Nerdy News: Thor Goes Fem!

Today, CBS News released the following article:


 "Perhaps Thor's nickname should be revised to the Goddess of Thunder.
Marvel Comics announced Tuesday that one of its most popular superheroes will be re-envisioned as a woman.
"The inscription on Thor's hammer reads 'Whosoever holds this hammer, if HE be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.' Well it's time to update that inscription," Marvel editor Wil Moss said in a statement. "The new Thor continues Marvel's proud tradition of strong female characters like Captain Marvel, Storm, Black Widow and more."
Moss wanted to make it clear to readers that the new incarnation of Thor will still be the same superhero and not a feminized off-shoot, like Batwoman.
"This new Thor isn't a temporary female substitute -- she's now the one and only Thor, and she is worthy," Moss explained.
Jason Aaron, who will be writing the new "Thor" series, echoed those sentiments.
"This is not She-Thor. This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is Thor. This is the Thor of the Marvel Universe. But it's unlike any Thor we've ever seen before," Aaron said.
Details about Thor's background and her connection to the planet Asgard and the Marvel Universe as a whole will be revealed with her official debut in the comic book series in October.
Marvel's gender swap announcement reflects an ongoing trend in the comic book industry to bring in readers with shocking twists involving long-beloved characters.
On Monday, Archie Comics announced that its namesake would be shot to death while trying to protect a gay friend."

Personally, I'm really excited about this! However, it's not for any specific reason other than basic human psychology. I'm not going to say "it's about time". Personally, I have never felt that women are looked down upon or underrepresented in the comic book world. The genre has its share of heroines and vital female roles. Females aren't withheld from the spotlight. What I'm excited about is the fact that males and females see situations differently. They react differently. They feel differently about different emotional triggers. It's really interesting that Marvel is making a point of stating that the new female character WILL BE Thor. She's not a sidekick...she's not by any other name. She's picking up the hammer and stepping into big shoes. What's going to be interesting is to see how this plays out and how she handles the pressure. I can't wait.

The Weird: Giant Squid

I always get PUMPED when I read about new discoveries. Archeological, astronomical, whatever. This "The Weird" is about my ABSOLUTE favorite type of discoveries: nautical! There is SO much of the ocean yet to be discovered and examined. The fact that we know more about outer space than our oceans both excites and saddens me. A GIANT SQUID was discovered recently, at 300 feet down (really...it's NOT that far when you consider the depth of the ocean). It weighed in at over 300 pounds and and was 12 feet long! How INSANE is that?! The first recorded live giant squid was in 2006, so this creature is fairly new in our range of understanding. What excites me most about this is that this could be a baby! These guys aren't the stuff of legend for no reason! I almost want to go out on a boat and beg one to come sink me!

"Bad Houses" = Good Read!

My daily/weekly/monthly comic/graphic novel intake is higher than the norm, so when I find something that interests me, it REALLY interests me. Over the years, it's easy to start identifying patterns. My biggest issue has been making mental categories that I automatically place works into as I'm reading. Today, I read a FANTASTIC graphic novel that may have caused the birth of a new category. Before I go much farther, though, let me give you a run down of "Bad Houses" by Sara Ryan and Carla Speed McNeil.

The novel opens with the introduction to the concept of "estate sales". I've always seen signage for these types of things, but I never really cared to grasp what EXACTLY an estate sale is. In this introduction, we meet Lewis Gilbert, the son of an estate sale guru: his mother and boss. During one such estate sale, enter Anne Cole. Think "Scott Pilgrim"'s Ramona and you've got her general feel down. Anne, new to the estate sale scene, is overwhelmed by the fact that personal objects...specific to the lives of the family of the deceased...are viewed only as price tags. It's when Lewis find Anne crying over an album of family photos that the contrast of two mindsets is most striking.

As a psychology minor, I'm fascinated by "Bad Houses" because in a way, it examines how humans form attachment or apathy and how society encourages or discourages the attitude. Whether it's relationships with the objects of others, the relationship that people form with their own items, or the relationship taken to extremes, the graphic novel touches on all of them.

The Price of Living!

Hey everyone! I came across these graphics today. Do you agree? What would you change? How?Which graphic do you think is most accurate?

Evel Knievel is BACK (Well....sortof)!

Any kid who grew up during the 70s  sat in front of the television "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing over the completely ludicrous acts of adrenalline performed by Evel Knievel. New generations...the generations of today...may have never heard his name...let alone know his legacy! This is where the comic artform is beautiful. Times and people and personalities gone past can be documented in an artistic and visual way. This is especially important when it comes to kids who struggle with reading or kids who need to "see" it happening to understand the order and process. Now, the feats of Evel Knievel (although glamorized and in totally different situations!) are preserved in this format forever! I personally, am VERY excited! As a child I listened to my mom talk about him and it wasn't until later when she called me by his name (for some random stunt I had pulled!) that I really wondered WHO he was and WHAT he did. Check out the official press release:

Daredevil Evel Knievel, who literally soared to fame with death-defying motorcycle stunts, will be battling snake monsters and other evil-doers in a comic book series to be launched late this year. The comic books, along with a graphic novel, will be published by Bluewater Productions of Vancouver, Washington, in both paper and digital form. Written by Michael Dorman and Darren Davis will feature art and covers by Dorman as well. Alternate covers will be by “William Shatner: TekWar” artist Erich Owens.

Darren G. Davis, President and Editor in Chief of Bluewater Productions, says “our aim is to keep the legacy of Evel Knievel alive, presenting an homage to this amazing man that will appeal to adults who followed his career years ago, and introducing him to new fans among today’s teenagers.”
Knievel, whom the New York Times called “the quintessential daredevil performer,” was known both for making seemingly impossible jumps and for spectacular, bone-fracturing crashes – after which he would get back on his motorcycle and jump even farther.