Girls With Comics

Growing up I developed a deep love and adoration for Archie comics. When I was in the hospital (rather frequently), Archie and his friends always made me feel better. I adore the work of Dan Parent, Rex W. Lindsay and Bill Woggon and wanted to draw just like them. I would spend hours with a sketch book and pencils trying to copy their styles. The character I could only really draw well was Jughead, but he is my favorite so you know.

Dan Parent is easily my favorite Archie artist. I love the way he makes the characters look extra cartoony and just fun. His style is unique, its fluid, and it’s just easy on the eyes. I have a steady collection of OA by him, and I’m always more than happy to pay for them, because he really is one heckuva good artist. His work outside of Archie is pretty awesome and funny too! And, he kind of looks like David Tennant. You simply can not hate someone who kind of  looks like the Doctor. And if you do, you have no soul.

http://www.danparent.com

-Lauren

I feel like this series does not get nearly enough attention. While Archie is still publishing the series (the “manga” Josie was terrible though), and Boomerang is still showing the cartoon, this series is being vastly under-used. Here we have an all girls pop-rock band that goes on amazing adventures and shows that girls can be amazing, yet for some reason no one else thinks this is a good marketing device. Instead we still have Barbie (who is in her own right pretty fucking awesome), and Dora. I hate Dora. It’s cool that she’s teaching kids Spanish, but frankly she sucks.

While there was a (terrible) movie released nearly 10 years, the series has since become a blip on the radar. The series is a fun read, and the cartoons are fun to watch. Just imagine what kind of toys could be made with Josie & The Pussycats;

Josie Rock band
Really awesome dress up stuff
Dolls
Music sheets
Pretend instruments
CD’s

Hell, there could be a traveling show akin to what Dora and Disney on Ice does. The possibilities are endless, and the grooviest thing about this series? It can appeal to a very wide age range, and Josie (much like every other Archie character) can be re-made to fit in with the times. She’s a great character, and the rest of the cast is amazing too. Here’s hoping in 2010 we see more girl power from them.

-Lauren

I’ve been following the new Batgirl series, featuring Stephanie Brown as Batgirl. The series is pretty good since neither Stephanie, nor Barbara Gordon (Oracle) have to rely on Batman and Robin to get the job done. The boys really take a back seat in this series, although they do make an appearance at some point. The relationship between the new Batgirl, as well as the new Batman and Robin is clearly strained, so I don’t see them interacting much in the series. Stephanie is a bright, energetic college student who was “killed off” once before as a different superhero. She is hard-headed, but her heart is in the right place.

What attracts me to Batgirl is that she can fight on her own without the aid of a man. The original Bat-Girl (Betty Kane) was a pesky child who was Batwoman’s side kick, only thrown into the comics as a possible love interest for Robin. A few years after her debut, she was axed from the series, and replaced with Barbara Gordon, the Batgirl most of us are familiar with. Unlike the annoying Betty Kane, Barbara was a career woman who could fight independently. Granted she was inspired by Batman, but she is still strong enough to fight without him.

Batgirl might be at times compared to Wonder Woman, but frankly I find that a bit unfair. Wonder Woman is an Amazon with pretty amazing powers, while Batgirl has always been a regular girl (or well, you know, relatively speaking) who fights for the greater good with what she has. I’ve always admired Batgirl, and this new series is pretty good. If you have not read it yet, I urge you to pick up the first issue and get started!

-Lauren

Two of my favorite men in the comic book world have striking similarities. After a topic on Facebook about who is better (the answer: neither are better), I was inspired to well, write this post.

The basic similarities are there: Both were inspired by some life trauma to become a super hero. Batman’s parents were killed in front of him, while Iron Man was captured and held prisoner in a cave by terrorists. Both decide after that to fight for justice and good, and hence both create characters that they can fight justice as. Tony and Bruce are both rich thanks to what their parents had built before them. Both are seen as play boys, sleeping with loads of women and then kicking them out in the morning (per say).

Both have a network of allies, and foes who can double as such. Robin, War Machine, Pepper Pots, Alfred, Catwoman and Black Widow. Both are a part of a team of super heroes. Both also built their primary weapon in a cave. While Stark went on to re-build his Iron Man suit in a more suitable setting, Wayne decided to stick with his good old Batcave. What Iron Man lacks however, is sweet as rides. Batman has the Batmobile, the Batchopper, the Batcycle, a submarine, a boat, a plane, and possible a seahorse just for the hell of it. Iron Man’s suit is his primary mode of transportation, which really cuts down on space inside of his never-ending mansion.

What Iron Man is not, is a bad ass detective. Before Batman had all of his awesome gadgets, he was an actual detective. He had to use his brain to figure things out, and still does. Iron Man relies heavily on his armour, but he’s still a smart guy. What Stark has, that Wayne doesn’t, is a love for alcohol. Wayne on the other hand seems to be the last stop before any of his allies die. I’m not sure which is worse.

At the end of the day, I like both. I prefer Batman to Iron Man, but they are frankly the same guy.

-Lauren