Synopses & Reviews
and#147;
The Supergirls is a long overdue tribute to the fabulous fighting females whose beauty and bravery brighten the pages of your favorite comics.and#8221;and#151;
STAN LEEand#147;A thoughtful, comprehensive history of women in comics . . . The Supergirls gleefully celebrates the medium itself, in all its goofy, glorious excess.and#8221; and#151;NPR and#147;Best Five Books To Share With Your Friendsand#8221; citation
and#147;Sharp and livelyand#151;and just obsessive enough about women who wear capes and boots to be cool but not creepy. [Madrid] clearly loves this stuff. And he's enough of a historian to be able to trace the ways in which the portrayal of sirens and supergirls has echoed society's ever-changing feelings about women and sex.and#8221; and#151;Entertainment Weekly
Has Wonder Woman hit the comic book glass ceiling? Is that the one opposition that even her Amazonian strength canand#8217;t defeat? Entertaining and informative, The Supergirls explores iconic superheroines and what it means for the culture when they do everything the superhero does, only in thongs and high heels.
This much-needed alternative history of American comic book iconsand#151;from Wonder Woman to Supergirl and beyondand#151;delves into where these crime-fighting females fit in popular culture and why, and what their stories say about the role of women in society from their creation to now, and into the future.
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 and#147;Best Book To Share With Your Friendsand#8221; 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.
Review
"The Supergirls is a long overdue tribute to the fabulous fighting females whose beauty and bravery brighten the pages of your favorite comics." Stan Lee
Review
"Mike Madrid's fast-moving, encyclopedic, and often funny Supergirls shows the author's lifelong affection for these heroines on every page. He has a great feel for the genre and its history, with evident sensitivity to issues of female power and powerlessness. The section on the She-Hulk is not to be missed." Larry Gonick, Cartoon History of the Universe
Review
"Entertaining and informative, Supergirls is a breezy and thoroughly accessible history of the comic book heroine. A great resource." Marc Andreyko, Manhunter and Torso
Synopsis
A much-needed alternative history of American comic book superheroines — from Wonder Woman to Supergirl and beyond — where they fit in popular culture and why, and what these crime-fighting females say about the role of women in American society from their creation to now, and into the future.
The Supergirls is an entertaining and informative look at these modern-day icons, exploring how superheroines fare in American comics, and what it means for the culture when they do everything the superhero does, but in thongs and high heels.
Has Wonder Woman hit the comic book glass ceiling? Is that the one opposition that even her Amazonian strength can't defeat?
Synopsis
The Supergirls is a long overdue tribute to the fabulous fighting females whose beauty and bravery brighten the pages of your favorite comics. STAN LEE
A thoughtful, comprehensive history of women in comics . . . The Supergirls gleefully celebrates the medium itself, in all its goofy, glorious excess. NPR Best Five Books To Share With Your Friends citation
Sharp and livelyand just obsessive enough about women who wear capes and boots to be cool but not creepy. Madrid] clearly loves this stuff. And he's enough of a historian to be able to trace the ways in which the portrayal of sirens and supergirls has echoed society's ever-changing feelings about women and sex. Entertainment Weekly
Has Wonder Woman hit the comic book glass ceiling? Is that the one opposition that even her Amazonian strength can t defeat? Entertaining and informative, The Supergirls explores iconic superheroines and what it means for the culture when they do everything the superhero does, only in thongs and high heels.
This much-needed alternative history of American comic book iconsfrom Wonder Woman to Supergirl and beyonddelves into where these crime-fighting females fit in popular culture and why, and what their stories say about the role of women in society from their creation to now, and into the future.
Mike Madrid is the author of Divas, Dames & 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.
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Synopsis
An alternative history of American comic book superheroines
About the Author
Mike Madrid, a San Francisco-based refugee from the world of advertising, is a lifelong fan of comic books and popular culture. His goal is to inform and entertain readers with a new look at modern-day icons. He's popular culture editor for Exterminating Angel Press and the creator of www.heaven4heroes.com, where comic book fantasies come to life.