On HU

Featured Archive Post: Erica Friedman interviews Marguerite Dabaie.

Me on how comics scholars are defined by definitions and idiocy.

Jones, One of the Jones Boys on what happens when you mash up the Hooded Utilitarian with Cracked.com.

Michael Arthur on Jason, werewolves, and the furry subculture.

Matthias Wivel on racial representations, free speech, and censorship in Scandinavia.

Me on pop art vs. comics: which is more manly?

James Romberger on Josh Simmons, Harvey Kurtzman, Jane Mai, and a bunch of other comics.

Me on science fiction and who colonizes the colonizers.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

At the Atlantic I suggest we can maybe not freak out so much about the perfect time to have kids.

At Splice Today I talk about rock and the new man from Elvis to Ke$ha.

Also at Splice, how America loves me because I’m a Jew.

 
Other Links

Ta-Nehisi Coates on violence, guns, and the allure of standing your ground.

Shaenon Garrity on what webcomics there aren’t.

Feminist underwear prank on Victoria’s Secret.

DG Myers on critics and credentialing.

Monika Bartyzel on women, sex, and work in Hollywood.
 
This Week’s Reading

I spent most of this week trying to slog through Jared Diamond’s mammoth “The World Until Yesterday” for a review. Started Alasdair MacIntyre’s “Whose Justice? Which Rationality?” Finished Bart Beaty’s Comics vs. Art. Poked at Nel Noddings’ The Maternal Factor, which I should really read…but the evolutionary psychology thing is hard to hack. Also started Fifty Shades of Grey for an assignment — and good lord it’s wretched.
 

News

I’ve been invited to write a bit more regularly for the Atlantic’s Sexes channel — so keep an eye over there if that sounds interesting.

On HU

Caroline Small on authenticity and Aline Kominsky-Crumb (featured archive post.)

I review Biomega and Ikigami and see things blow up while learning life lessons.

I review Wu Tsang’s Wildness, a film about a Hispanic trans bar.

Me on whether Johnny Ryan or Raymond Chandler is more of a man.

Ng Suat Tong on Mattotti and Zentner’s Crackle of the Frost.

Tucker Stone on 100 Bullets (Voices from the Archive.)

Matt Brady on the horror comics of Emily Carroll.

Me on Raymond Chandler’s misogyny.

Kailyn Kent on Saul Steinberg, the cult of genius, and the status anxiety of cartooning.

Me on why liberals should stop worrying about creationism already.

Richard Cook on gender and Jaeger in Carla Speed McNeil’s Finder:Voice.

Utilitarians Everywhere

At the Atlantic I think about why Katy Perry doesn’t identify as feminist.

At the Atlantic I review Playing For Keeps, and explain why infidelity doesn’t make the man.

And again at the Atlantic, I point out that Ross Douthat is a decadent tool of modernity who hates children.

At Splice I explain why the fiscal cliff is the founding father’s fault.

At Splice, I write about the smaller-than-life soul of Womack and Womack.

Other Links

The Magic Pixie Dust Prostitute (HT Alyssa Rosenberg.)

Amanda Marcotte rejects Ross Douthat’s population growth concern trolling.

Neil McArthur on stupid social trend articles.

C.T May dives into memeing.
 
This Week’s Reading

Read a bit more Auden poetry and then got bored; read a slim Alasdair MacIntyre lecture volume on atheism; read Stanley Hauerwas’ excellent memoir Hannah’s Child; started Jared Diamond’s new book The World Until Yesterday, hopefully for a review. Also started Bart Beaty’s Comics vs. Art.
 

On HU

Featured Archive Post: Ng Suat Tong on Tony Millionaire, love, and monkeys.

A electronica dance pop downloadable mix.

Jacob Canfield tries to find a motion comic that does not suck.

Kailyn Kent reviews Bart Beaty’s book, Comics vs. Art.

Jason Dittmer responds to my review of his book on Captain America and nationalist superheroes.

Me on Alun Llewellyn’s sci-fi classic The Strange Invaders, and why dystopias are always utopias.

RM Rhodes on Iain M. Banks and the problems with genre.

Charles Hatfield on why Maus is not glib (Voices from the Archive.)

Vom Marlowe puts together some links to Youtube videos showing artists inking.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

Slate kindly let me plug Johnny Ryan’s Prison Pit #4.

At Splice I talk about Nate Silver and the morality of prediction.
 
Other Links

John Horgan on teaching evolution to creationist students.

Choice Joyce compares pro-life groups to anti-prostitution feminists.

Amanda Hess argues that porn stars aren’t any more likely to have been abused as children than other women (that is, they are fairly likely to have been abused.)

Alyssa Rosenberg on why James Gunn shouldn’t be involved in bringing Marvel’s Captain Marvel to film.

David Brothers on why he writes about race and comics.
 
This Week’s Reading

I reread the four volumes of Johnny Ryan’s Prison Pit, read C.L. Moore’s Vintage Season, and started Auden’s Selected Poems. Also read a preview of David Wojnarowicz/James Romberger/Marguerite Van Cook’s “7 Miles Per Second,” which is great. And reading John Christopher’s “The Possessors,” which is also pretty fantastic.
 

HU News

I’m pleased to announce that Isaac Butler is joining the regular HU roster as a contributing writer. Welcome aboard Isaac!

In other news…next week is Thanksgiving, and I’m traveling, so HU will have a shortened schedule. Not sure exactly how it’ll work, but probably we’ll be off Thursday and Friday and possible Wednesday, Saturday, and/or Sunday as well. Whatever happens, though, have a good holiday if your celebrating it, and we’ll be back to normal the Monday after, if the good lord is willing and the creek doesn’t rise.
 
On HU

Featured Archive Post: I talk about Wonder Woman vs. Twilight and vampires vs. seal men.

Me on the film I found more terrifying and repulsive than Audition or Hostel.

Me reviewing the Twilight Graphic novel (which sparks a long thread contrasting Bella and James Bond, of all things.)

Me on Junji Ito’s Tomie stories and the feminine proliferation of capitalism.

Rober Stanley Martin reviews Sean Howe’s “Marvel Comics: The Untold Story.

Kinukitty on Heart’s biography, “Kicking and Dreaming.”

Nicolas Labarre on Descent and choosing the horror road more traveled.

Jason Thompson and me talk about Junji Ito’s Tomie stories, progressive horror, and misogyny.

Subdee on Saiunkoku Monogatari and feminist fantasy.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

At the Atlantic I reviewed Skyfall (and pissed people off in comments.)

At Splice I note that the GOP is considering maybe treating Hispanics like human beings.

At Splice I wrote about Fleetwood Mac’s Mirage. I was pretty happy with this one.

At Splice I am surprised and heartened by the apparent existence of GOP moderates.
 
Other Links

Bert Stabler on Chris Hedges and moral climbing.

Glenn Greenwald on out of control government invasions of privacy and the Petraeus scandal.

DG Myers,who I had a really nice interaction with once, was shockingly fired from Commentary, apparently for supporting gay marriage.

Nicky Smith rags on my alma mater.

Monika Bartyzel compares Hunger Games and Twilight, being a hero first or last.

Alyssa Rosenberg on geek sexism.
 
This Week’s Reading

Not sure I remember everything, but…I finished Junji Ito’s first volume of Tomie stories, and read Lilli Carre’s Heads or Tails, and the fourth volume of Johnny Ryan’s Prison Pit. Also read my friend Ilana Gershon’s book The Break-up 2.0 about new media and relationship break-ups, and started Stanley Hauerwas’ book God, Medicine, and Suffering.
 

HU News

Joe McCulloch (aka Jog) is going to be joining HU with a monthly column on first-run Bollywood films. Don’t have a bio for him yet (send me a bio, Jog, damn it!) but you can read his past posts for us here.
 
On HU

Featured Archive Post: Domingos Isabelinho on Otto Dix.

Me on nice guys and rape in Audition and Clint Eastwood’s Tightrope.

Me on how Lee and Ditko tilted Spider-Man against pacifism.

Me on why Axe Cop and Johnny Ryan are alike (hint: poop.)

Alex Buchet presents the cartoons of Enrico Caruso.

Voices from the Archive: kinukitty on politics and statistics.

Jog on how nobody likes Bollywood and a closeful of candyfloss.

Me on why there is no first comic, and what is a comic anyway?

Andreas Stoehr on the pain and pleasure of slasher movie sequels.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere
At the Atlantic, I talk about Phillip Pullman’s Grimm Fairy Tales and pandering to huamnity’s worst desires since 1812.

At Splice today I talk about:

Stefan Goldmann’s delightful electronica for robotic children.

Sneering at sneering at Romney voters.

Why liberals can still be depressed about an Obama election.
 
Other Links

Tim Callahan belatedly replies to the HU 10 best comics poll.

Mette Ivie Harrison has some thoughtful questions about Twilight (scroll down a bit to see them on her home page.)
 
This Week’s Reading

I read John Rieder’s excellent book Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction, and read a preview for review of Justin Hart’s book about public diplomacy Empire of Ideas. Also reread some Axe Cop and Johnny Ryan’s Prison Pit #3, and started Junji Ito’s Museum of Terror volume 1.
___________

Harry Clarke illustration for Cinderella.

News

I’m pleased to announce that Jacob Canfield is joining HU as a regular columnist. His bio is here. Welcome aboard Jacob!
 
On HU

From the Archives: Sean Michael Robinson interview Gerhard.

From the Archives: Jog on the Drifting Classroom without children.

Me on how Julia Roberts had to get old to get her best role.

Me on how Wonder Woman’s costume is booby-trapped.

RM Rhodes expresses skepticism about the storytelling in Heavy Metal magazine (prompting a really long thread.)

Domingos Isabelinho on Matt Marriott, one of the great comics westerns.

Matthew Brady on Hellraiser and Cloud Atlas.

Bert Stabler on Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Audition, vengeance and despair.

Me on the supposed feminism of Diablo Cody’s Jennifer’s Body.

Robert Stanley Martin argues that DC treated Siegel and Shuster fairly.

Sarah Horrocks on sci-fi, horror, and Richard Corben.

Subdee on why Gangnam style rather than some other Kpop ditty.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

At the Loyola Center for Digital Ethics, Violentacrez, Amanda Todd and sexism online and off.

Two at Splice Today:

David Brooks is an awful Republican partisan hack.

Jonathan Chait is an awful Democratic partisan hack.
 
Other Links

Roseanne Barr vs. trans women.
 
This Week’s Reading

Finished rereading Phillip Pullman’s forthcoming Brothers Grimm book of fairty tales; also finished Ronald Firbank’s Vainglory. Started “Ward Six,” a fantastic collection of Chekhov short stories/novellas which I bought in college more than 20 years ago and somehow never read. Better than many things I’ve read instead over those 20 years….