The 1960s were a low water mark of feminism in general but particularly in comic books. Marvel had no heroines with their own books. Each team book had one or two though: X-Men had Marvel Girl; Fantastic Four had the Invisible Girl; the Avengers had the Wasp. The fact that they were called "girls" says a lot. They were pretty weak and the first two were prone to fainting. The Wasp, whose name reflected both her physique and personality, was my favourite because she had a loud mouth.
Things changed in the 1970s. New characters were ceated and older ones were revamped in response to the Women's Liberation movement. I should add that most of my reading and buying was in the 1970s. But the 1960s stories were earlier and more powerful and made a greater impression.
Without doubt, comics were also source of my conviction that it is imperative that one stand up for what one believes is right - especially when it involves harm or injustice to others - even if no one else will stand up with you. Which remains one of my core beliefs.
However, there is a couple of overlays here. There was the Gen-X view of the world that tends to be darker and less optimistic than that of the older boomer generation. Also, in the 1980s, Army training was firmly grounded in the experience of Vietnam, which was refought in training exercises. So we were drilled to expect suicide bombers; told that children were often booby trapped; that wimmin were usually combatants.
So I supported the invasion of Afghanistan and strongly disagreed with the Women's Electoral Lobby who held that life for wimmin was better under the Taliban. And the consequences for civilians moved me but troubled me much less because in my mind, when you reach an accomodation with evil, when you decline to stand up for what you know is right, then you are accepting all the bad consequences as well.
The Australian Army will court martial you for obeying an order as easily as disobeying one. You always have to do what is right.
no subject
Things changed in the 1970s. New characters were ceated and older ones were revamped in response to the Women's Liberation movement. I should add that most of my reading and buying was in the 1970s. But the 1960s stories were earlier and more powerful and made a greater impression.
Without doubt, comics were also source of my conviction that it is imperative that one stand up for what one believes is right - especially when it involves harm or injustice to others - even if no one else will stand up with you. Which remains one of my core beliefs.
However, there is a couple of overlays here. There was the Gen-X view of the world that tends to be darker and less optimistic than that of the older boomer generation. Also, in the 1980s, Army training was firmly grounded in the experience of Vietnam, which was refought in training exercises. So we were drilled to expect suicide bombers; told that children were often booby trapped; that wimmin were usually combatants.
So I supported the invasion of Afghanistan and strongly disagreed with the Women's Electoral Lobby who held that life for wimmin was better under the Taliban. And the consequences for civilians moved me but troubled me much less because in my mind, when you reach an accomodation with evil, when you decline to stand up for what you know is right, then you are accepting all the bad consequences as well.
The Australian Army will court martial you for obeying an order as easily as disobeying one. You always have to do what is right.