The idea has long been dormant, but Girl-Wonder.org has finally officially launched the Female-Friendly Comic Book Store Map. The map judges stores based on four different criteria: treatment of feminist/female customers by staff, title variety, openness of staff to suggestions from feminist/female customers, and material on display.

Interested in submitting a store to the map? Please fill out the form below the map. In the event that the form doesn’t work for you, please email Elena Kamenetzky at elena.kamenetzky@girl-wonder.org.

Following recent reports of physical and verbal harassment of convention attendees, Girl-Wonder.org has founded the Con Anti-Harassment Project.

The project is a grass-roots campaign designed to help make conventions safer for all attendees. Our aims are to encourage fandom, geek community and other non-business conventions to establish, articulate and act upon anti-harassment policies, especially sexual harassment policies, and to encourage mutual respect among convention attendees, guests and staff.

Aimed at both activism and support, the project offers a database of conventions, both national and global, harassment policy creation tips for convention organizers, and a moderated safe-space forum for people to talk about their experiences of or witnessing of harassment.

Template letters are also provided for those looking to find out more about a convention’s established harassment policies or request the convention include a clear anti-sexual harassment policy, or praise a con for including one.

All Girl-Wonder.org convention tables are designated as safe spaces. Staff will be happy to provide support and answer any questions a convention attendee may have.

Following the success of last year’s auction thanks to the amazing generosity of the comics community, Girl-Wonder.org is happy to announce the second Art Et Cetera auction. The web-based auction will be held from October 6-12 and donations are now being accepted.

Art Et Cetera accepts everything, from comics-inspired jewelry to one-of-a-kind dolls to artist commissions to original superhero artwork. Due to legal issues, submitting fanart of licensed characters or character emblems is strongly discouraged. However, all pieces submitted will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Art Et Cetera is the major fundraising event for Girl-Wonder.org. All proceeds will will be used to cover organizational costs like website fees and expenses for the ongoing incorporation process, as well as merchandise development and promotional giveaway items. Girl-Wonder.org is currently registering for non-profit status. All staffers and board members are unpaid volunteers.

For more information, please contact Hannah Dame at hannah.dame@girl-wonder.org or Karen Healey at karen.healey@girl-wonder.org.

- Nena Di, writer/artist of the webcomic Heard, and Andrea Bell of Girl-Wonder.org’s Mistress will be on hand at our Dragon*Con table off and on throughout the con, doing sketches, shaking hands, and generally being awesome, so set aside some time in your busy schedule to stop by our table!  And we’re still looking for volunteers to help man the G-W.org table. Contact Hannah Dame at hannahdame AT girl-wonder DOT org if you’ll be at the con and are interested in doing an hour to two.

- If you’re living in the Kent, Ohio area, be sure to check out Zombie Apparel’s Superpowered!
The Fashions of Comic Book’s Most Valiant & Villainous fashion show on Saturday, September 27th. Free and open to the public, a portion of all fashion sales for the evening will benefit Girl-Wonder.org. And if you live in the Ohio area, spread the news about the show with one of Zombie Apparel’s two fliers!

- Have a comics-related event coming up that you’d like more folks to know about, or wondering where you can find out more about G-W.org related events? Check out our new Upcoming Events page, and if you have an event you’d like added, e-mail Hannah Dame at hannahdame AT girl-wonder DOT org.

- And we now have a Fan page for Facebook, so use your social networking connections to add Girl-Wonder.org on Facebook or friend us on Myspace!

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.

Call for Submissions
Deadline for Submissions: Friday, July 15, 2008, midnight, UTC.

Who are you: A nitpicky comic book Braniac who rejoices over dissecting the latest continuity crises in maddening detail? Or a slam-bang Wonder Woman warrior who can’t wait for Wednesdays to catch up on the latest fantasy grudge match? Who says you can’t be both?

Girl-Wonder.org is calling for submissions to our brand-new online newsletter, which will mix focused discussions of feminism (and other forms of -isms) in the comics genre with a fun-loving celebration of comic geekdom. This newsletter will be our ongoing love letter to comics - sharing all the serious and not so serious aspects of comics that keep us coming back for more.

On the serious side: Submit your short letters and opinions, no more than 1500 words in length, focusing on current events or academic ideas related to identity politics and comic books. Topics can include, but are not limited to the intersections of race, gender, body image, sexuality, religion, ableism, and class with your favorite comic book characters and titles.

On the fun side: Submit comics-related fanart with a feminist twist or a short fanfiction (no more than 1500 words in length). Selected works will appear in the newsletter’s regular fan-inspired creations section.

Also, submit your entry for this issue’s caption contest. Write a unique, witty, and/or ridiculous caption for this panel.

Winner (as chosen on the Girl-Wonder.org forum boards) receives a fabulous gift basket full of hot-off-the-presses Girl-Wonder.org merchandise!

Submit all entries (including submissions for the caption contest) to jenn@reappropriate.com!

NAME THE NEWSLETTER CONTEST

In addition to our caption contest, to celebrate our first issue of the newsletter, we are running a contest to name the newsletter. Submit your entries to me at jenn@reappropriate.com — the top entries will be voted on in the forums and the winner will be unveiled with our first issues.

All submissions to the newsletter naming contest are due July 15th, midnight, UTC.

The person who submits the winning newsletter name will receive a fabulous gift basket of goodies!

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!