DoomWar #5
Reed – We have nothing that is actionable in world court. To invade Latveria without substantive proof would be an act of war.
T’Challa – I don’t care about proving it, Reed. This has gone too far to play politics.
X-Campus #1
Professor Magnus – Democracy is a misunderstanding but it’s not up tp us to make people see that!
Official Press Release
A New Generation of Hope
Don’t miss the stunning emergence of a new generation of heroes this July in Uncanny X-Men #526.
UNCANNY X-MEN #526 (MAY100634)
“THE FIVE LIGHTS” PART 1
Written by MATT FRACTION
Penciled by WHILCE PORTACIO
Cover by TERRY DODSON
Backup Story by ALLAN HEINBERG & OLIVIER COIPEL
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC – 7/8/10, On Sale 7/28/10
We’ve been fascinated by real life super heroes and we’re not talking cops and firemen. We’re referring to people who put on spandex and fight crime in the real world. A college student in Columbia, Tenn. is putting on spandex and fighting crime through his alter ego, Viper. While Viper normally reports the crime he witnesses to police, last week he found himself in hot water for violating a city ordinance banning masks in public.
According to WishTV 8:
Authorities say he was carrying a utility belt that was holding a screwdriver and wrenches. They say they also found ninja stars in his car.
The police let the super hero go, but encouraged him to leave the crime fighting to the professionals, the police.
While we normally have a net positive amount of new tickets in, this week we actually saw a decrease in overall outstanding tickets on top of the others we turned and burned for the week.
We closed out a total of 32 tickets this week and had an decrease of 1 more still outstanding tickets for a net of -33 tickets for the week.
Here’s where each of the Node and Enterprise clients stand of the beginning of this week:
Corporate Accountability
|
Open |
Pending |
Bug |
Inquiry |
Feature |
Solved |
|
|
Corp Account |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Of Note: Nothing of note for this past week.
Major Concern/Issue: Still waiting on the custom field weighting issue. The form generator might be a solution, but wanted to see if Surfrider has more suggestions before going this route. They also want more social network integration.
DSCC
|
DSCC |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
50 |
Of Note: Nothing crazy to report from the DSCC, helped Jason with some account creation and roles/permissions. The main DSCC seems to have calmed down about email deliverability.
Major Concern/Issue: Campaigns are now the most vocal about email deliverability. Press releases not reaching press contacts have cropped up again as an issue.
Equality Federation
|
Eq Fed |
1 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
60 |
Of Note: I continue help the stragglers with their switch over and we’re manually pushing contributions. Trainings begin this week for them this week.
Major Concern/Issue: The append script is still the big issue. I am going through org by org to figure out if it’s their data or the script itself. The amount matched is all over the place with some orgs getting 99% at the state and federal level and others nowhere near that.
EWG
|
EWG |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
Of Note: Pretty quiet, I’m going over to their office at some point to run Colleen through email list quality check.
Major Concern/Issue: Email, email, email!
Forest Ethics
|
Forest Ethics |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
Of Note: Just answered the new person’s questions. Corrine had her baby this weekend too.
Major Concern/Issue: Just answering questions for their new person.
Free Tibet
|
Free Tibet |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
Of Note: Nada, they are happy as can be.
Major Concern/Issue: Nothing.
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
|
Greater Philly |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Of Note: We can’t get a hold of them.
Major Concern/Issue: Both Matt and I have reached out numerous times and in numerous ways and they don’t respond.
HSUS
|
HSUS |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
28 |
Of Note: Lots of work for James, we’re still working out the best way to differentiate their priorities especially when it comes to differentiating features and bugs.
Major Concern/Issue: Not a ton, it’s mostly tweaks to the organizing platform.
Human Rights
|
Human Rights |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
Of Note: Nothing of note, pretty quiet.
Major Concern/Issue: Nothing of note, pretty quiet.
LCV
|
LCV |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Of Note: Being removed from reports.
LWV
|
LWV |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
18 |
Of Note: Very quiet. I helped the LCV NY chapter a bit with questions.
Major Concern/Issue: Nothing major, the do it yourself url shortener will go over real well with them.
OCA
|
OCA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
Of Note: Same as last week – They’re time as an enterprise client is coming up, I suggest we extend it as a lot of their issues won’t be solved for a while. They have very specific membership needs that need to be worked through and the “form generator” should be able to help with some of this.
Major Concern/Issue: Same as last week – They are really into chapters and the fact the chapter field can’t be used like normal fields and added to a page complicates things. That’s been added as a feature request. They also have some long term event needs and membership management needs I’m helping them through.
Oceana
|
Oceana |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
18 |
Of Note: Just helped them with some questions about actions and best way to submit tickets.
Major Concern/Issue: Working on their reporting from emails still.
Surfrider
|
Surfrider |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
Of Note: Sent on the latest version of the form builder to them waiting to hear back. I followed up with Mark about their listserv feature request. Still waiting to hear back about the form builder.
Major Concern/Issue: Listservs and preventing bouncebacks.
True Majority
|
True Majority |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
Of Note: Nothing of note.
Major Concern/Issue: Nothing of note.
Official Press Release
Your First Look At Secret Avengers #3!
Marvel is proud to present your first look at Secret Avengers #3, from superstar writer Ed Brubaker and red-hot artist Mike Deodato! While trying to save one of their own, Steve Rogers’ Secret Avengers, make a startling discovery beneath the surface of Mars that’s connected to the Shadow Empire and the history of the Marvel Universe! The Heroic Age continues to drop jaws everywhere and it’s up to the megastar cast of Secret Avengers to help protect it! Can Steve’s team save Nova and stop the Shadow Empire at the same time? Find out in Secret Avengers #3!
SECRET AVENGERS #3 (MAY100571)
SECRET AVENGERS #3 DEODATO VARIANT (MAY100572)
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Penciled by MIKE DEODATO
Wraparound Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Variant Cover by MIKE DEODATO
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC – 7/8/10, On-Sale – 7/28/10
The reaction to the recent costume change of Wonder Woman has been all over the place with a lot of visceral reaction. Fox News claimed the look was the encroachment of globalism and anti-American.
Author Mark Whittington would seem to agree with Fox. But he doesn’t think Wonder Woman’s change isn’t isolated, but is part of a larger trend:
There is a disturbing trend in American pop culture that is de-Americanizing some of its most iconic figures and making them more — well — international.
Superman no longer fights for the “American way” and G.I. Joe are no longer “Great American heroes.” Nevermind, Superman is an illegal immigrant and would be chased away by numerous Americans for stealing their jobs, Wonder Woman is an Amazonian and G.I. Joe was an international force in it’s cartoon form. Whittington things the red, white and blue costume and she fought Nazi’s is enough to claim her as an American. By that definition, a French resistance fighter is American too.
The Western Front feels the update of the costume doesn’t wipe out years of sexism. Their take is the way Wonder Woman was dressed (among how most women in comics are depicted) sets up unrealistic expectations and perceptions of women in boys.
The problem with that argument is even though Wonder Woman was wearing a swimsuit with unrealistic physical proportions, she also dominated men. Her’s was a theme of submission to women. If the look would influence young males, why wouldn’t this as well? And think of the stereotypical comic book reader. Do you picture the alpha male who treats women badly with unrealistic expectations in looks? Or do you picture a geeky kid with pimples who can’t talk to a woman?
Also, where does that leave the unrealistic exaggeration of the men in comic books? It’s not like they’re in a more realistic proportion or don’t set up an expectation in behavior that can’t be met in reality.
And in the end, aren’t comic books the modern day myths started by our ancestors like the Greeks and Romans (among others)?
And finally James Hudnall with the conservative Big Hollywood goes all over the place. His first argument is that the issue with Wonder Woman is that she’s inherently anti-man, which puts him opposite of the spectrum with The Western Front. Hudnall thinks that since most comic readers are male, they just don’t like Wonder Woman and she’s part of the “PC crowd and leftists” conspiracy of protected classes. That she represents that women are just better than men.
Hudnall also thinks that the character is uninteresting and lacks personality. Something, from the few Wonder Woman comics I’ve read do agree with. He feels we’re just not given a reason to invest in the character.
And finally Hudnall feels she’s too much of a hodgepodge in her background and origin and nothing stands out. This is the opposite of his first argument that she does stand out since she’s “anti-man.” The problem with this is, very few comic book characters are original. Superman is a mix of Jewish history and Greek mythology. Batman is a mix of numerous characters, Captain Marvel’s famous saying SHAZAM spells out everything he’s based off of.
Bleeding Cool has a follow up from various people in the industry going back and forth about Hudnall’s article.
That’s just a small sampling of various opinions of what’s wrong with Wonder Woman, all of it digging into more than just a costume. So, what do you all think? Sound off in the comments below.
Official Press Release
Your First Look At Fantastic Four #581!
Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Fantastic Four #581, from superstar writer Jonathan Hickman along with talented artist Neil Edwards! Nathaniel Richards makes his triumphant return for a mission only he can lead. With the future at stake, Nathaniel must travel to the college years of Reed, Ben, and Victor Von Doom to recruit them for an impossible undertaking – but will he succeed? Find out in the generation-spanning must-read Fantastic Four #581!
FANTASTIC FOUR #581 (MAY100594)
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by NEIL EDWARDS
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
Rated T+ …$2.99
FOC – 7/8/10, On-Sale – 7/28/10
Much is being written about the recent changes to Wonder Woman with a lot of glossing over of the history of the characters creation. Here’s the condensed version of her history and her creator Dr. William Moulton Marston.
Dr. Marston was born in 1893 and passed away in 1947. He was an American psychologist, feminist theorist, teacher and inventor (he invented one of the components to the polygraph) on top of his famous comic book creation.
In 1928 he published Emotions of Normal People, among his theories was a “male notion of freedom that is inherently anarchic and violent, and an opposing female notion based on “Love Allure” that leads to an ideal state of submission to loving authority.”
Marston also lived a polyamorous life with his wife Elizabeth Holloway Marston and Olive Byrne a former student.
The creation of Wonder Woman has a lot to do with Elizabeth (though it is said both women influenced the character greatly). According to a Fall 2001 issue of the Boston University alumni magazine:
William Moulton Marston, a psychologist already famous for inventing the polygraph (forerunner to the magic lasso), struck upon an idea for a new kind of superhero, one who would triumph not with fists or firepower, but with love. ‘Fine,’ said Elizabeth. ‘But make her a woman.
In a 1943 issue of The American Scholar, Marston wrote:
Not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power. Not wanting to be girls, they don’t want to be tender, submissive, peace-loving as good women are. Women’s strong qualities have become despised because of their weakness. The obvious remedy is to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus the allure of a good and beautiful woman.
The character was intended to be a mix of strength, power, submission and tenderness. There are numerous themes of submission in Marston’s writing of the character (later writers would downplay it). Marston’s beliefs included that women are naturally submissive, but that submission to women is a world-saving practice and hoped for a matriarchal society.
The only hope for peace is to teach people who are full of pep and unbound force to enjoy being bound … Only when the control of self by others is more pleasant than the unbound assertion of self in human relationships can we hope for a stable, peaceful human society. … Giving to others, being controlled by them, submitting to other people cannot possibly be enjoyable without a strong erotic element.
Marston truly felt give the male readers someone to submit to, and they would.
On Sunday reports started rolling in that a lot of strange apps began to rise in the rankings on the iTunes app store and at the same time reports of accounts being hacked also came in (not to us, but other sites). 42 out of 50 of the top books by revenue belonged to Thuat Nguyen, whose company website (“mycompany”) leads to parked site http://www.home.com.
But what does this have to do with comic books!? Well, Nguyen sure likes to violate copyright (we’re not going to speculate if he’s the one behind the credit card fraud) since a lot of the cover art for his “books” are from Dragon Ball.
If you receive a receipt from iTunes from Sunday, make sure to double check your purchases.
(via Engadget)
William F. Nolan, the creator of Logan’s Run, continues his reading of Bluewater Production comics, this time Fame: Lady Gaga.
This could be one of the funniest promotions I’ve seen for a comic book in a long time. William F. Nolan, the creator of Logan’s Run, reads Fame: Robert Pattinson which is produced by Bluewater Productions.
