The final in our Meet the Board series of interviews introduces webmistress Betty Maxson.

What are your responsibilities?

The Holy Grail! Um. I mean, “I attend meetings, and carry out the duties assigned to me.” I also run the website.

What experience do you have?

I have been computer-wrangling for a while, and I have a BA in International Development. I also have volunteer experience, helping at a service organization that aids immigrants, and refugees, and doing tech-support and general gopher work for the Anishnawbe-Aski nation.

How did you become involved with Girl-Wonder.org?

I took over responsibility for the maintenance and operation of the site in 2007 when Mary Borsellino’s health began to prevent her from giving it the attention she wished to.

What do you most hope to achieve for Girl-Wonder.org?

That it become a vital, self-sustaining organization which fans, especially female fans, could rely on to meet their needs with regards to gender issues in comics.

How would you respond to falling into a pit of radioactive waste that gave you inexplicable powers instead of cancer?

Well, what sort of inexplicable powers are you talking about? The ability to grow a luxuriant mustache would probably not cause any particular change in my lifestyle.

Complete: If kidnapped by a cackling supervillain in the service of tormenting my heroic significant other(s), I would –

Kick him (because, you know, I find myself assuming he’s a him– somehow these sorts of villains seem to be) in the head and go looking for his swiss bank account number. I assume he just leaves it lying around, since he doesn’t seem very competent. I mean, he let me kick him in the head.

The penultimate in our series of interviews with Girl-Wonder.org members features Rachel Edidin, who you will know from the blog Inside, Out.

What are your Board responsibilities?

I participate in board meetings and decision making; I also serve on the incorporation, publications, public relations, and scholarship committees and chair the product development / merchandising committee. I’m also one of Girl-Wonder’s media representatives and have coordinated our presence at several conventions. Because I work in the comics industry, I’ve ended up playing industry liaison a bit, as well.

What experience do you have?

I work in the comics industry and am also active as a freelance journalist and writer and an independent scholar. I’ve spent a good deal of my life involved in social and political activist work and underground and self-publishing. I’m also a co-founder and current president of Sequential Heart, a comics nonprofit that collects overstock and nick ‘n dent comics and donates them to programs and shelters for homeless youth.

How did you become involved with Girl-Wonder.org?

I stumbled across Girl-Wonder.org shortly after it was founded; I believe I was looking for fan responses to rape in comics.

What do you most hope to achieve for Girl-Wonder.org?

WORLD DOMINATION. Nah, seriously, I’d like to see us function dually, as a watchdog for misogyny and sexism in comics and in the comics industry; and as an advocate for positive and progressive portrayals of gender in comics, and for women and feminists in comics as industry professionals, fans, scholars, and characters. One of our greatest strengths is that we bring together people who are involved in comics from a wide range of radically different angles, and I think it’s vital that we keep that diversity as we develop.

How would you respond to falling into a pit of radioactive waste that gave you inexplicable powers instead of cancer?

Depends on the powers, I suppose. I’d probably still check in with a doctor, since I’m allergic to bloody near everything.

Complete: If kidnapped by a cackling supervillain in the service of tormenting my heroic significant other(s), I would -

Argue my kidnapper down with a stunning display of rhetorical acrobatics, then take my heroic significant other(s) out for ice cream and reassurance.

If you have more questions for Rachel, ask them here!

The next in our series of interviews introducing the Girl-Wonder.org Board of Directors reveals the secrets behind the genius of Hannah Dame. Hannah also has a guest column up at GRC this week!

What are your Board responsibilities?

I handle most media inquires, promotion of the organization, and various different public relations duties. I’m also a co-host and producer of our podcast, Four Color Heroines.

What experience do you have?

I’ve written for or produced content at several newspapers, including the Tuscaloosa News and soon the Anniston Star. As a journalist, I tend to specialize in new media or online work, especially video. I am also active in LGBT outreach and education, participating in and developing curricula for Safe Zone and diversity education programs/panels.

How did you become involved with Girl-Wonder.org?

I was introduced to it around August 2006 by a very good friend of mine, but did not start participating until around October of that year.

What do you most hope to achieve for Girl-Wonder.org?

Since my role is mostly promotion of the organization, I would love to see G-W.org develop a major, noticeable con presence (even if it’s only in flyering) through a network of dedicated individuals. I’d like to be able to go to a convention with my Girl-Wonder.org shirt and immediately have a broad range of people recognize the logo.

How would you respond to falling into a pit of radioactive waste that gave you inexplicable powers instead of cancer?

By practicing lots of self-important posing in front of my bathroom mirror. Having the right pose is important!

Complete: If kidnapped by a cackling supervillain in the service of tormenting my heroic significant other(s), I would –

Cleverly free my heroic significant others and defeat said supervillain through the power of moralizing on the necessity of teamwork. Preferably with large multi-colored explosions in the background.

If you have more questions for Hannah, ask them here!

The next in our series of Meet The Board interviews introduces Jessica Plummer, (or Poison Ivory on the forums).

What are your responsibilities?

I chair the incorporation committee and participate in general Board meetings and discussion. I also run Super. Girl., a Girl-Wonder subsite.

What experience do you have?

I’ve contributed to several publications as a writer, cartoonist, and editor. I also wrote both of my undergraduate theses on comics.

How did you become involved with Girl-Wonder.org?

I was around right from the start, when Mary Borsellino said “Hmm, I’m thinking of buying this domain…” and I asked for space on it.

What do you most hope to achieve for Girl-Wonder.org?

I’d love to see us become better equipped to support fledging female creators, both directly and because the industry will have become more accepting. I’d like to see us forge stronger ties with other diversity-oriented groups in comics fandom. I’d like to see more diverse, respectful portrayals of female characters in the comics I pick up in the store and know that our voices have been heard. And I want a little girl to be able to tie a towel around her neck and not have anyone tell her she can’t have that dream.

How would you respond to falling into a pit of radioactive waste that gave you inexplicable powers instead of cancer?

There’d probably be some indeterminate time period of dancing around and squealing before I whipped up a sensible spandex number and started stopping muggers in their tracks (plus delivering a stern talking-to to the amoral, cigar-chewing corporate fatcat who left that radioactive waste there for me to fall into, presumably after I got too close his Deep Dark Secret). I guess I’d also have to start wearing my glasses in my civilian identity, which is a total bummer.

Complete: If kidnapped by a cackling supervillain in the service of tormenting my heroic significant other(s), I would –

…demand to know why I hadn’t been kidnapped for my own intrinsic worth and give said supervillain a crash course on feminism. And then punch him. Or her. Or [insert appropriate pronoun here]. Either way there’d be punching.

More questions for Jessica? Ask them here!

The next in our series of interviews with the Girl-Wonder.org Board of Directors introduces Publications co-ordinator Jenn Fang.

What experience do you have?

I grew up reading comic books. As a blogger, I’ve been interested in the intersection between race & gender politics, and pop culture. At my blog, reappropriate.com, I discuss in detail how the representation of women and people of colour in comic books affects the formation of our racial and gender-based political identities. I’m also webmaster of The Outsiders, a comprehensive listing of Asian/Asian American characters in comics.

How did you become involved with Girl-Wonder.org?

I really started getting involved recently, as the board decided to become formalized as a non-profit organization. I’m very interested in encouraging new, up-and-coming comic book artists and writers to get involved in the industry, and help improve the diversity of folks making comic books.

What do you most hope to achieve for Girl-Wonder.org?

As described above, I would like to use Girl-Wonder.org as a launchpad for helping aspiring writers and artists get more involved. I’d also like to help expand our understanding of comic books by making discussions of race and gender in comic books more inclusive of minority communities.

How would you respond to falling into a pit of radioactive waste that gave you inexplicable powers instead of cancer?

That would be awesome! But, since my secret identity involves being a cancer researcher, it would be even more awesome if I fell into a pit of radioactive waste that gave me the power to cure cancer!

Complete: If kidnapped by a cackling supervillain in the service of tormenting my heroic significant other(s), I would -

play the distressed love interest, swoon and faint weakly and melodramatically, and lull the supervillain into telling me his villainous plans, then I would use my amazing cancer-curing powers to give the supervillain a massive cerebral tumour that caused him to hallucinate an endlessly repeating revival of “Rent” starring a pair of anthropomorphic cockatoos, destroy his earth-shattering laser that he was using to hold the cities of the world hostage, and make my own heroine-ic escape.

More questions for Jenn? Ask them here!

The third in the on-going series of interviews with Girl-Wonder.org’s Board of Directors introduces treasurer Leslie Carroll, also known on the forums as Caribou.

What are your Board responsibilities?

First and foremost the treasurer, but I am also on the merchandising committee and I act as the liaison between the Board and the forum moderators at Girl-wonder.org

What experience do you have?

My very first experiences with NPOs and activism was as a volunteer with the now defunct NPO, National Iguana Awareness Day. Every year, I organized an event at the local library that basically persuaded people from buying iguanas as pets. Iguanas are remarkable animals, but certainly not pets for everyone!

How did you become involved with Girl-Wonder.org?

Mostly through my activity on the Girl-wonder.org forums, and my work as a moderator on those forums.

What do you most hope to achieve for Girl-Wonder.org?

I hope that Girl-Wonder.org continues to be a consciousness raising group of individuals when it comes to diversity in comics and comics fandom. I also hope that we can become a group who can support women and minority creators in the comics industry, and that one day people will stop asking me, “Why don’t women read comics?” (Answer: We do.)

How would you respond to falling into a pit of radioactive waste that gave you inexplicable powers instead of cancer?

After weeks of having fun playing practical jokes on the people who have antagonized me or made my life difficult (Comcast, I am looking in your direction) I would have some really devastating tragedy befall my life which would make me realize that I should be using my powers for something useful, not just writing SURRENDER DOROTHY in giant smoke letters in the sky. I would be a successful crime fighter, but despite my achievements in my secret double life, I would still dance funny and have days where I’m horrible at pool.

Complete: If kidnapped by a cackling supervillain in the service of tormenting my heroic significant other(s), I would –

Ohhh no. Messing with Caribou’s friends is crossing the line. I would clobber the supervillain while he’s in the middle of his monologue about his silly ingenious plan, and then save my friends while he’s crawling on the floor looking for his teeth. And I would totally steal the turkey sandwich he was looking forward to for lunch and eat it in front of him on my way out.

More questions for Caribou? Ask them here!

The second in this on-going series of interviews with the Girl-Wonder.org Board of Directors features Secretary Elena Raquel Kamenetzky, better known on the forums as Nenena.

What are your Board responsibilities?

I’m the Secretary, so that means that I record things. I write up meeting agendas and meeting minutes, count votes during elections, etc. I also serve on the merchandise committee.

What experience do you have?

I’ve been writing about media including comics, on both a blog and in academic settings, for the past ten years. I wrote my undergraduate thesis about shoujo manga. I’ve also been creating and maintaining various internet fansites since I was in high school. As a teacher, I use comics to help teach literacy and language skills. I did a term of service with AmeriCorps, during which I learned a lot about on-the-ground grassroots activism, and a little bit about how to write grant requests. I also have some experience with volunteer coordination, and held a post in my college’s community service office for one year. Finally, last year I somehow ended up chairing the committee that wrote our charter and other documents necessary for incorporation. It was my first experience doing something like that, and I learned a lot from it.

How did you become involved with Girl-Wonder.org?

I remember hearing about the site when it was first founded, and started reading Karen Healey’s column regularly. Eventually I registered for the forums, and the first post that I ever wrote was kind of… concern troll-ish, if I do say so myself. But I’ve learned a lot since then!

What do you most hope to achieve for Girl-Wonder.org?

I really hope that we become a significant force for reaching out to and supporting a huge and diverse group of female comic creators. And of course, the more that we can get people thinking and talking about depictions of women and minorities in comics, the better. Girl-Wonder is a feminist organization, and feminism should be about countering all forms of oppression, not just sexism. I think we’ve taken positive steps in the direction of addressing more issues of diversity in comics, but we still have a long ways to go.

How would you respond to falling into a pit of radioactive waste that gave you inexplicable powers instead of cancer?

I would moonlight as a superhero, of course. What, did you expect me to say “become a supervillain” or “do nothing”?

Complete: If kidnapped by a cackling supervillain in the service of tormenting my heroic significant other(s), I would -

Regret never having studied any martial arts.

More questions for Nenena? Ask her here!

Welcome to the first in a series of interviews with the mysterious hooded figures who control Girl-Wonder.org from their secret stronghold hidden within Mt Taranaki. Or, as they are known on the internets, the Girl-Wonder.org Board of Directors!

First up is the President, Karen Healey. That is me.

What are your Board responsibilities?

Being President means that I’m responsible for chairing Board meetings, keeping in the know with what committee chairs and other Board members are up to, and generally being aware of what Girl-Wonder.org people are doing when. Mostly this involves a lot of emailing and waking up at 3am, certain I’ve forgotten something vital.

What experience do you have?

Well, I’ve been bossy all my life. I also have formal experience in committee management and grant application from years of university drama clubbing. I’ve been blogging for eight years, and blogging at Girl-Wonder.org for nearly two. I’m also writing my PhD on superhero comics as a fan-created text.

How did you become involved with Girl-Wonder.org?

Mary Borsellino put out the call and I said “Mary, can I write a column about how angry this stuff makes me?” and she said “Yes! Please do that!”. (And, as I am ever astonished and grateful, a lot of people seemed to find that worth reading.) After that I started getting more and more involved with the forum management and policy creation, and threw my hat into the ring when elections came up.

What do you most hope to achieve for Girl-Wonder.org?

Business-wise, I want us legal; incorporation as a non-profit organisation is a huge priority, and coming along nicely! Ideologically, I want Girl-Wonder.org to expand; to include more creators, more genres, and a wider spectrum of feminisms that tackles the cultural status of women that mainstream feminism has often let down.

How would you respond to falling into a pit of radioactive waste that gave you inexplicable powers instead of cancer?

I would tell everyone within range of my internets. I would be physically incapable of preventing myself from finding the nearest connected computer and typing a string of exclamation marks and ASCI hearts.

Then I’d convince my mother to make me a supersuit by promising to come home for Christmas and do all the laundry.

Complete: If kidnapped by a cackling supervillain in the service of tormenting my heroic significant other(s), I would-

- use my cunning knowledge of the psychotic psyche (gained from reading Batman and watching Criminal Minds) to engender a crippling case of Stockholm Syndrome in my captor, whereupon she would peacefully surrender to the authorities before my heroic significant other got there.

Then we would go out for cake.

- - - - -

Desperately curious about just how annoying the incorporation process is? Want to know what kind of cake Karen prefers? Other questions?

Ask them here!