Synopses & Reviews
Wonder Woman, Mary Marvel, and Sheena, Queen of the Jungle ruled the pages of comic books in the 1940s, but many other heroines of the WWII era have been forgotten. Through twenty-eight full reproductions of vintage Golden Age comics,
Divas, Dames and Daredevils reintroduces their ingenious abilities to mete out justice to Nazis, aliens, and evildoers of all kinds.
Each spine-tingling chapter opens with Mike Madrid's insightful commentary about heroines at the dawn of the comic book industry and reveals a universe populated by extraordinary women superheroes, reporters, galactic warriors, daring detectives, and ace fighter pilots who protected America and the world with wit and guile.
In these pages, fans will also meet heroines with striking similarities to more modern superheroes, including The Spider Queen, who deployed web shooters twenty years before Spider Man, and Marga the Panther Woman, whose feral instincts and sharp claws tore up the bad guys long before Wolverine. These women may have been overlooked in the annals of history, but their influence on popular culture, and the heroes we're passionate about today, is unmistakable.
Review
Essential reading for anyone interested in the history of how women have been portrayed in comics.” Comics Worth Reading
Review
This is an invaluable tool to comic historians....It's also a fascinating, in-depth exploration of a small but important chapter in the history of female characters (and creators) in comics....During a period when female-led books are under increased pressure and scrutiny...it's the perfect time to look back at some of the daring dames from the dawn of the artform.” ScienceFiction.com
Review
Not only do we get to learn more about some really incredible female characters, we get to experience the thrill of reading their comics!...[Divas, Dames and Daredevils] is so well done I can only hope that Madrid is at least entertaining the idea of doing similar books for Silver and Bronze Age comics.” Sequential Tart
Review
Exciting and fraught with danger....Madrid presents the cream of a very ripe crop of empowered comic book heroines and introduces them quite eloquently, accentuating readers enjoyment of the stories themselves but also making readers aware of why the stories matter so much regardless of the era in which they are read.” Library Journal
Review
Provide[s] fantastic documentation of how many female characters were created during this era some with surprisingly progressive personalities and stories to boot. The authors passion for heroines and fascination with those who have been left behind are palpable....Wholly enjoyable as an impressive, detailed collection shining a light on heroines long ago neglected.” Publishers Weekly
Review
Mike Madrid (The Supergirls) has sought out these extremely obscure comic book heroines, found representative stories, and annotated each of the almost 30 characters, as well as ferreted out (some) information about the women creators who slid back into anonymity when their characters did when the male artists returned from WWII. A nice tribute to a forgotten era of comics.” KC Carlson, Westfield Comics blog
Review
Mike Madrid gives these forgotten superheroines their due. These lost heroines' are now found to the delight of comic book lovers everywhere.” Stan Lee
Review
In one beautifully designed collection, [Mike Madrid] reprints the blood-and-thunder stories of twenty-eight Golden Age comic book heroines....Lovers of comics and strong women everywhere thank you, Mike Madrid!” Trina Robbins, author of Pretty in Ink: Women Cartoonists 18962013
Review
Madrid's meticulous and passionate research provides a window into a seemingly lost herstory of patriotism, bravery, and progressive ways of thinking about female agency and adventure. This collection, and the engaging context provided throughout, ensure that these divas, dames, and daredevils will not be forgotten.” Jennifer K. Stuller, author of Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors: Superwomen in Modern Mythology
Synopsis
A fully illustrated and thrilling look back at the lost supergirls of Golden Age comics.
Synopsis
ComicsAlliance and ComicsBlend Best Comic Book of the YearBUST Magazine "Lit Pick" RecommendationCertified Cool(TM) in PREVIEWS: The Comic Shop's Catalog "Mike Madrid gives these forgotten superheroines their due. These 'lost' heroines are now found--to the delight of comic book lovers everywhere." --STAN LEE
Wonder Woman, Mary Marvel, and Sheena, Queen of the Jungle ruled the pages of comic books in the 1940s, but many other heroines of the WWII era have been forgotten. Through twenty-eight full reproductions of vintage Golden Age comics, Divas, Dames & Daredevils reintroduces their ingenious abilities to mete out justice to Nazis, aliens, and evildoers of all kinds.
Each spine-tingling chapter opens with Mike Madrid's insightful commentary about heroines at the dawn of the comic book industry and reveals a universe populated by extraordinary women--superheroes, reporters, galactic warriors, daring detectives, and ace fighter pilots--who protected America and the world with wit and guile.
In these pages, fans will also meet heroines with striking similarities to more modern superheroes, including The Spider Queen, who deployed web shooters twenty years before Spider Man, and Marga the Panther Woman, whose feral instincts and sharp claws tore up the bad guys long before Wolverine. These women may have been overlooked in the annals of history, but their influence on popular culture, and the heroes we're passionate about today, is unmistakable.
Mike Madrid is the author of Divas, Dames & Daredevils: Lost Heroines of Golden Age Comics and The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines, an NPR "Best Book To Share With Your Friends" and American Library Association Amelia Bloomer Project Notable Book. Madrid, a San Francisco native and lifelong fan of comic books and popular culture, also appears in the documentary Wonder Women The Untold Story of American Superheroines.
Synopsis
"ComicsAlliance" and "ComicsBlend" Best Comic Book of the Year
About the Author
Mike Madrid is the author of
Divas, Dames and Daredevils: Lost Heroines of Golden Age Comics (forthcoming from Exterminating Angel Press in October 2013) and
The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines, an NPR Best Book To Share With Your Friends” and American Library Association Amelia Bloomer Project Notable Book. Madrid, a San Francisco native and lifelong fan of comic books and popular culture, also appears in the documentary
Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines.
Foreword contributor Maria Elena Buszek, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Colorado Denver and author of Pin-Up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture. Her writing has appeared in the Art Journal, Archives of American Art Journal, TDR: The Journal of Performance Studies, Bust magazine, and elsewhere.