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A Thor Subject
National Report ^ | July 19, 2014 | Jim Geraghty

Posted on 07/19/2014 2:52:13 PM PDT by Steelfish

JULY 19, 2014 A Thor Subject The comics industry grapples with attracting women readers. By Jim Geraghty

The surprises came in a trio: First, Marvel Comics announced that the character of Thor, based upon the Norse God of Thunder, would become a woman. The second surprise was the venue in which the switch was announced — ABC’s feminine-minded daytime talk show The View — but perhaps that was predictable, considering that Marvel and ABC Television are both owned by Disney.

But the third, and biggest, surprise is that anyone thought this was a good idea.

“This is not She-Thor,” senior writer Jason Aaron said in a Marvel release. “This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is THOR. This is the THOR of the Marvel Universe. But it’s unlike any Thor we’ve ever seen before.”

The “She-Thor” reference is meant to address the complaint that some of comics’ most high-profile heroines are just female versions of previously existing male heroes — Supergirl, Batgirl, Spider-Woman, She-Hulk, Namorita . . . characters that seem derivative and superfluous in the hands of the wrong creative team.

Comic-book characters go through all kinds of seemingly permanent changes — broken backs, retirements, deaths — only to return to “normal” within a few months or years — which is often a sign that a new editor or writer has taken the helm, or that the dramatic change flopped with readers. For what it’s worth, Marvel insists Thor’s new womanhood isn’t a brief experiment.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Books/Literature; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: battleofthesexes; boycottdisney; comics; disney; feminazis; marvel; marvelcomics; rapingmychildhood; revisionisthistory; savethemales; superhero; theshrew; thor; women
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To: chae

Given that Thor is a god to those of the Aesir cult, this is about as offensive as the “arteests” portraying Jesus as a “Lesbian womyn”, which truthfully I’m surprised they haven’t done after depicting him as a raving homo.

The funny part is that this is guaranteed to be a flop, because women and girls are not their audience, and never will be. They might as well sponsor a “George W. Bush standup comedy at the Apollo”, as far as misfires go.


21 posted on 07/19/2014 3:40:46 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("Don't compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative." -Obama, 09-24-11)
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To: Steelfish

To paraphrase a popular FR theme, Conor Mac Nessa would hit it.

(ducking to avoid incoming flak)


22 posted on 07/19/2014 3:40:47 PM PDT by Two Kids' Dad (((( ))))
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To: a fool in paradise

There are layers to it. A big part of it is Hollywood figuring out how to make good superhero movies, there’s a good chunk of the people out there that will just plain watch a good movie and they aren’t concerned with the source material. But it did establish these character as significant pop cultural icons.

Previous to that was JMS changing the nature of comic book conventions. The cons were starting to have problems because comic sales had dropped dramatically form the boom boom 80s and they were desperate for a way to stay relevant (read: fill these large hotels they were renting). Meanwhile JMS had this pilot he’d made that he was desperately shopping, desperate enough to cold call any nerd related convention he could get to and beg for 2 hours to show the attendees Babylon 5. At San Diego ComiCon he made all the right connections, and of course he’d developed a lot of goodwill in the fan base, and he continued to grow that goodwill by bringing previews of every season of B5 to SDCC. That was the seed that turned CCs in general and SDCC in specific into the “must promote” place they are today.

It’s genuine fandom as far as I can see. People spend hours working on costumes, hundreds to attend the con, and hours more to get that autograph. Sure maybe they’re “just” fans of the movies and not the books, but they’re still fans, they’re still dedicated, they’re still kind of nuts. And they’re making some of the favorite people of old nerds filthy rich. One of my favorite parts of The Walking Dead TV show is seeing Greg Nicotero (long one of my favorite people in the world) finally getting recognized by people who aren’t hardcore horror dorks, and the fact that most of the people who recognize him now have never seen Day of the Dead of Phantasm II doesn’t bother me. I just think it’s cool that I can now mention him in “mixed” (non-nerd) company and people know who I’m talking about.


23 posted on 07/19/2014 3:46:58 PM PDT by discostu (Villains always blink their eyes.)
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To: GeronL

That was a one-time story and Osin acknowledged the mistake that Don Blake didn’t find it. Odd it wouldn’t fit into today’s mythology unless she is worthy in this other dimension but not on Earth-616.


24 posted on 07/19/2014 3:49:07 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (Rome didn't fall in a day, either.)
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To: GreenHornet

Thunderbolts aside, he’d still need more power.


25 posted on 07/19/2014 3:49:49 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (Rome didn't fall in a day, either.)
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To: Steelfish

Read this on twitter yesterday: Disney owns Marvel.Marvel owns Thor. Thor is now a woman. Odin is Thor’s father. Odin is a King. Thor is a Disney Princess.


26 posted on 07/19/2014 3:52:06 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (Rome didn't fall in a day, either.)
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To: GreenHornet

I’m sure he’d find a way to soup it up.


27 posted on 07/19/2014 3:52:47 PM PDT by BykrBayb (World Lung Cancer Day {WLCD} Aug 1 https://facebook.com/events/309580722464921 ~ Þ)
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To: Steelfish
The “She-Thor” reference is meant to address the complaint that some of comics’ most high-profile heroines are just female versions of previously existing male heroes — Supergirl, Batgirl, Spider-Woman, She-Hulk, Namorita . . . characters that seem derivative and superfluous in the hands of the wrong creative team.

What about Wonder Woman?
I guess she doesn't get a mention because she doesn't fit the narrative.

28 posted on 07/19/2014 3:57:18 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: GreenHornet
What if Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor had found the hammer of Thor?

LOL — that sounds like it could be awesomely funny.

29 posted on 07/19/2014 3:59:31 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: Steelfish

I thought The View already owned Thor.

30 posted on 07/19/2014 4:03:49 PM PDT by BerryDingle (I know how to deal with communists, I still wear their scars on my back from Hollywood-Ronald Reagan)
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To: discostu

These hipsters are doing the same to “comics” that they did to music (oh I’ve downloaded all of it, haven’t listened to it though, but I got there before YOU, push glasses up bridge of nose) and food ($20 “lobster roll” sandwiches served on an ironically named food truck, $11 hamburgers, etc).

Fandom is getting up on 90 years old. Costumes were part of it dating back to the 30s (Forrest J. Ackerman dressed up as a man from the future).

It’s taken over the thing. Nobody there reads. Too busy blogging their own celebrity.


31 posted on 07/19/2014 4:06:56 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Elian Gonzalez sought asylum and was sent back to Cuba, send these kids back to THEIR parents.)
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To: BerryDingle
That's the Beast.


32 posted on 07/19/2014 4:08:32 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Elian Gonzalez sought asylum and was sent back to Cuba, send these kids back to THEIR parents.)
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To: a fool in paradise

They aren’t hipsters. There aren’t enough hipsters out there for Phoenix Comicon to have 77,000 attendees. These are fans, regular fans.

And as you point out. Fandom has been around for a long time, the hipsters wouldn’t get to be first.

Nobody in America reads. We’re in the post literary culture.


33 posted on 07/19/2014 4:12:10 PM PDT by discostu (Villains always blink their eyes.)
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To: Steelfish

why do you have to attrasct’more women?

seriously? why is this an imperative?

you know, nobody’s out there trying to get more men to buy purses. or hello kitty parephenalia.

it isn’t a moral imperative that we must have more women in everything, or more men in everything. just for the sake of percentages or having numbers that libtards perceive as somehow representing equality and fairness.

if so, we must set govt money aside for a lot more male nurses and male lacrosse coaches.


34 posted on 07/19/2014 4:32:52 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

>>why do you have to attrasct’more women?

Because they show up at cons dressed like the slutty version of everything nerdy (Star Wars Stormtrooper in a bikini? Google it.)

Cons need more slutty young women! We can’t stop until they outnumber the nerds so much that the nerds can get dates at the con.


35 posted on 07/19/2014 4:38:07 PM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyranni)
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To: OneWingedShark

She’s DC not Marvel


36 posted on 07/19/2014 4:42:33 PM PDT by morphing libertarian (Advanced technological development.)
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To: Bryanw92

the nerds need better jobs to get women. the nerds at cons may not be ones holding higher-paying jobs.


37 posted on 07/19/2014 4:43:55 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: OneWingedShark
What about Wonder Woman?

I guess she doesn't get a mention because she doesn't "fit the narrative".

Princess Diana's back-story is "too complicated".
38 posted on 07/19/2014 4:47:33 PM PDT by Bratch
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To: Secret Agent Man

>>the nerds need better jobs to get women. the nerds at cons may not be ones holding higher-paying jobs.

Today’s young women don’t care about jobs or prospects for jobs. They just want the dangerous bad boy. Then, they can’t figure out why the bad boy hits them.


39 posted on 07/19/2014 4:54:58 PM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyranni)
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To: morphing libertarian

>>She’s DC not Marvel

So are Supergirl and Batgirl.


40 posted on 07/19/2014 4:56:29 PM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyranni)
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