Comics should be funny and bacicly FUNNY
i think you rory are a 37 year old X-English Teacher used to work at Pent Valley T college you were the the best teacher I have ever had and they all miss you but not as much as i do POETry MY ARSE LOL from miss Kayleigh Marie Reeves .

I think it is amazing that the girl showed you, and got the permission, and it is nice to see a creator so accessible.

Had it been Joss Whedon or Mark Millar or Brian Bendis, I really couldn't see this all happening. I really have to give credit to Tamora for making herself so accessible to her fans, and because of this she may get ragged on every now and then because those trolls know they can bait her and she will respond.

Bravo Tiffany and Tamora.

(and although I disagreed completely with your Civil War comments Tamora, I still believe you are a talented and engagin person that people should definitely watch out for. Nice to have a woman in comics that stands up for women at least)

Thank you for the story, this column (and stories like this) is what makes the internet fandom great- and out weighs all the negatives.

Did Tiffany ever end up getting the comics herself? Or did she have to use the teacher as the intermediary to get her the comics?

It's sad that comics aren't more available for kids to get ahold of.

The only lamentable element of this really sweet story.

Ian

As for the whole creators and fans bridge we have in comics, I've been thinking lately about this and how different it is from almost all other media. We know not just about shifts in writers and artists, but when editors move companies (and sometimes within a company), it makes headlines. I'm not sure that kind of knowledge is as readily available and discussed in other mediums.

While her books obviously appeal to many young girls (since often the protagonist is a young girl), they actually have cross-gender appeal as well... but since bookstores and librarians don't often steer boys to them, boys rarely try them. Several of her books feature boys *and* girls as protagonists, and her Numair book will star a young male mage with a price on his head.

By the same token, in the comics world, girls are rarely steered toward superhero/action comics, unless it's an obvious female title like Wonder Woman. It's time we stopped typecasting what girls and boys should read based on their gender, and started pointing them to *good* stuff, regardless of the lead character's gender. It's also time we stopped assuming that children who understand "good work," whether it's in comics or in books, will be unwilling and uninterested in crossing over from one type to the other.

As to Tamora's behavior, having read as much of her notes and bios as I can find, as well as her books, I agree unequivocally with Ms. Yolen (another fine author in her own right): Nasty squabbling in any venue, internet or not, is not Tamora's style. From what I understand, she lives by the principle of "What goes around, comes around---therefore, put your best forward as often as you can... and think before you put out your worst."

I am not surprised by her permission to Tiffany. She is the type of person who cares about her fans, is aware that many of them are kids, and does all she can to encourage them in their own endeavors. In fact, one of the main themes in *all* her books is that you don't have to be old, or even adult, in order to do your part in making the world a better place.

Bravo, Tiffany! Bravo, Greg! and Bravo, Tamora! (And Tamora, if you read this, I have to say that I know Greg Hatcher personally... and he's the kind of art teacher I wish my children had had: thoughtful, kind, and always encouraging the children to reach for new goals, and never accepting an "I can't.")

Sincerely,
C Allen

There have been other book writers who have come into the comics market, and the results have often been less than satisfactory to me. I was going to ignore the new White Tiger series, but this article has convinced me to give it a try (assuming it's available on newstands around here.)

One thing no one has pointed out yet: White Tiger is one of the few Puerto Rican superheroes ever (created outside of the island, that is.) I'm Puerto Rican myself, and, while not obsessive about it, I'm certainly curious about how such characters are treated. Sadly, I discovered WT only after the series he starred in was cancelled. Since then, he's had his whole family massacred, was framed for murder and was shot dead by the police in the end. Though I understand the points Bendis was trying to make, I still felt like this was an abuse of an already tragic character. Angela now has the potential of becoming the most notable Puerto Rican heroine in comics, and I'm certainly curious about how she'll do.

The kids and teens who love Pierce and other excellent fantasy writers (Jane Yolen is another of my personal faves) tend to be intelligent, creative, enthusiastic young people who make us adults who work with them marvel at their energy and joy. Kids and teens who love comics (American and manga) tend to be intelligent and creative and want to express themselves in art and stories that librarians and teachers would do well to encourage. Kudos to Greg Hatcher for what he does.

Now pardon me while I comment on a sidebar to this thread ...
I wouldn't say Roy Thomas crapped on original JSA heroes. He didn't kill off the old WIldcat, Dr. Mid-Nite or Hourman to create the new. They were still around in some form. Infinity Inc. was, like the current-day JSA, very much about the legacies of families and of the original super-team. I liked Yolanda and Dr. Beth Chappell and they deserved better. (Rick, of course, is still with us.)

And Christopher wrote: "There are so few truly original superheroines; heroines that aren’t based on male counterparts ... that have truly become 'big names.' Wonder Woman, of course. Storm should take a long leave of absence from the X-Men to star in her own on-going. Marvel Girl/Phoenix. Catwoman."

To that list, I would argue for Black Canary. Who did what no other female character from decades ago except Wonder Woman did: consistently hang with the big boys and last into the 21st century. (Catwoman's older, of course, but until the '90s she was just a Bat-villain, not her own protagonist. And as a Bat-villain, you could make a decent argument that she was a distaff Batman, not unlike Batwoman or Batgirl, but on the other side of the law.)

She gets into them w/patronizing male writers - as both Jane Yolen and I can attest....

Best,
Tim Liebe
Tammy's co-writer - and Dreaded Spouse-Creature

Awesome on Tiffany for having the gumption to not only write and ask, but follow up and DO it, and awesome on Mrs. Pierce for replying and letting her.

To that end, thank you Tamora Pierce for demonstrating the class, the respect and the trust in Tiffany and in Greg in this matter.