Kissing is the path to ruin.
WTF? Wednesday: ‘Full Hands, Empty Heart’
Happy endings? Sorry. Those are only for same-race couples.
WTF? Wednesday: Miss Peeping Tom
Insults. Shaming. Physical intimidation. Ah, love.
WTF? Wednesday: ‘That Strange Girl’
Climb into that heteronormative box, kids.
WTF? Wednesday: Cruel to Be Kind
All the sexist body-shaming one comic can possibly deliver.
WTF? Hall of Fame: Archie and Betty’s Motel Scandal
Remember that time Archie and Betty checked into a motel cabin far from Riverdale, shed their clothes and spent a memorable night together in front of a crackling fire? And then Betty’s dad showed up in a rage just as Archie was putting his clothes back on, subjecting them to a lengthy diatribe about values … Continue reading WTF? Hall of Fame: Archie and Betty’s Motel Scandal
WTF? Wednesday: Snow’s Ugly Lecture
Fables character Mrs. Spratt (as in wife of Jack) is easy to hate. She’s spiteful and seems to delight in saying awful things to vulnerable people, which sucks considering that she’s a nurse. Those deplorable characteristics were evident in issue #100 during the birth of Beauty and Sheriff Beast’s child. She coldly dismissed Beast’s concerns … Continue reading WTF? Wednesday: Snow’s Ugly Lecture
WTF? Wednesday: Longsuffering Sue
Saying that Sue Storm has come a long way since the pre-feminist era is like saying Joan Rivers has had a little work done. While the portrayal of female characters was sketchy across the board in decades past, Sue was practically her own category. We know her today as an incredibly powerful heroine, a leader, … Continue reading WTF? Wednesday: Longsuffering Sue
WTF? Wednesday: Lois Goes Black, Manages to Go Back
Before I start making fun of Lois Lane’s attempts to understand the plight of my people in the early 1970s, I’ll say this much: A silly as Lois Lane #106 looks now, it was probably quite a powerful comic book when it first published, and I say it’s better to address racism awkwardly than not … Continue reading WTF? Wednesday: Lois Goes Black, Manages to Go Back
WTF? Wednesday: Three’s Company
If a picture says a thousand words, the World's Finest covers of yore are entire novels. Faulkner novels. As in, engrossing and deeply troubling. While this storied title was innocent, action-packed fun for generations of comic book-loving kids, things look very different when viewed from an adult perspective. It's like when you look at H.R. … Continue reading WTF? Wednesday: Three’s Company
WTF? Wednesday: Bottoms Up!
Corporeal punishment was once considered an acceptable form of discipline, and apparently, it wasn't just for naughty young'uns. During the golden, silver, and even bronze ages, everyone from Superman to uppity dames were getting their bottoms smacked — and some of 'em liked it. Look, what grown folks do is their business. But the flagrantly … Continue reading WTF? Wednesday: Bottoms Up!
WTF? Wednesday: Neigh, I Say!
DC fans like to joke about how Grant Morrison’s mind-bending stories often seem influenced by, shall we say, exotic substances. But Morrison’s got nothing on the Silver Age scribes who were responsible for some of the nuttiest comic book stories ever printed. One of the best examples? Comet the freakin’ Super-Horse. Everyone’s heard of Krypto, … Continue reading WTF? Wednesday: Neigh, I Say!
WTF? Wednesday: Silly Dames In Love
There's a whole other commenatary — a book, really — to be written about the phenomenon of romance comics that were published from the 1940s through the '70s. It's a bizarre, fascinating, sexist genre that is ripe for examination and analysis. But for now, let's take a look at one of the grooviest: Marvel Comics' … Continue reading WTF? Wednesday: Silly Dames In Love
WTF? Wednesday: You Better Work, Jimmy!
We knew Jimmy Olsen was handy with a camera, but who knew the Daily Planet photojournalist had such a tight drag game? Superman's loyal friend has quite the history of cross-dressing, and I gotta say, he's pretty damn good at it. Take this panel from Jimmy Olsen #95, in which he goes undercover in hopes … Continue reading WTF? Wednesday: You Better Work, Jimmy!
WTF? Wednesday: Boys Will Be Boys
Making fun of vintage Batman and Robin scenarios is like shooting fish in a barrel. With an AK-47. It's just too easy, and I'm convinced that the writers and artists responsible for these gems knew exactly what they were doing. After all, these were young, creative guys hanging out in smoke-filled studios in New York … Continue reading WTF? Wednesday: Boys Will Be Boys
