Girl-Wonder.org announces newly elected board

In further pursuit of Girl-Wonder.org’s commitment to women in comics, the organization has officially begun the process of establishing itself as a non-profit. As such, Girl-wonder.org is proud to announce its newly elected board. In the upcoming year the board hopes to establish a greater convention presence and begin work on several publishing and merchandising ventures.

Karen Healey, President

A PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, Karen is presently writing her dissertation on superhero comics and fandom and blogs on women in comics at Girls Read Comics (And They’re Pissed). In May 2006 she presented a paper entitled “The Secret Origins of Jessica Jones: The Feminist Anti-Superhero in Brian Michael Bendis’s “Alias”” at WisCon 30.

Elena Kamenetzky, Secretary

Elena has long been involved in social and political activism and currently teaches in Japan.

Rachel Edidin, Treasurer

Rachel works as an assistant editor at a major comics publisher and blogs at InsideOut. In May 2007, she presented a paper titled “‘Wait And See What I Become’: Gender and Performativity in James Robinson’s Starman” at WisCon31.

Hannah Dame, Board Member

Hannah currently serves as Press and Media Coordinator for Girl-Wonder.org, handling all press releases and press communication. She also produces and co-hosts the podcast Four Color Heroines.

Elizabeth Maxson, Board Member

A long-time contributor, Elizabeth is the current Girl-Wonder.org web master and technical advisor. She manages two guest-blogs, The League of Substitute Superheroes, and (Love) Letters Page. Her formal training is in social work and economic development.

Jenn Fang, Board Member

Jenn blogs at reappropriate.com, an Asian American feminist political and pop culture blog. She also manages Outsiders: Asian/Asian American Characters in Comics , a comprehensive listing of Asian and Asian-American characters in Marvel and DC. Jenn has previously worked in an organizational capacity with a number of grassroots activist groups, focusing primarily on race and gender.

Leslie Caribou, Board Member

Leslie currently serves as a forum moderator and media spokesperson for Girl-Wonder.org. She previously spent three years as a volunteer event coordinator for the now-defunct nonprofit organization National Iguana Awareness Day. Leslie’s senior thesis was a feminist analysis of superhero comics which dealt with the problematic imagery of women and violence in comics, “Women in Refrigerators: Female Superheroes as Victims of Violence.”

Jessica Plummer, Board Member

Jessica created and maintains the Girl-Wonder.Org subsite, Super. Girl. Both of Jessica’s undergraduate theses on comics: the first a feminist exploration of Supergirl; the second an analysis of the development and genderedness of comic book cities, specifically Gotham and Metropolis.

Volunteer Opportunities

Girl-Wonder is currently seeking volunteers to fill the positions of web/tech person and Girl-Wonder blogger. If you are interested in these positions, please read more!

If you are interested in a position not advertised here, please contact submissions @ girl-wonder.org with your proposal.

Job Title: Blogger

Reports To: President, Board of Directors

Job Description: 
Write and publish a twice-monthly column of 300-1000words, pertaining to sequential art, and feminism. The column should be written in an informal, informed style, with a professional polish. If blogger wishes for their column to have a sub-forum, he or she will be responsible for moderating it.

Skills Required:

  • Self motivated, and capable of working independently.
  • Excellent communication skills, particularly in written English
  • Excellent textual analysis skills
  • Some familiarity with the principles of feminist theory and critical methodology
  • Familiarity with WordPress would be an asset.
  • Basic HTML skills would be an asset.

Estimated Time Commitment/Length of Commitment: We are asking for a one-year commitment, to be re-evaluated by both parties at the end of the year. Bloggers are asked to meet a minimum of two posts per month, and if unable to meet this requirement, either make arrangements for a substitute blogger, or arrange a leave of absence. Time required will vary, but may be estimated at an hour per week.

Application Process:
 Send an email to [email protected] with the subject heading ‘volunteer position: blogger.’ Please write in the body of the email a brief (300-500 words) description of what will make your blog unique, and the readership you intend to target. Attach or link to a substantial body of writing which demonstrates you meet the required skills. If relevant, you may include no more than1000 words on your personal interest and involvement in comics and
feminism.

Please do not neglect to include the following information:

  • Your name or the pseudonym under which you write.
  • The email address at which you wish to be contacted.

Please Note: Girl-Wonder is committed to diversifying the voices coming from our website. To this end, if you consider yourself a voice from the margin, optionally identify yourself as such.

All applicants will receive an email confirming their application has been received within 24 hours of receipt of application for this job. If you do not receive an email, please contact us.


Job Title: Junior Web/Tech Person
Reports To: Webmistress

Job Description: Junior Web/Tech Person works with webmistress to ensure that a technician is available in case of emergency. Junior Web/Tech Person may share workload, or operate independently on their own projects. For further info on job description, please enquire.

Skills Required: FTP, HTML, CSS a must, javascript, MySQL, SSH, PHP, experience with Apache beneficial.

Estimated Time Commitment/Length of Commitment: Likely not more than fifteen minutes per week, although may be called on for much greater commitment in the event of emergencies.

Application Process: Please apply by email to [email protected] before January 15.

Please include the following information:

Your name or pseud
Your email address
Your timezone in hours +- UST (Zulu)
Relevant experience and credentials

All applicants will receive an email confirming their application has been received within 48 hours of receipt. If you do not receive an email, please contact us.

Thank you!

The numbers have come in! Net count for the auction: $3183.94. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone involved: donors, bidders, and everyone who publicized Art Etcetera. Each person was invaluable to making it a success, and we’ll be unveiling the returns for their efforts over the next year.

In the coming months, the auction funds will be used to cover the costs of incorporation and filing as a non-profit. After incorporation is completed Girl-Wonder.org’s financial documentation will be available upon request.

Ross Campbell: Kind of a big deal

Attention: These items were originally described as prints when in fact many of them are originals.  Prices and lots have been adjusted accordingly.

Ross Campbell is one of those artists whose work I’ve been gaping at for years–first, when he started illustrating for WhiteWolf games, and later as he brought his exquisite painted figure work to comics–Hopeless SavagesWet Moon, and his upcoming Minx book, Water Baby. He draws some of the most interesting, sexiest, strongest, and most all-around-awesome women I’ve ever seen, and the scope of his work–from superheroes, to college students, to monsters–never ceases to impress me: I won’t be the least bit surprised if someday he’s generally accepted as one of the modern masters of dynamic pin-up art. If you haven’t checked out his art before, now is a great chance, as Ross has given us a small army’s worth of both original pieces and prints.

The following are pieces of Ross Cambell original art:

From Wet Moon:

Cleo

Cleo

Audrey

Audrey

Myrtle

From The Abandoned:
Rylie

From X-Men:
Storm

U-Go-Girl

Penance

Marrow

Emma Frost

Angel II

From Exalted:
Demon of the Third Circle

Metal Storm

The starting bid for each of these original pieces will be U.S. $30.
The following are original prints. Because there are so many, these will be sold in sets of two.
Wet Moon Set 1: Cleo and Mara

Wet Moon Set 2: Cleo and Audrey

Wet Moon Set 3: Audrey and Fall

Wet Moon Set 4: Mara and Natalie

Mixed Set: Mara (Wet Moon) and Rylie (The Abandoned)
[Image not currently available]
The starting bid for each set of two prints will be U.S. $10.
You’ll be able to bid on these and other items in the Girl-Wonder Art Et Cetera Auction, from October 7-14, 2007.

Girl-Wonder.org Media Sightings

People say all press is good press, and Girl-Wonder.org and the blog Girls Read Comics have popped up several times in the media recently.

Girl-Wonder.org’s efforts to have Batman memorialze Stephanie Brown were mentioned in the Mother Jones article Supergirls Gone Wild: Gender Bias In Comics Shortchanges Superwomen. Taken from their website: Mother Jones is “an independent nonprofit whose roots lie in a commitment to social justice implemented through first rate investigative reporting.”

Also, the impact of Girls Read Comics (And They’re Pissed) on discussions of female characters in comics was included in the Guardian book blog post Superheroes need rescuing from sexism.

Girl Wonder Unveils Its Latest Blog

The Girl-Wonder family of blogs welcomes its the newest member: GWOG. The house for that awesome link found at 1 a.m., GWOG gives readers a chance to interact with the Girl Wonder staffers in a relaxed environment outside of the forum. Commenting has been interfaced with the forum, so all forum members can comment at GWOG with ease.

Polly and the Pirates, by Ted Naifeh

Universally a favourite with test readers, Polly and the Pirates deals with prim and proper Polly’s unexpected and unwanted embroilment in the affairs of a charming and disreputable group of pirates. The art is clean and the layouts are intuitive to follow. Polly is sure to charm adults and children alike.

Violence: feats of daring are performed and death is threatened, but no blood is ever spilled.
Sexualized violence: There are some sexual overtones to some menacing encounters, but Polly extricates herself from them neatly on her own.
Gender: The story deals with Polly’s eventual rejection of the role of “lady” in favour of the values she believes in.
Bechdel’s law: Passes.
Parents may wish to be aware: Some offensive langauge is presented so euphemistically it may be unnoticeable. However, if “dog-botherer” or “bugger” will offend, be advised.