She Has No Head!
SHE HAS NO HEAD! – Fourth Annual Awesome Women In Comics Holiday Gift List, 2012
Welcome back to my annual female positive comics holiday gift list!
So the holidays are upon us again and you’ve decided that in these tough economic times you want to support the comic industry by giving everyone on your list sweet comics. And not only that, but you want to take it one step further and only give female positive comics…well, in that super specific case you’ve found the right list.
You think Saga is going to make the list? Here's a hint, it totally is.
She Has No Head! – “I’m a shark”
The internet is amazing. 
I sometimes marvel of what the hell I ever did it without it. The latest delight it’s brought me is Noelle Stevenson (aka Gingerhaze) ‘s brilliantly adorable, hilariously self-aware Nimona web comic. And prepare to have your mind blown when I tell you that Stevenson is still a student and this is her SENIOR THESIS.
Absolutely amazing.
Stevenson’s work reminds me of Kate Beaton, but with a dash of Eleanor Davis, a sprinkle of Emily Carroll, and bit of Faith Erin Hicks all combined together into some delicious magic concoction. The comic feels as if she has read all the best stuff and then forged her own way with their inspiration to guide her.
She Has No Head! – The Walking Dead Season 3 Premiere Scorecard!
Michonne!
I wrote a column last week for the Lit Reactor site that included 10 Things The Walking Dead needs to do in Season 3 to keep me watching. To blend my worlds completely, I thought I’d do the follow up piece after watching the premiere here.
Before we even get started on the list I have to say that the premiere was very good. Advancing the story (and characters) forward six months was a wise decision. It allows us to rejoin a group that has drastically changed. Everyone is far less whiny, and though they’re starving to death and constantly on the move, they all know their jobs and move like a well-oiled, if at times dysfunctional, machine. This is a huge improvement on last season. Beware of spoilers!
10. KILL LORI – 0/1
While they haven’t killed Lori yet, she is at least 20% less annoying in this first episode and I’m glad to see the pregnancy so advanced. She only had one ridiculous crying outburst, and had she not been that way ALL the time for seasons 1 and 2, I would have forgiven it, the woman is nine months pregnant and nearly starving to death in the zombie apocalypse after all.
She Has No Head! – The Good, The Bad, and the Very Hilarious in Superhero Halloween Costumes
If you've got a cool $4,5000.00 you can have this replica Wonder Woman costume.
I’m exhausted and I love October, let’s do something fun!
What did I find when I started hunting for superhero Halloween costumes? Right out of the gate I’ll tell you I’m going to mostly avoid talking about the bizarre “super sexy superhero” thing because it’s just too easy, and also other’s have already done it before and better. Although this new “sexy Robin” is almost as good as some of those we’ve seen in recent years – like “Sassy Ninja Turtles” and “Sexy Spider-Girl.”
Let’s start with something that’s actually kinda good. You know there are bound to be a few Black Widow’s roaming around this year, and while many of the Black Widow costumes out there are complete shit, this one, which is a bit more pricey, actually looks pretty good:
She Has No Head! – Embarrassment of Indie Riches
Tired of a million (mostly) inconsequential zero issues from DC? Tired of the never-ending AvX event? Here’s a little something for everyone from the Indies…
THE VOYEURS BY GABRIELLE BELL
Every year, one way or another I find myself re-reading Gabrielle Bell’s Lucky. And I suspect her new collection The Voyeurs will also become a yearly re-read for me. Full of wonderful autobiographical tales that are equal parts hilarious and insightful, Bell has become an absolute master of autobio comics. I bought the The Voyeurs from Bell directly at her site, and if you order now you can add on her awesome July Diary for not much more. The book is also available in finer comic and book stores and if you must, Amazon as well.
She Has No Head! – This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
So a couple weeks ago I posted a round up of my favorite news from SDCC 2012. It’s now only fair that I talk about what I found to be the most disappointing news to come out of SDCC 2012. And I’m only going to talk about one thing, because the continued weirdness when it comes to characters like Stephanie Brown and Cass Cain though depressing as all get out, is both expected, and perhaps in a way, tied to what I’m going to talk about anyway.
Batwoman by SelkieSiun
The Girl Who Would Be King Chapters 17 – 20
Bonnie Braverman by Stephanie Hans
When I wake up in the abandoned building it’s late afternoon judging by the sun and I feel new, like I have been slumbering in a cocoon and am now emerging strong; like being reborn. My clothes look the opposite of new however, stiff and caked in dark blood. I unzip my bag and pull out some of the few items of clothing I own and change into them, testing my muscles as I stretch, my mind swimming about what I should do next.
I’ve had doubts about finding Jasper ever since he didn’t come for me six years ago, and they’ve only been compounded since things have gone so horribly awry for me since leaving the home. But when you hold onto something so tightly for twelve years it’s hard to let it go. Maybe impossible. He’s still all I want in this whole world. If he doesn’t want me around, he’ll have to tell me himself.
***
If you’re intrigued click here for The Girl Who Would Be King Chapters 17 – 20 or follow this link to my blog to read it online in full, or to download the first 20 Chapters in full (they’re on the short side!)
And if you like what you read, don’t forget to visit the Kickstarter and pledge – only 6 days left to get the limited edition hardcover (and more!)
This is the last week that pages will be going up on CSBG, but there will still be another week of pages on 1979 Semifinalist. Thanks for indulging me everyone – and for all of the support!
She Has No Head! – My Favorite SDCC 2012 News!
Wonder Pony by Andy Price
I’m someone that continues to not be able (or willing?) to go to the craziness that is SDCC these days – my one and only SDCC visit was when I was 16 – it’s a WHOLE NEW THING SINCE THEN, or so I hear.
So like many of you I must get my “breaking news” from all the comic sites out there providing crazy good coverage. A particular tip of the hat to The Beat which did fantastic daily summaries of all their stories, making it easy for me to catch up on everything. And for today I decided to do a little roundup of my favorite news items from the con. Prepare yourself now, there’s lots of exciting all caps talk.
OH! And to kick us off I’ll just leave this here, okay?
She Has No Head! – The Girl Who Would Be King 13 – 16
The Girl Who Would Be King promotional art by Meredith McClaren
Turning a corner deep in thought I don’t notice anything until I see a shadow fall across my path and I almost smack right into her.
Sharon.
Apparently she hasn’t forgotten what I’d done to her and has been paying attention to when I would be released. She looks rough. Like the months since she left the home have been hard on her. I notice her hand that I crushed is still damaged. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that an orphan’s hand wasn’t properly repaired. My guilt doubles. Triples. She hides the hand underneath crossed arms when she sees me looking at it. I look up into her face and open my mouth to say I’m sorry but I can see it will mean nothing to her and turn away, determined not to get into another physical altercation with her.
***
If you’re intrigued click The Girl Who Would Be King Chapters 13 – 16 or follow this link to my blog to read it online in full, or to download the first 16 Chapters in full.
And if you like what you read, don’t forget to visit the Kickstarter and pledge – only 13 days left to get the limited edition hardcover.
ALSO! If you’re headed to SDCC this weekend keep a look out for Meredith McClaren – who in addition to generally being awesome and having cool stuff for you to buy will have free THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE KING postcards (like the above) to give away on Friday and Saturday.
She Has No Head! – Is It Worth It?
Image for Anita Sarkeesian's "Tropes vs Women Video Games" Kickstarter
I’d like to open today’s column up a bit to your thoughts as I ask the question “Is it worth it?”
And when I say “it” I mean, is speaking out online and trying to move the needle on issues that are sometimes unpopular worth it in the end? We’ve had an excellent (and rather extreme) example lately in the case of Anita Sarkeesian’s Tropes vs. Women in Video Games Kickstarter, which I visited relatively early on and was weighing whether or not to fund (I was leaning toward yes when her Kickstarter went viral). But Sarkeesian’s project went viral and earned an unprecedented $158k+ (against her original $6k goal) primarily because the haters, misogynists, creeps, “ole boys club”, and trolls came out in force against her to a staggering (and frankly, horribly alarming) degree. Thus Sarkeesian’s project became a big news item, earned a lot more coverage, and a whole lotta people (nearly 7k) cried foul in the form of support – and cold hard cash.
She Has No Head! – The Girl Who Would Be King Chapters 9 – 12
Bonnie vs Lola, Illustration by Stephanie Hans
Sharon is becoming a legitimate problem for me.
Until recently she’s been a thorn in just about everyone’s side, but she’s provided an interesting opportunity for me to do good. Returning thrown necklaces and other bits of stolen property, stopping fights before they begin, stupid little stuff. Little stuff that makes people happy and lets me see my mother in my dreams. The dreams, even if they are filled with confusion and violence and strange warnings that I don’t understand, are still time with my mother. Until Sharon I’ve been used to people somehow intrinsically understanding to leave me
***
If you’re intrigued click The Girl Who Would Be King Chapters 9 – 12, or follow this link to my blog to read it online in full, or to download the first 12 Chapters in full.
And if you like what you read, don’t forget to visit the Kickstarter!
She Has No Head! – Alison Bechdel’s Are You My Mother?
Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama. Alison Bechdel (writer/artist). Houghton Mifflin 
Harcourt. Hardcover. 304 Pages. $22.00.
Though on the surface I prefer Fun Home after one reading of Are You My Mother?, I suspect Are You My Mother? is a book I will return to many times over the years and always glean something new from, both as daughter, wannabe academic, writer, and depending on how my life turns out, possibly as mother, because Bechdel’s book is complicated and layered in a way that few graphic novels are and it affected me powerfully both in what I understood and what I know that I cannot yet understand. I feel that though I read the book carefully, and adored it, at the age of 35 I can only process some parts of it.
Perhaps I am not ready for the rest.
At 45 I suspect I will see it in a whole new light. And at 55 it may become something else entirely.. It feels like the kind of work that will stay with me my whole life, revealing new layers as I am equipped to understand them.
She Has No Head! – The Girl Who Would Be King Chapters 1 – 8
Cover art by Stephanie Hans
Berks County, Pennsylvania
The car hits the tree going at least forty miles an hour and I go through the windshield like I’ve been tossed gently by a hurricane. I land thirty yards away from the car on some bright green grass, barely missing the tree directly in my path.
Everything is black for a while.
When I open my eyes again all I see are these vivid green leaves floating casually above me, and I wonder for just a moment about their casual ways, trying to understand why certain parts of life just don’t care about the other parts.
And then the smell hits me.
It isn’t gentle like the leaves, but assaulting and violent. It fills my nostrils with the same metallic flavor that fills your mouth when you suck on your thumb after cutting it way too deep, when the blood is dark and black, not pinkish like a party. My head rolls back under me as my chest heaves up, toward the green leaves above me, and I turn my head to the side to throw up. Spitting into the grass and leaning up on my elbow I squeeze my eyes closed as tightly as I can, afraid of what I’m going to see when I finally have to open them. Tears leak out the sides of my eyes, hot and wet on my cheeks. The smell of my parents’ blood makes me throw up again and again until there’s nothing left and I’m just coughing and breathing hard, my small ribcage ready to break with the pressure.
***
If you’re intrigued click here to download The Girl Who Would Be King Chapters 1 – 8, or follow this link to my blog to read it online in full.
And if you like what you read, don’t forget to visit the Kickstarter!
She Has No Head! – 12 Birthday Wishes (Round 2!)
THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE KING, cover by Stephanie Hans
Tw0 years ago my birthday fell on a Monday and so I decided to make 12 Birthday Wishes…and now every year Sue asks me if I’m doing it again. This year, especially since I REALLY want some things I decided to do it again even though my birthday isn’t until Thursday.
I thought it might be fun first however (and since I’ve become an obsessive fan of Mark Oshiro’s Mark Watches) to look at what came true from last time (newsflash – not a lot).
2010 LIST:
1. Cliff Chiang drawing Gail Simone’s Birds of Prey.
Well, obviously I didn’t even get close here because of the new DC52. HOWEVER, I did get Cliff Chiang drawing Wonder Woman, which is awesome and similar to what I wished. So I’m giving myself 1/4 point.
2. Monthly ongoing Heralds (or similar with an all female cast from Marvel).
Nope. Not even close. But we did get Duane Swieszernski’s Birds of Prey, so that was nice. Still, 0 points.
3. Moratorium on the un-zipped superheroine suit.
No, not even close, but I will say that 2011-2012 were WAY better than 2010, especially when it came to comic covers. 1/4 point.
4. Batwoman #1 to rock my goddamn socks off.
I’m giving this partial credit. The second arc of the series has not wildly impressed me with the writing, but the first issue came pretty close to rocking my socks off. 1/2 point.
5. I wanted my Stumptown #4.
She Has No Head! – Black Widow: Required Reading
I mentioned a couple weeks ago, before I felt compelled to go on a massive rant, that I was working on a Black Widow “Required Reading” post…and as promised here we are!
I’ve been reading a bunch of Black Widow stuff in preparation for this, along with the material that I’ve already read and so these are the books that rose to the top for me. I’m sure I’ve missed some things (and I’m sure you’ll tell me) but I’ll just let you know right now I did NOT miss Black Widow: Deadly Origins, Black Widow & The Marvel Girls, and the current Black Widow Strikes mini-series, all of which I found to be quite terrible. Feel free to disagree in the comments, but please don’t assume I didn’t consider them. I did consider them and I found them disturbingly lacking. If you want something really great that Natasha is guest starring in that’s more current than the list below, I’d recommend the very good Winter Soldier ongoing by Ed Brubaker. It’s a great book with a really well written (and drawn) Natasha.
I read in the Marvel Solicits for August that apparently “Hawkeye is the breakout star of The Avengers” which I guess means he gets a shot at an ongoing title while Black Widow is relegated to that truly abysmal mini-series that’s almost over now. So Hawkeye gets Matt Fraction and the brilliant David Aja and Black Widow still gets the equivalent of bupkis. Now, I don’t know what movie the people responsible for these things saw but I have no idea how anyone would walk away with “Hawkeyes as breakout star” from the movie I saw. I like Renner very much as an actor and I have no problems with Hawkeye as a character, but there is just no damn way he outshined Natasha/Scarlett Johansson.
