As a brief introduction, Casanova #8 was one of the first comics I picked up when I started working at a comic shop in 2008. I had no idea what it was – it might have been a FCBD promo – and the title led me to believe that it would revolve around a dude boning a lot of ladies or something. Not really my wheelhouse, but the cover drew me in immediately. Continue reading
Author Archives: Lindsey Morris
SPX: The Gem of the Convention Circuit
Reply
I wrote this for Newsarama and they didn’t run it, so HERE WE ARE! Almost everything you need to know about one of the best conventions out there! Yahoo! Continue reading
The Comments Thread: Busiek Tells It Like It Is
So this morning I was checking out an article on The Beat, and as usual proceeded into the belly of the beast, a.k.a. the comments section, to see what great things people men had to say on the subject of the sexualization of men vs. women in comics. The post had used a few pictures to highlight what it looks like when men are sexualized.
It started out as expected, with commenters wondering just what sort of problem women could possibly have with this unequal and oftentimes inappropriate representation. It must have something to do with our self-esteem! Continue reading
We’ve Got Issues: A New Podcast by Yours Truly
Hey y’all!
Sooooo my pal George Marston (who also writes about comics) and I have long been talking about doing a thing. Something related to comics. We thought it could be a website, a youtube channel, a bad fan art collective… but we eventually settled on a podcast. We like to think that we’ve got faces for radio. We are really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking.
Now, I am 100% new to podcasting. I’m new to recording, and new to having to listen to my own voice over and over while I am editing. It’s much less glamorous than I had anticipated, but it’s still a heckuva lotta fun. George does some voice acting, so this is an old hat for him. His charisma levels are off the charts. For now, I view my microphone with fear and trepidation. But BY THE BEARD OF ZEUS I will conquer it! Continue reading
5 Quotes Worth Remembering From SENYC
… And they’re all from the Reimagining the Female Superhero panel!
It’s Throwback Thursday here at Girls Gone Geek, and I wanted to share a few new quotes from the panel that made the trip to SENYC worth it.
Enjoy!
By Alison Bechdel
On the Bechdel Test:
“I think there’s a lot of dismissal of things that do pass [The Bechdel Test]. If you have a
buddy cop movie about men, then it’s a buddy cop movie. If you have a buddy cop movie about women, it’s a chick flick. If you have a coming of age story about a boy, then it’s a coming of age story, if it’s about a girl it’s a chick flick. If it’s about a father and son relationship, it’s a father and son movie, if it’s a mother and daughter, it’s a chick flick. And I’m tired of it!” – Marguerite Bennett
On creating accurate representations of women:
“You can get a female character up on a pedestal so high, that they’re actually boring to read about. Once in awhile a female character is going to want to go on a date – it doesn’t make them less strong. They’re gonna cry – it doesn’t make them less strong. There are lots of kinds of strength, let’s explore them.” – Gail Simone
On representation and diversity in comics:
“I think it’s a little strange that there are so many new stories coming out… but so few people of color in them. Because you can do that, you know.” – Amy Reeder
On how poorly women have been written in the past:
“[Jack Kirby and Stan Lee] found it easier to identify with Skrulls than with women.” – Ben Saunders
On Wonder Woman:
“I think Wonder Woman is the strongest warrior on the planet, and maybe the universe.
She’s not gonna pull punches. And if you want to defeat her, you better not pull yours.” – Gail Simone
Wonder Woman by Marcio Takara
The Good Sarlaac: A Sex Criminals Panel
Where to begin?
This past weekend V. and I went to HeroesCon, and I had the pleasure to attend a panel dedicated to two of my favorite creators, focusing on one of my favorite books. If you aren’t in the know about Sex Criminals, one of the latest smash hits from Image, please do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s amazing. It’s astounding. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Writer Matt Fraction and artist Chip Zdarsky have crafted what I believe to be one of the best books on the shelves right now, and they do it with a perfect blend of emotional gravity, sincerity and humor. In a single issue this duo can give the reader both punches to the gut AND laughter-induced tears. That’s something special. That’s a mark so many comics miss. And it all started as a pet project between two dudes who figured they could work together on a few dick joke comics before they got cancelled. Continue reading
Reimagining the Female Superhero
Saturday I attended a panel at Special Edition: NYC, and from what I gathered it was one of the only panels that day that was even nearing maximum capacity. The Carol Corps, various members of the Young Avengers team, and plenty more in addition to myself waited patiently in the ever-growing line for this event. It was pretty much the only reason I went to the convention that day. It seems that many others had the same idea. Continue reading
MoCCA Art Fest 2014 and Fiona Staples Q&A
A little over a week ago I attended MoCCA Arts Fest, an annual comics convention put on by the Society of Illustrators/ Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in Manhattan. Located in the wonderful space of the 69th Regiment Armory, MoCCA continues to stand out as one of the shows that I look forward to most in the con circuit. It is smaller, friendlier, better run, and has (I think) a firmer grasp on the comic reading populous and what they want out of a show. A diverse range of creators, panels geared to the making and process of comics, decent and affordable food in the dining area, cheaper tickets, and attendees feeling welcome and safe are all things MoCCA provides in spades. Sure, you might think it’s “easier” for a smaller show to supply these things, but I hear that the force behind planning the fest is a staff of two or three, so think again. They had 7,000 attendees over two short days. Continue reading
All Roads Lead to Shutter: An Interview with Joe Keatinge
Joe Keatinge’s star might still be rising, but his place in the industry was secured after the launch of his acclaimed run on Glory in 2012. Since then, books like Hell Yeah, DC Comics Presents, Morbius: The Living Vampire, and Marvel Knights: Hulk have (relative merits aside) served as stepping stones to Keatinge and artist Leila del Duca’s newest creator-owned series, Shutter.
Joe kindly took some time to chat with me about life, comics, and his new book. There was also some wine and a sandwich, which have been edited for your reading pleasure. Continue reading
Missing Stair, Beware
Calling Out Shady Behavior in the Comics Industry
Perhaps you are familiar with a specific situation that’s been going on in the comics world, started by a string of tweets from creator Tess Fowler. It has been gaining momentum since a few weeks back, when Bleeding Cool published this article, chronicling a horrifying interaction Fowler had at SDCC one year with a high-profile creator, which continued even after the con ended.
She has continued speaking out about it, detailed here.
This trend of calling out creators and the industry as a whole for their bullshit was recently reinvigorated on Twitter by Brandon Graham, which propelled Fowler to share her experience. Continue reading
NYCC in Review
Hey everyone!
Just wanted to give you some news/recaps on what happened during NYCC, as it was my first time going and HOLY CRAP it was intense. I haven’t slept more than 4 hours a night in almost a week! I got to meet a lot of great people, and after the long afternoons of trudging around the showroom and viewing panels, I had a great time hanging out with them.
I did write-ups on a few panels: Women in Comics (Here), Adventure Time (Here), and Women of Marvel (Here). They were good for the most part. I really didn’t expect the amount of time given over to Q&A or the volume of audience members that would ask things like, “Can you act out my fanfic?” I should have known better. Though, to be fair, it was a pretty good fanfic that the guests of the Adventure Time panel were nice enough to act out. Lots of butts involved. Continue reading
L. Reviews Detective Comics #23.3
Aside
I love Jonathan Crane. I love the shit outta him. So I read this comic.
It was… disappointing. To say the least.
Tomasi writes a pretty good Scarecrow but as a whole… why do I even bother with DC anymore? I’ve had it with thinly veiled cash grabs whose only purpose are to give insight into the plot of OTHER comics.
Read the full review HERE
*Sigh*
L. reviews Optic Nerve #13
Aside
Just in case you happened to miss it yesterday, dear readers, I reviewed Adrian Tomine’s Optic Nerve #13 over at Newsarama. This was one of the first comic series that got me hooked on indie in the first place, and is well-worth looking into. Tomine is a master of his craft. You can read it in full HERE.
G3 Review: Lose #5
Michael DeForge is either ambidextrous, or has a hulking machine of a drawing arm. I can see it now, producing multiple pages a day, and looking something like this:
Yeah. Heavy is the arm that wears the crown. Should have drawn a crown on there.
DeForge is one of the most prolific creators in the industry today. I count something like 17 projects from 2012 alone! His latest work, Lose #5, comes hot on the heels of a much larger short story collection, Very Casual, also released by Koyama Press.
The Lose series is a great look into the imagination of an amazing talent. Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 03.26.2013
Heyyyy you guyyyyyys!
Sincerest apologies for the distress my latest hiatus must have caused all of you. I was, as you may know, in the process of moving around Brooklyn trying to find a lease at a decent place and we have finally secured one! The agony is over!
In other exciting news, I can officially confirm that I am the newest addition to the Midtown Comics team in Manhattan! I am super excited to be working for such an awesome place and will very soon be up to my eye skins in nrrd probz to share with all of you. Of course, if you have your own, you know where to send them.
Here are a few probz that have been lying around my inbox and making me feel guilty: Continue reading
G3 Review: Sunday in the Park With Boys
If you are familiar with Jane Mai already, you know that her comics are generally light-hearted and humorous with such telling titles as “Literal Poop Nightmare” and “Strippers.” For this reason it was briefly shocking to find the entirety of her full-length debut, Sunday in the Park with Boys, such a departure from what we have come to expect of her.
Published recently by Koyama Press, this 52-page black and white volume begins by transporting the reader to Jane’s past. There we find melancholy and malaise tinged with a desperation that only comes from the awareness that time may be moving on without you. Read on and see how she combats existential crises, depression, loneliness, and the weight of existence; all the expected traumas of youth. Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 01.29.2013
Hey pals.
I know you know that things have been pretty cray cray on my end with moving and jobs and other shenanigans, so I apologize for any past or future lulls in columns. I have officially decided to write this column on a less routine basis. It’ll just be posted whenever I have enough questions submitted or when some issue arises that I think pertains to this column and should be written about. In the interim I’ll be writing more straight forward stuff about current comics and such.
SO with that all out of the way let’s see what we have this week. Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 01.15.2013
Hello lovelies. Goodness has it been a week already? I might have to make this column bi-weekly until things calm down a little on my end. A crushing blow, I know.
In other news, due to the popularity of my threat to turn an installment of this column into one focused on butts, I have decided to do just that! Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 01.08.2013
Hello dear ones. I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and is taking in the New Year by being drunk every waking moment like I am. Just kidding. Only on weekends and around family.
Well, this has been a busy few weeks off for me and I’m sure for you too. I’ve relocated myself to Manhattan and started a new job as well as trying to find a permanent residence. Shit is bananas all around. So bear with my while I try to find my *ahem* bearings and get back on track with the writing biznizz. Continue reading
2012 Memorable Moment: Multiple Warheads from Alphabet to Infinity #1
I had been waiting for this moment for years. Brandon Graham’s creator-owned comic was coming back to the shelves. My excitement was palpable for weeks before the release of the first issue. On that fateful Tuesday when we got our weekly shipment into my comic shop, I grabbed the first copy I saw and sat down to read. It didn’t disappoint.
I know you’ve heard this from me before, but this comic rules. This comic gives me a boner. This comic is so great. The first issue has something for everyone- romance, violence, action, beautiful art, and an interesting plot. I only wish the series was going to be longer than 4 issues.
2012 Memorable Moment: Brian Wood’s Conan the Barbarian
Call me crazy but I was actually struggling with a desire to not give this comic a chance when I first saw it solicited so many months ago. Even with the powerhouse duo that is Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan fronting the project, I was deeply skeptical. Luckily, I set my preconceived notions aside and picked up the first issue, which presented me with one of my favorite comics out there today.
I get a little pissy when Cloonan is rotated out temporarily, but this comic has been so consistently solid and innovative to a dusty story line that it blows me away every time.
G3 Gift Guide: Part L.
This holiday season, make the geek in your life happy with STUFF OFF ETSY. Not only will you be showing off your stellar taste, but you’ll also be helping to support independent artists from all over the world! Tell them I sent you. Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 12.11.2012
Hello, dear readers. Just as a heads up this is going to be the last NRRD PROBZ of 2012. It will return on January 8th, so have a wonderful holiday and send in those questions!
“Gail Simone got sacked! If I wanted to start reading some Gail Simone books, where do I start?”
I KNOW WHAT’S UP WIDDAT? We here at G3 are currently mourning the loss, and may continue to do so for some time.
In the interim, you could start out your Simone quest with one of her runs on Secret Six. They are great fun and really accessible to newer readers. Her first collected work on it is entitled “Six Degrees of Devastation” and includes all six issues of the mini series. I would read this first, not only because it is chronological, but because when using this as a starting point you really get to see her grow into the series later on. Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 12.04.2012
Greetings and salutations. I come to you this week feeling low and defeated after failing to beat the Elite Four and Champion in Pokémon Platinum AGAIN. Sigh. Life is so hard sometimes. Anyway, this installment contains questions my cat asked me because she’s been having a really hard time with nrrd probz recently.
“I just started watching Big Bang Theory after some friends encouraged me to watch it, but it’s not really my thing. Are there any other nerdy shows worth looking into?”
I’m no television expert since I do not own one, but I DO partake in Netflix and THE INTERNET so I can help you to a certain extent. Some of these might not fall into the same category as Big Bang Theory, but they are all fantastic and you should view them if you haven’t already. Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 11.27.2012
Hello friends! Hope everyone had a lovely holiday, and continues to do so throughout the rest of the year. I’m going to be on the road for the remainder of 2012, so your questions are more appreciated than ever as I make my way across the country and partake in family times. You know where to send ’em!
“I’ve got 3 kids. The oldest is 16 just like me. Comics, cartoons, toys, and video games, he’s into it and proud of it, moreso than I ever dared to be at his age. The youngest is 6 and hopes she’ll be picking up the G3 baton one day. She loves cartoons, Robin (don’t mention Starfire to her, she gets pissed), and loves her Batman and Ahsoka tee shirts. The middle one is my problem. I think she’s embarrassed by me around her friends. If I pick her up at dance class, she’ll wait to associate with me once her “friends” have left the building and will stall until everyone else has left so they don’t see her leaving with me. I’ve accidentally worn my Secret Wars cover tee shirt and after seeing the side-eyes and behind-the-hand comments from her friends, have chosen to throw on a sweatshirt or change my shirt when on taxi duty now. What do I do? Let Mom pick her up from now on? Wait in the car?”
Well this is a bit of a delicate matter. I’m torn between championing you as the parent and her as the young girl dealing with everything that comes with growing up. But seeing as you are so gracious as to put your daughters comfort above your own, even if in the face of her ignorant “friends,” then we’ll take that route. Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 11.13.2012
Hello dear readers. This week we are talking about the ladies. Creators, characters, and consumers. Thank you all for your questions this week, and keep ’em coming!
“I have recently been getting into mainstream comics (mostly Marvel, aspiring for some DC) after years and years of being too afraid and not knowing where to start. I would love to read some books by female creators, or well-written stories about female protagonists. Gail Simone is next on my list, and any other suggestions you have for titles or writers/artists to follow would be very helpful!”
YOU GO GRRL way to get into them comic berks! Gail Simone is a great place to start, so you’re on the right track. Here are some suggestions for further reading: Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 11.06.2012
You guyyyyys I don’t want to have to talk about myself again NEXT week! Send those questions in! About whatever! lindsey@girls-gone-geek.com
“What is the worst/most offensive thing you have experienced working at the comic shop because of your gender? And on the flip side, have you ever had a wonderful experience at the comic shop … because of your gender?”
You know, I have this habit of suppressing bad memories, so the first part of your question is stumping me a bit. Also, I just don’t think that anything too terrible has happened. Pretty mild offenses to me, but I’m just an understanding person.
The stores I’ve worked at have had great clientele for the most part, it’s the casual customer that I usually have trouble with. Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 10.30.2012
Hello, dear readers. Happy almost Halloween! This week I am going to be answering some scandalous questions sent by some enterprising young ladies. Enjoy, and keep those questions coming!
“My boyfriend thinks that Batman underoos are sexy. Would it be better to get myself some or as a joke buy him a pair?”
I totally agree with your boyfriend on this one. Batman underoos are sexy as hell. I suggest you get a pair for the both of you. If you’re embarrassed about wearing them, seeing him in a matching pair might take the edge off. And hey, you might find out that you enjoy it! Then it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to role-playing! Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 10.23.2012
This week, dear readers, it is I who has a problem. Mostly likely you have seen this in your DC comics from last week, but in case you haven’t, here is the gist. DC is running a College Humor ad in their issues which could be considered largely offensive to women and also just everyone! The humor website has five other “great villains of nerd culture,” all of which made me lose brain cells as I read their offenses against … I don’t know … well-adjusted, casual readers? Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ – 10.16.2012
“I’m wondering if you have a favorite geek-ref song… or if you would suggest any? Siouxsie and the Banshees and U2 did Batman soundtrack contributions… did they work, or should the bands have known better?”
Geek-ref songs used to be my lifeblood and I used to think MC Chris was the coolest. Nowadays I don’t really care about the burgeoning nrrd core genre, but there’s still some decent stuff out there. Check out Nacho Picasso’s “Marvel” and Weezer’s “In the Garage.” Continue reading
NRRD PROBZ
Oh god. It’s my first article. And I don’t know what to do.
…
HULLO! I’m new here.
I’ve ahhh… created this here column, “NRRD PROBZ,” with the idea that all of you readers can submit said problems and/or inquiries, and I will do my best to answer them! I know there are many concerns/complaints when it comes to this industry, especially for women. Comic-land is not always the safe and welcoming environment of our dreams. So please, in the coming days, weeks, and months, share your concerns with me. Tell me your problems. I will answer with the sagest advice my gigantic brain can conjure up.
Now perhaps you are wondering, “Who is this strange person? And what on earth qualifies her to give advice?” Well, tough noogs. I am a lady of mystery and refuse to reveal my dark past. However, I can tell you the following savory nuggets: Continue reading
