Comic Arts Conference 2008
WonderCon; San francisco, California
In February of 2008 Ms. Stuller will be presenting at the annual Comic Arts Conference held in conjunction with San Francisco’s Wondercon, 2008.
Abstract
The Princess of Spy-Fi: A Critical and Historical Overview of Peter O’Donnell’s Modesty Blaise
“I fell in love with Modesty Blaise when I was twelve... As I grew up I also came to admire the craft with which she was brought to the world, the lunatic skills of her creator, and, last of all, I found the comic strips, where she started, and discovered just how much of what I loved about Modesty was there from the beginning...”
– Neil Gaiman
By Jennifer K. Stuller
Born out of glamour girl strips and 1960s British espionage stories, Modesty Blaise—one of the great literary characters of the 20th Century—remains relatively unknown to Americans, even though the British news strip in which she starred lasted for almost 40 years. She is the missing link—or at least the often unacknowledged connection—in the virtual family tree of modern myth’s superwomen.
Whereas the ancestral line traditionally begins with Wonder Woman, another can theoretically begin by placing Modesty Blaise as matriarch in a diverging line of descendants. Modesty signifies an evolutionary transition in representations of superwomen; creators of popular culture have left evidence of her inspiration throughout comic and filmic media. In light of this it’s shocking that Modesty Blaise has received little-to-no scholarly attention.
The cultural effect of Peter O’Donnell’s creation, and his prolific works about her, bear examination. Therefore, this presentation will provide a critical history of the character while exploring her contributions to comic narrative. What storylines or characteristics have been homaged and which are simply pilfered? What has been the legacy of Britain’s Princess of Spy-fi? Who are her spiritual descendants and how do they differ from those of Wonder Woman?
About the Comic Arts Conference
The Comic Arts Conference is designed to bring together comics scholars, practitioners, critics, and historians who want to be involved in the dynamic process of evolving an aesthetic and a criticism of the comics medium. Comics professionals who have participated in past years include Will Eisner, Scott McCloud, Steve Bissette, Trina Robbins, Donna Barr, Mark Waid, and Paul Levitz.
Founded in 1992 by Communications professor Randy Duncan and American Studies doctoral student Peter Coogan, the conference was held concurrent with either the Comic-Con International or the Chicago Comicon. In 1998, the Comics Arts Conference became an official part of the Comic-Con International.