Fangirls Around the Web: July 6
Consetta Parker of Parker Publicity used the spirit of the Fourth of July holiday to remind fans about Cat Taber’s great charity Games for Soldiers, which sends video games to the troops overseas.
Set to Stunning features a DYI geek chic Star Wars dress created by “Scruffy Rebel” Victoria Schmidt. I’m a big fan of the purple necklace she added as a finishing touch.
Going to San Diego Comic Con? Amy Ratcliffe posted her convention tips. If you’re in San Diego, you might want to check out Erin Gray at the Buck Rogers panel. Colonel Wilma Deering, folks!
Want to create your own strong female character? AOL Video is hosting a fantastic series of videos of real life strong women. Newswoman Christiane Amanpour, who has reported from war zones, discusses how she manages fear: a lesson learned from her riding instructor. I recommend checking them out.
Max Nicholson at IGN reviews Season 1 of The Legend of Korra, then muses about next season. I agree, more Linzin please. It’s not about the ‘ship, folks, because really there isn’t one; it’s about life choices. Lin is one of the best and most respectful portrayals of a woman who is career-driven that I have seen in storytelling.
Gail Simone – an important voice in the movement to create more equality for female characters – posted a message on her Tumblr that is a must read. I’ll highlight my favorite part:
I have read many, many of these first-time published efforts and often, even though some are absolutely at pro-levels of production, and have very costly printing and presentation, they lack a purpose, they merely emulate successful comics that already exist, ie., DC, Marvel, Walking Dead, Hellboy, whatever.
I can’t stress this enough. HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
I came into comics with one hidden agenda: I wanted to create some new female characters that would add to the universes I wrote for. I wanted the next generation of young girls to have more choices of character types to root for and identify with. I wanted to try to undo some damage from the Women in Refrigerators era. That was always in my mind.
To that end, I created Mary Zero, Black Alice, Misfit, Scandal Savage, Jeannette, Outlaw, and lots of other female characters to try to make that happen.
As I talked to more readers and learned to look a little wider than my own experience, my mission opened up, and I wanted to create more diversity in general, because that’s sorely lacking and the readers deserve it.
But there was a goal beyond just recreating other stuff. There was a POV. It changes a little from book to book, but there is a message. Whether it’s effective or not, that’s up to the readers, not the author. But there IS something to say.
Finally, how about another mini-excerpt from the upcoming Star Wars book X-Wing: Mercy Kill? This one features Myri Antilles.
“Myri, I thought you were making your living gambling. Nice and safe on the Errant Venture. Making a fortune, from what I heard.”She nodded, her attention on her rifle.“So? Why this?”She smiled. “You must be so proud.”“What? Of whom?”“That’s what they tell me. Mostly about Daddy. ‘Wedge Antilles’s daughter? You must be so proud.’ And I am. Some people know about Mom’s career. ‘You must be so proud.’ And I am. Some people know about my sister’s record in the last war. ‘You must be so proud.’ Yes, yes, I am. But maybe it’s time for someone to be proud of what I do. Maybe even me.”
Tricia Barr's novel, Wynde, won the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Award Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Ebook. She was also part of Silence in the Library's successful all-female creator science fiction and fantasy anthology Athena's Daughters, which is available now. For excerpts and tales of her adventures in creating a fictional universe, hop over to TriciaBarr.com.
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