll be directing it. It’s a Circle of Magic book featuring Briar’s student, Evvy, and his teacher, Rosethorn, on an adventure of their own, with Evvy’s friend, a living rock. Well, he’s actually the heart of a mountain. I wrote a number of the characters with specific members of the company in mind, something I haven’t done since writing for radio in the 80s. It should be fun to work on, once I rewrite it.

We taped THE WILL OF THE EMPRESS, which should finish production and be on its way to customers in January. Such a chunky book is a beast to produce. I hear Todd Hobin did an amazing job on the music—I can’t wait to hear for myself. Todd’s been doing original compositions for Full Cast all along, and he just gets better and better.

I added a new American city to my travel scrapbook, Indianapolis, and a new Canadian one, Winnipeg, both very nice places that gave me warm welcomes. I spent 41 days on tour this fall—I won’t be doing that again! But I got to see new friends and old. I was walked to an appearance by twenty teenagers dressed as Dogs—just thinking about it makes my heart beat faster—tour one of the Random House shipping facilities, return to some of my favorite bookstores in the U.S. and Canada, recognize Chattanooga from overhead because it looks just like the Civil War battlefield maps, and say hello to a lot of fans.

I read a lot of books this year, of course, a lot of comics and graphic novels. The stand-out books are on my website on my newest recommended book list. Among the comics are Gail Simone’s Birds of Prey (I don’t think bringing Mom back from the dead was such a good idea, Black Alice!), on which I am finally caught up, and Secret Six, and Bill Willingham’s Fables. All three are very different, and all three make me extremely happy. I’ve also been reading Marvel’s Civil War arc, as everyone knows, with mixed feelings. My favorite remains Luke Cage #22.

And I started this live journal, which has proved to be a surprising source of pleasure, food for thought, and agreeable conversation. Okay, some aggro, but not as much as I find in other areas, and into each life some aggro must fall: hell, I flunked the driving test the first time, and I play this brain-stretching game on my Nintendo DS that gives me aggro every day. So I have a tolerance built up. I’ve been able to discuss issues I think are vital with people who know what I’m talking about, who don’t always agree with me, and who present informed opinions and experiences of their own. That was one of the year’s unexpected, and welcome, bonuses.

And so I wind down to December 31, 2006. I leave those of you who read this with the Ogden Nash verse that I quote every year on this day:
The clock is crouching, dark and small
Like a time-bomb in the hall.
Hark! It’s midnight, children dear.
Duck! Here comes another year!

Wishing all and sundry a 2007 decked with prosperity, health, good company, and plenty of good reads,
Tammy