I think about all the Young Justice sexism issues being debated on tumblr right now, and then I think about how many powerful and funny women Dwayne McDuffie wrote into Justice League Unlimited. Barda and Bea and Diana and Shayera (one of my all time favorite animated characters). All of them strong but not empty role model shells. Relatable, fleshed-out characters. Women who had relationships with men but weren’t defined by them.
He wrote friendships—like Wally and John, J’onn and Diana—so well. He wrote about the dynamics between coworkers and comrades brilliantly. He managed to make a half-hour show about superheroes into something emotionally engaging without resorting to cheap sentimentality.
And Static. Gosh, I loved that show. I had such a crush on Richie. I wanted Virgil’s family to be my family. I think McDuffie had a great understanding of the vulnerability of boys, something that isn’t acknowledged very often. Richie and Virgil were heroes but they were also children. I remember the episode about Richie’s abuse so clearly. I remember Virgil’s dad taking him in and feeling so much empathy for the characters. Feeling, for the first time, not envious of the boys on TV but protective. Affection and connection without the gender lines kids shows are obsessed with drawing in blue and pink ink.
Dwayne McDuffie knew how to write people. Humanity first, all the other bits and bobs second. That’s what made his shows so compelling to watch.
The fact that his voice is gone makes me want to cry. I hope someone else steps up and follows his example in the industry. It’s something that’s sorely needed.
I keep forgetting I made a tumblr for my comics-related thoughts! Rebloggin myself.
I recently posted about this in my other tumblr, but I suppose I’ll put a more extensive response here. Warning: This following contains a lot of Negative Nancy ranting. It’s subjective. Your opinion isn’t invalidated by mine. Please don’t yell at me.
Young Justice
meh
It bores me. The animation style bores me. The writing bores me. It doesn’t rev my engines.
This show is barely passing the Bechdel Test. A rousing ‘who gives a fuck’ for Wally’s constantly emphasized love life, though his interest in science might be intriguing if they explore it. Superboy sounds like a forty year old. His storyline is full of potential, but the forced, over-the-top angst makes the inherent drama of it lose its emotional impact. Miss Martian’s relentless cheerfulness isn’t my cup of tea.
The chemistry between the characters feels almost non-existent most of the time. Are these kids supposed to be friends? Do me a favor, Young Justice writers, and watch Justice League. That’s how you do friendships mingled with tension between comrades.
On the other hand, Aqualad continues to be a wonderful zen leader figure with a personality similar to Connor Hawke’s. Robin can be cute sometimes. Batman seems to be a likable and capable parent (whereas Clark is totally incompetent as a mentor) which is a rather unique approach and thus compelling for me.
But I still can’t believe they canceled Batman: The Brave and the Bold then put this on. Some episodes are okay but take away any DC comics knowledge and it’s such a flat, phoned-in, mediocre cartoon. I find it dull and it’s a show about some of my favorite characters! It’s like watching cardboard cut-outs walk around spouting cliches much of the time— ‘I am full of feelings and use violence to deal with it.’ ‘I am a horny kid with lame jokes.’ ‘I am an idealistic Pollyanna type.’ So two-dimensional. The adventure aspect isn’t good enough to warrant the slacking on character development they’ve done.
The fanwork has been great though.
I’ve heard a mountain of disdain for people who shop at Walmart, and buckets of contempt for poor people who breed in this world of over-consumption. All the pressure to change the way we live so as to tread more gently on the earth seems to comes down squarely on the backs of the poor, the brown, and the female. But the truth is, the real things we need to change the system have little to do with the average family’s commitment to “reduce, reuse, recycle”.
You can’t look at a tiny slice of the system, the slice of the system with the least ability to change the system, and pin all the responsibility on that slice. You have to look at the system as a whole.
For example, rage all you want about the Walmartification of the world, but are you screaming just as loud about the depressed wages that make Walmart’s cheap goods the only way to feed and clothe a family with less than the median income? You gan grouse all you want about obesity and poor eating habits, are you also looking at the way those same low wages that make Walmart attractive also make a virtuous diet of locally sourced organic meats and produce a possibility? When whinging about overpopulation do you stop and think that those brown women in poor countries who “just need to be taught about family planning” are leaving a miniscule carbon footprint compared to your comfortable first world life?
Hi……………….tumblr………………..
I have been avoiding you. :( It’s not you, it’s me! I’m going through a bit of a rough patch, and have less energy and enthusiasm for the internet than I used to, and I just get so overwhelmed when I can’t keep up with everything that I want to keep up with that I tend to go into hiding instead of learning how to take it easier. But! I really really miss so many of you, and when I had a long discussion about awesome tumblr people with @iamingrid today I realized I just…could not hold back any longer. IDK when I’ll get back to @awyeahtitans proper, or to posting much original content at all, but socializing through furious reblogging? I…I need that in my life again. Really badly. Yes! Hello! What’s up! LINK ME TO ANYTHING THAT ARBITRARILY AND EFFORTLESSLY STRIKES YOU AS REALLY REALLY SPECIAL AND CAN’T-BE-MISSED from the past however many weeks! Since otherwise…I will have missed it! ;__;
This is a mess of a post. But it’s the sentiment that counts, right? And the sentiment is HELLO TUMBLR I MISS YOU(as well as: I must watch East is East sometime omg, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH ARCHIE PANJABI, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE EMMY IT WAS SO FUCKING DESERVED. the good wife comes back sep 23…i cannot wait ahhhhhh)
I FEEL SO ACCOMPLISHED B) CACKLING LIKE A VILLAIN
It’s so nice to have you back here again, sweetnose. Your reblogging? The best reblogging.
A thousand and one internets for you, iamingrid. Awyeahlife, I am so happy to see you back! I do the same thing when I feel stressed, by the way, and there’s no shame in taking a break if you need it. But we’ve missed you around here! Yaaay! *does a happy dance*
FYI everyone, awyeahlife is one of my favorite internet peeps. She’s wonderful. I recommend her as a person (is that allowed?).
…Yeah it was tweaked a bit for the ladies because it was a great opportunity to start a much BIGGER movement. You can still go out and read comics on ANY day, but every movement starts somewhere, no matter how small. And this was how it was chosen to be started.
I think that…
I wanted to have something that I could actually participate in and feel like a part of it for once.
I feel that way every time I walk into a comic shop and get treated like crap for intruding on the boys’ club. That’s a big part of why the Women Reading Comics in Public thing was so great for me and lots of other ladies. The girls of the community came out to party without shame or anxiety. That’s rare!
Of course, I’m still sorry you felt alienated by it. Making you feel the way I feel when assholes exclude me is certainly not something I wanted to do. But this was just women banding together to make one another feel welcome, and it wasn’t meant to be exclusionary. I think most of us celebrate anyone who chooses to go out and read comics in public, vag or no vag. It’s not a takeover. More a great thing ala mode another great thing. Sprinkles on a delicious cupcake. Gravy on a chicken fried steak. Nutella on a sweet strawberry. Other food analogies.
I encourage anyone who wants to add a topping to the sundae to do so. Like Asians Reading Comics Day. Or Gays Reading Comics Day. Or Rabbits Eating Comics Day. WAIT SCRATCH THAT LAST ONE.
I’m sorry your feelings were hurt but I don’t regret celebrating women reading comics. Every day is guys’ day in the CB world. We deserve to carve out a place in the community, and this was a wonderful way to do it. That’s all I have to say on the matter.
And now I’m hungry for some reason, hmm…
I suppose it’s not impossible that part of the inspiration for Jason’s death might have come from Miller’s Dark Knight Returns, although it seems like a big stretch to say this was the “main impetus.”
It is well known that Jim Starlin was the big advocate for killing off Robin. Here’s a quote…
Ugh, that’s disgusting. Yeah, it is insanity to recruit a kid to fight crime with you. But an alien with super strength fighting his exact opposite is pretty crazy too. Or how about robots with emotions? Or a ring that can create giant weapons? Robin has been around since the 1940s. I really hate that someone came in and decided that they should destroy that legacy. Thank goodness it didn’t stick.
I’ve mentioned reacting strongly to images of beauty traditions many times here. I thought I’d articulate why they hit me so deeply. I promise I’m not just spouting things I read in a Women’s Studies class.
Read moreawyeahlongbox asked: Oh my God, I am so excited for our gay mutant academy. (I say "our" because there is NO WAY I am not sticking my finger into that pie.) I've got the school song right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a4gyJsY0mc
YES. THAT SONG IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES. I DID A JUMP ROPE ROUTINE TO IT IN HIGH SCHOOL (lol all girls gym class). IT IS PERFECT FOR OUR SCHOOL FOR GIFTED GAYS AND MUTANTS (AND COOL NON-GAYS LOOKING FOR A FUN TIME).
secretlair-deactivated20110123- asked: um...even if i'm not gay, can i hang out in the gay/mutant academy please?
Yes! Everybody is welcome at the Gay Mutant Academy whether you’re gay or just having a gay old time. Bring snacks! :D
