11: The Force Behind Fandom

In this year's San Diego Comic-Con special, we further meditate on the balance of forces in fandom. The mainstream has fully invaded comics via TV and movies. Could it be that's how women (both characters and creatives) have gained traction in recent years?Featuring an interview with legendary designer and author Chip Kidd and the majority of the audio from this year's "Superheroines" panel, with Faith Erin Hicks, Marjorie M Liu, Jules Rivera, Joanna Estep, Dr. Andrea Letamendi, Marguerite Bennett, and moderator Dariane Nabor.Brought to you byHarry's: they're already disrupting the shaving industry by offering a much better shaving experience at a much better value. Use promo code GIANT for $5 off.IDW Publishing: Jump into Super Secret Crisis War, a Cartoon Network Universe mega-crossover by the great, wise, and powerful Louise Simonson! It's seven-year-old safe, for those looking for more that's ok for kids. Special GuestsChip Kidd (twitter) is an author, designer, editor, and one of the sharpest comics theorists in the history of the medium. Check out his TED Talk.Faith Erin Hicks (twitter) just won an Eisner Award, makes Super Hero Girl, and makes Twitter a more fun place to be.Marjorie M Liu (twitter) is a novelist in addition to her work in comics. She has written X-23 and Black Widow, among many, many others, including the issue featuring the first gay marriage of an X-Man (Northstar) in her brilliant run on Astonishing X-Men.Jules Rivera (twitter) makes the online graphic novel Valkyrie Squad. It's just as badass as it sounds.Joanna Estep (twitter) has drawn everything from mega-franchise characters (Fantastic Four) to cult favorites (The Thrilling Adventure Hour), among all sorts of gorgeous work.Dr. Andrea Letamendi (twitter) is both a brilliant academic and fan. She co-hosts The Arkham Sessions, a "re-watch" podcast unique even within its field. "Deep-dive" is an understatement.Marguerite Bennett incited massive controversy with her take on the "new/old/real/fake" Lobo in DC's New52. She also cosplays a mean Thor.Dariane Nabor (twitter) just finished a year-long, round the world trip documented here and volunteers with Racebending. Show Notes and LinksChip Kidd's Bat-manga book is brilliant, as is the rest of his bibliography.Reading Recommendations from Chip: Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware; MAUS by Art Spiegelman, The Complete Peanuts (Volume 1) by Charles Schulz; Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli; and Black Hole by Charles BurnsChip's new book is Go: A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design.Lumberjanes is taking the internet and comic shops (and cons) by storm.Marjorie recommends Kaoru Mori's A Bride's Story (Volume 1 of 5) and Emma (Volume 1 of 10), as well as Jim Ottaviani's Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birté Galdikas, an amazing telling of the lives of the three greatest primatologists in history.For reference, Moisés studied Anthropology in college with a focus in Primatology, so discovering this existed blew his mind.Jules recommends Princeless by Jeremy Whitely, M Goodwin and Emily Martin (Volume 1 and Volume 2, and there are also Short Stories collected).Faith recommends Ooku: The Inner Chambers by Fumi Yoshinaga (Volume 1 of 9) and the original manga of Fullmetal Alchemist (get all 27 volumes in one big box for around $150, or start with vol. 1-3 for $13)John still highly recommends Relish by Lucy Knisley and will until the end of time.Go start getting into Louise Simonson's work.