Girls Don't Read Comics

If anyone is interested, I’ve started doing random brain drops at GDRComics.  Mostly store stuff.  Like today, look at the pretty Ramune-rainbow

Still Cold From The Truck

This is what happens when I take my pull pile to the bar. I get all swept up in how pretty it looks all spread out on the table. This is also a test of my remote blogging capabilities.

Carol Strickland At Wonder Of Wonders talks merchandise.

Every now I read something and I get so mad/excited. Carol talks about the lack of Wonder Woman themed merch, and though I have a few items in my store, I totally get what she’s saying. There just isn’t very much stuff for younger girls. I have some coffee mugs, some bracelets (little things, not like her bracers) and some ladies fitted T shirts. When I think of all of the cool stuff I have seen for some of the other characters! I especially like what she has to say about work-out gear. Someone at DC/Time Warner needs to read this, and start putting some of these suggestions to work.

Wow! I am having so much fun reading lately.  This episode, I have a couple of favorites from my pull list, and the next installment in the Wonder Woman series.  Firstly, her star-spangled self.

Wonder Woman - The Circle

I am so happy to be getting into the Gail Simone run of Wonder Woman.  After some frankly mediocre storytelling, we finally get some 3 dimensional characters with honest feeling human motivations.  The ladies of the Circle are flawed and frightened, but willing to fight to defend what they cherish.  The story continues on with some of the plot points from the prior stuff, but is much more satisfying.   The art is still exceptional and gorgeous with more work from the Dodsons’ as well as some very good stuff from Bernard Chang in the Green Lantern story in the back of the book.  I do feel like it could be confusing to try to pick up the Wonder Woman title with this book, and I am glad that I deferred to Andy’s suggestion to start with Who Is Wonder Woman. But this really is the good stuff.

Chew Vol 01

Next, I am so glad that Chew is finally out collected so that I can tell you to go and read it.  This is one of the weirdest books that I get, but I love it so much.  It has sold out every single issue so far, and for good reason.  Chew is the story of Tony Chu and his very special talent.  Tony is a cibopath.  That means he is a psychic who gets impressions from the things he eats.  Fruits, vegetables, meat.  People.  You know.  The story takes place in a sort of darkish future where chicken is outlawed, and only outlaws eat chicken.  Like I said – weird, but one of my very favorite things on my pull list.  Rob Guillory does the art, and as fun as the story is, I don’t think it would be half as successfull under a different artist.  Rob and writer John Layman should stick together, they make a great team.

The Unwritten Vol 01

Lastly, I have The Unwritten. This title, like Chew, I am subscribed to in single issues.  When I saw the first issue in Previews months ago, I knew that there was no way I was not going to sign up for it.  Written by Mike Carey with art by Peter Gross? Automatic addition to the pull list right there.  Combine that with a story about the power of stories and it goes right to the top of my stack every month when I take it home.  My only complaint about this series is the covers.  I actually like them as art, but as something to sell a non-reader on the series, they are disappointing.  If I were just scoping out the wall looking for something cool, I would almost certainly pass these by.  That would be a crying shame because this is one of my favorite titles since the Books of Magic series (also with art by Peter Gross).  This feels like the Vertigo stuff that got me to read comics in the first place.  Yay!

This was a fun podcast to do from a gear aspect as well.  I have a new microphone, and I really like the warmth I am getting out of it. Now I just need to work on my guitar playing and I can start writing angsty folk songs about the tragedy of secret identities, and how no one understands how alone super heroes are.  Or maybe I’ll leave the nerd music to talented people like Kirby Krackle.

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Kelly Thompson over at Comic Book Resources blog She Has No Head talks Marvel’s newly announced series Girl Comics with Mariah Huehner!  Fascinating conversation about women in the industry and the minefield they face in trying to create good comics.