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Dorilys
10:03 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
The first set of boobs, together with the arm, in the first pic in the panel of pics...looks wrong...

I think the boobs are from a side angle but the body isn't? I don't know... and the arm is freakish.
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sybann
05:28 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
Read the Sandman series for strong and varied female characters. I heart Neil. *sigh*
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la.donna.pietra
04:49 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
I miss you, Death.
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Eleanor Ramilly
04:51 PM

@la.donna.pietra: Totally my icon and my Halloween costume this year.
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sybann
05:29 PM

@la.donna.pietra: Damn - I didn't scroll before posting again. HELLO sisters. I didn't go anywhere this year so I left the black wig in storage.
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Pizza!Pizza!Pizza!
04:32 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
'The name says girl but the costume says woman'? So how big do a person's tits have to be around here to earn them an *actual* 'woman' in their name?

What a weird idea that on every single other female superhero with giant breasts (i.e. all of them) it is not some sort of mind-bending paradox, but add a hole and it is. Craaazy.

And I say this as a superhero(ine) fan. The world will not end if we give them flat soles and B-cups. They might even continue to look hot.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
04:41 PM

@Pizza!Pizza!Pizza!: Wonder(ful)?
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BearDownCBears
04:31 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
Shit, when half of the people you hang out with have x-ray vision anyway...
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Eleanor Ramilly
04:27 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
Why's it gotta be like that?

So what if she wants to do a twist on the character. Obviously she's not allowed to change the costume, why not try and reclaim it?
Why does it have to be seen as a lecture and not "well, if my character has to wear this, I'm going to write her in a way that shows she's not just shallow and silly."
Yeesh. It's called character development.

I mean, seriously.. damned if you do, damned if you don't.
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Edited by Eleanor Ramilly at 11/24/09 4:29 PM Eleanor Ramilly was starred Eleanor Ramilly was unstarred

5ft of fury
04:30 PM

@Eleanor Ramilly: You can't have character development in comics! That's only for *graphic novels*. Sheesh.
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tiredfairy
05:49 PM

@Eleanor Ramilly: I'd say it would look more like reclamation if it had been done differently. But that panel, which can easily be read as breaking the 4th wall, doesn't indicate that it's reclamation.

Plus, Powergirl as a character is well established and not poorly written. It didn't need that for character development, nor does it really succeed. What functional purpose does it actually serve for her character to explain that, in that way, that advances her characters?

Plus, it is a pretty crappy explanation. Let's stop pretending that costume was for anything other than boobage. That should be okay. That's really all anyone wants.
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Eleanor Ramilly
08:19 PM

@tiredfairy: Huh? Again, maybe the author didn't want to write a character who cares so much about showing her tits. I wouldn't want to write a superhero like that.
The author didn't create the costume (obviously) but she does have the opportunity to tweak the character to make her less about boobs and more about power.. A good thing, IMO.
The author isn't pretending the costume is anything... she is writing it that way, so that is the way that it is. It certainly is a more interesting read than "der, I have big boobs and I like to show them!"

Whatevs, I thought it was clever, and a sort of "fuck you" to the men who dress female superheroes in skimpy little numbers.
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TransFat
04:25 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics

Are her nipples sheathed in whatever Wonder Woman uses for her invisible jet? Or does the last artist not know his anatomy? (Edit: This is what happens when you search google image for the best cheesecake pic you can fin. Redundancy!)

I like cheesecake (in my comics even), does that make me a thirdwavefeministshutupItalkto...?
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Edited by TransFat at 11/24/09 4:34 PM TransFat was starred TransFat was unstarred

Lymed
04:29 PM

@TransFat: It's actually a butt on her chest.
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TransFat
04:40 PM

@Lymed: I actually did immediately think about that quiz circling facebook about butt v. boobs. I got 98%. NBD.
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JennaW
04:22 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
I hate Power Girl. She's a poor replacement for Supergirl (who was an Adam's rib spin-off from Superman to begin with. A clone of a clone!)

And I now kind of what to kick Jen Van Meter for enabling the male boob-window artists responsible for the flagrant distortion of her not-that-great to begin with costume.

Comic scripts actually have art directions which boil down to "POV Wonder Woman's Butt" so don't climb up on some high feminist horse, Jen. You don't have the facts to back up your story-killing lecture's claims.

It's a boob window, and that may have been fine and dandy in some comics-code era where the idea kids read comics was actually valid, but now? Ain't nothing but a boob window. Boob sunroom more like.
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futuremouse
04:17 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
"putting anyone you're dealing with [including yourself] off balance. The name says girl but the costume says BOOBS!"

Fixed
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vulcanized
04:16 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
Okay, leaving everything else aside, on the modern interpretations, WHERE ARE HER NIPPLES?! I don't see how you could physically have those tits in that costume and not be showing nipple.
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FrannyR
04:16 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
uhm... where be her nipples?
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bluebears
04:10 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
Everything I know about comic book sub-culture I learned from Chasing Amy....and I hated that movie. So I'm not surprised. I also like how she's all, "haha I'm talking too much." Silly loquacious woman! Just stand there and look porny.
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CurtCole
04:22 PM

@bluebears: I'm really into comics. They've helped mold me into the right-minded liberal that I am. That being said, they have a long ways to go before they help women in any sense!
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bluebears
04:25 PM

@CurtCole: yeah I don't have an issue with comic books themselves just the dude-centered (for the most part) sub-culture that has sprung up around them and objectifies women like crazy.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
04:27 PM

@bluebears: If we ever meet up, I'll loan you my Terminator: Omnibus.
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bluebears
04:29 PM

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: :) my brother is always trying to get me into various zombie-type comics. seriously I like the art but the writing style (the way the writing is presented on the page in the speech bubbles) makes me a little headache-y.

#tips
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
04:32 PM

@bluebears: I have a ladyboner for sequencial art and interesting panel designs. It really doesn't matter how boneheaded a particular sequence is, I get super excited just from nicely done panels.
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Gundam_Halo
04:37 PM

@bluebears: If he isn't recommending The Walking Dead, then he's doing something wrong.
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bluebears
04:42 PM

@Gundam_Halo: that actually sounds somewhat familiar.

#tips
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merely_a_muse
04:43 PM

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: I feel the same way. I'm very much for pretty presentation.

I try & stay away from most superhero comics as they are more deaddesky than others as far as treating laydeez goes.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
04:44 PM

@merely_a_muse: I try to be REALLY careful. I generally stay away from the rapier titles and um, Marvel in general, these days.
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HannahBethD
04:45 PM

@bluebears: The Umbrella Academy series was really good, I thought with little female objectification.
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merely_a_muse
04:50 PM

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: Stay away from Marvel: Good rule of thumb.
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lijakaca
04:52 PM

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: Have you read Girl Genius (girlgeniusonline.com)? It's not a superhero comic, but it IS awesome and free to read on the Web - though if you're like me, you'll stay up late reading the whole thing and then still want paper copies anyways. I just found it a couple weeks ago.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
04:55 PM

@lijakaca: I tried reading it when it first launched but it didn't quite grab me then. I did used to read a LOT of webcomics, but I moved and didn't have my queue and then changed computers 4 or 5 times and I lost track of them. I should probably start reading again, though. I had some good ones but honestly I've never felt the same about a comic since Queen of Wands went off.
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boxspelunker
05:06 PM

@bluebears: While I actually love that movie, I don't feel it's totally representative. It has some good points, but I feel like it misses the mark on a lot of things. Not by a lot, but enough that it matters. I can't really explain exactly why, but it didn't connect right with me.

I love comics, I love cartoons, I love 'em all. I am sad to see something I love so, so, so much be used to basically fodder masturbation fantasies above all else. Comics are a great storytelling medium, and are great for young and old readers alike. My younger brother finally learned to enjoy reading through Spider-Man comics. "Sex" can sell, but come on! People want good stories, good characters, good everything. You want to save print media? EXPAND YOUR FANBASE.
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Fatwetdog
05:15 PM

@merely_a_muse: But if you stay away from Marvel, you lose Runaways! I'm never OK with losing Runaways.
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merely_a_muse
05:20 PM

@Fatwetdog: I love Runaways! It's pretty much the only Marvel title I read these days (I don't read enough of anything these days :( ).

I have dreams of cosplaying Gert at comic-con one year. It's the comic book that really got me into comic books (Y!The Last Man made me interested in modern comic books, Runaways made me love them).

Fables is my #1 at the moment. & Snow White is one bad ass bitch.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
05:21 PM

@Fatwetdog: Yeah, but...[io9.com]

If you're [a] Marvel reader and truly feel we're sexist, then why are you reading our books? Now, perhaps you're not a Marvel reader, then if that's the case, I'm not quite sure what you're criticizing if you don't read our books?

Holy circular logic fail, Batman!
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Fatwetdog
05:43 PM

@merely_a_muse: You should do it! It would be fun. ^_^ I adore Fables! I miss Jack, though. I like his solo title, but when I read Fables lately I miss him. Life was more fun when he was messing stuff up around town.

I'm definitely cosplaying Batgirl some day. She's my favorite, and Batgirl Year 1 is one of my favorite TPBs.
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Fatwetdog
05:48 PM

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: *headdesk* ugh. I should send him a letter explaining that I'm buying the titles that don't offend me, and I'm not buying the ones that do.

But he'd probably just call me ugly and say girls aren't an appreciable comics demographic, as evidenced by the massive failure of "Marvel Pussycats Roommate Soap Party." (And yet we all seem to love Runaways to pieces. But he probably thinks all the peopple buying Runaways and Fables and Scott Pilgrim and The Goon are boys or something.) siiiighhhhh.
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Gundam_Halo
05:52 PM

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: Nooooo, that's a horrible rule, so many good Marvel titles right now.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
05:54 PM

@Gundam_Halo: Honestly, I can't enjoy things when I object to a company. Even if I tried to read a Marvel book now, it would be like sackcloth and ash.
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tiredfairy
05:56 PM

@bluebears: It takes awhile to adjust to the storytelling format if you're not used to it. Slower than a film, faster than prose, etc.

You might also like non-superhero books like: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, Stitches, Maus, and tons of others.

Non-mainstream comics often have better stories and female characters. I can recommend:
Lucifer, My Faith in Frankie, Locke & Key, The Umbrella Academy, Hellboy, Zombies Calling, The Walking Dead, Tank Girl, The Unwritten, Preacher, Scott Pilgrim, Wet Moon...etc.
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Benevolent_Dictatrix (patently absurd)
04:07 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
So is her superpower her ability to support her gigantic breasts without needing back surgery or a wheelbarrow?
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
04:09 PM

@Benevolent_Dictatrix (patently absurd): Actually, she's one of the better ones as far as that goes (to paraphrase, that's a phrase roughly equivalent to being the dustiest endtable in Pompeii). She's usually portrayed with a thicker waist than the majority of heroines despite her bodacious boobage which, despite all urban legends and comments, isn't that much bigger than your average super heroine.
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bluebears
04:13 PM

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: wait wait. is this an example of her thicker waist? (please don't say yes, I don't even want to know if the answer is yes...)
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
04:16 PM

@bluebears: I said nothing.
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bluebears
04:18 PM

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: the ribs on that one!
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
04:19 PM

@bluebears: I meant to include the word "marginally" in my original comment, too. But yeah, sadly, Power Girl is a little bigger all over than average.
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Skellatrix
04:23 PM

@Benevolent_Dictatrix (patently absurd): I was thinking something along the lines of...
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
04:06 PM

In reply to Costumes & Cheesecake: Power Girl Controversy Illustrates Gender In Comics
God damn it, and I wanted to Cosplay Power Girl next year. She usually has a thicker waist than the other heroines who don't have a cleavage window and I really like her cape and her attitude. I already put Marvel on notice after Quesada said that people who disagree with them (read: feminists) shouldn't read Marvel and if they read the comics, they should just shut up.

Come on, DC. Don't make me quit you, too.
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Pizza!Pizza!Pizza!
04:35 PM

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: Oh damn. I love Marvel. But fuck this.

[geekgirlsrule.wordpress.com]
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
04:37 PM

@Pizza!Pizza!Pizza!: I actually saved a .txt copy of his quote there. If I ever get my web comic launched, I'm going to print it out, frame it, and hang it on my wall.
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Dauphine
09/11/09

In reply to Safety Lessons For Serial Killers
Actually, we rarely hear about female serial killers because they rarely get caught - there's almost never a sexual component to it, so there are none of those bodily fluids there, or the clouding of judgement that comes during the de-evolution, such as Ted Bundy's infamous sorority spree killing.

Theoretically, they've also had higher victim counts. Especially when you look at the tendency for some of them to be Angels of Death.
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Hana Maru
09/11/09

@Dauphine: "Angel of Death" What does this mean?
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