Forthcoming Book (2009)
Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors: Superwomen in Modern Mythology– to be published by IB Tauris, London.
Description
As a comprehensive history, inquiry, critique, and reference guide, Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors: Superwomen in Modern Mythology, is an engaging and thought-provoking read that addresses female spies, superheroes, detectives, meta-humans and action heroes over seven decades, as well as their writers, directors, performers, illustrators and consumers.
Though women have falsely been led to believe that superheroes and heroism are not for them, and that they are little more than sidekicks, there is a history of notable superwomen in popular culture. From Wonder Woman to Buffy Summers, Emma Peel to Sydney Bristow, Charlie’s Angels to The Powerpuff Girls; the female hero in modern mythology has broken through the boy’s club barriers of the traditional masculine superhero for shining, if all too brief, moments.
The first section, Standing on the Shoulders of Amazons, provides a contextual and comparative history of female super and action heroes in film, comics, and television. Part Two, Journey of the Female Hero, explores the differences in how women and men are represented as heroic in popular culture. Chapter topics include love and compassion, spies and sexuality, daddy’s girls, and the complicated roles of superwomen who are also mothers. Part Three, The Mythmakers, looks at men and women in the United States and Great Britain who have created modern myths with a strong female presence, as well as at feminist fangirl blogging, activism, and fiction. The concluding chapter, “Where Do We Go From Here?,” speculates on the future of women’s representation in superheroic myth.
Author Jennifer Kate Stuller specializes in gender and sexuality in popular culture and has been invited to speak about superwomen at conferences across the globe. She has been interviewed on public radio and for print news and currently does freelance for both local and national publications.
Advance Praise
“Female heroes abound in literature, film and all walks of life, although most people don’t know that they do. Not surprising given how much they challenge the gender roles in which women and girls have historically been confined. This wonderful book shows female heroes breaking out of gender boxes left and right and illuminates new possibilities for the indomitable hero in all of us.”
Kathleen Noble, Ph.D., author of The Sound of the Silver Horn: Reclaiming the heroism in contemporary women’s lives.
"Once upon a time -- only a few years ago, actually -- women could turn on their TV sets and glory in the adventures of Buffy, Xena, Sydney Bristow, Dana Scully, and many more strong, ass-kicking women. Today there is not one show on the small screen that stars a female action hero. What happened? Comics are not much better. Aside from the occasional exception (for which we are grateful) like Birds of Prey, and women writers like Ivory Madison (The Huntress) and Gail Simone’s newly feminist interpretation of Wonder Woman, most comic book action heroines continue to be male-written and drawn creations whose breasts are bigger then their personalities.
Now along comes Jennifer Stuller, with her very entertaining book, Ink-Stained Amazons, to explore the whys and wherefores of pop culture super women, and perhaps jolt us all into demanding more and stronger women characters. Thank you, Jennifer. We need those role models!"
Trina Robbins, author of The Great American Superheroines (Palace Press, 2009)