We Can Do It! Kitty Pryde

“We Can Do It!: Women in Comics, Television and Beyond” is Hush Comics’ answer to what women in comics mean to the world and to us  Visit our page every Monday to learn about a new super lady!

Who:

Kitty Pryde

Nicknames/Aliases:

Shadowcat, Sprite, Ariel

Skills:

She can walk through walls!  Ok, its a bit deeper than that.. she can change her atoms to pass through the atoms of other objects.  This creates the visual of her passing through, as well as levitating in some cases.  She is also amazingly smart in computer science and piloting.  Oh, and she can kick some serious ass because of her knowledge of Karate, Aikido, and Krav Maga.

Origin Story:

Created by comic greats Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Kitty Pryde was born circa 1967 in Illinois.  When she became a teenager, she began getting really bad headaches, which turned out to be the onset of her mutant powers.  She was originally recruited by mutant Emma Frost of the Hellfire Club.  However, after being visited by Professor Charles Xavier, Kitty Pryde joined the X-Men.  Good choice!  The new mutant, with the power to travel through objects, first appeared in comics in 1980 with Uncanny X-Men #129.  She was meant to juxtapose the now adult X-Men who had been well established in their ‘verse.  Kitty came in as a 13 year old who was incredibly smart and ended up saving many of the X-Men right off the bat.  Kitty also became the love interest for Colossus, the Russian mutant who turns into steel.  In addition, Kitty becomes a close friend of Wolverine and a surrogate daughter to Storm.  It is Kitty who sends all the early 1980’s X-Men to the future in the famous arc and next week’s feature film (hence this article!) Days of Future Past. In a pivotal moment for Kitty in the book Kitty Pryde and Wolverine, she becomes possessed by the demon Ogun, former teacher to Wolverine.  Wolverine then helps Kitty beat Ogun.  After beating him, she is changed, not only because of her nifty new martial arts skills, but because she was no longer the innocent, inexperienced girl everyone had once known.  Upon her emergence from the ordeal, she became Shadowcat.  Kitty has continued on in the X-Men series and is considered to be one of the best X-Men according to many a list.

Why is she important?:

Firstly, in my opinion, Kitty Pryde is important because she has a dragon.  Yeah, she has cool powers, and can fight, and can fly a plane, and can speak like a lot of different languages, but really its because she has a dragon.  Yeah.  His name is Lockheed.  He has even risked his life for hers.  And he’s purple.  I’d say all that makes her a lot cooler than Daenerys Targaryen (sorry Game of Throne fans).  

So what else other than the dragons?  Well there is the fact that Kitty Pryde changed the entire X-Men world.  She is highly regarded as being the best “teen” mutant introduced to the X-Men.  Kitty was the person who brought a level of normalcy to the group of misfits.  Kitty was born into a ordinary family and she was a fairly ordinary girl.  Her reactions to going to Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters were apropos to how most people would react to the other mutants and the happenings of her new and strange world.  Kitty is so accessible to her readers, it is hard to deny her importance to the series.

What she means to me:

Kitty Pryde means a lot to me.  I grew up watching the X-Men Animated Series in the early 90’s.  Of course, Kitty wasn’t in that series, but because of my interest in the show, I did my research on all the X-Men, thanks to my good ole dad (thanks Daddy for answering my incessant questions when I was 5).  What struck me about Kitty Pryde at first was “Hey! She has a cool name!”  Then it went to “Why is Jubilee in this show and not Kitty?!”  When I found out how down-to-earth and smart she was, I was a fan.

What really turned me into a Shadowcat fan?  Well, if you keep up with me, and why the heck wouldn’t you, you know I like Buffy.  I love Buffy.  I exalt Buffy.  I live and breathe Buffy.  And you know who was the inspiration for Buffy?  Well reader, in case you have yet to take a wild stab in the dark, Kitty Pryde was the inspiration for Buffy Summers.  Joss, you son-of-a-gun, you.  Not surprising, Joss brought Kitty back to the X-Men after being away with Excalibur and off to university in his series Astonishing X-Men.  He then gave the fans what they wanted and brought Kitty and Colossus together again.  However, (SPOILER FOR YOU WHO HAVEN’T READ ASTONISHING X-MEN or seen BUFFY) much like Whedon did with Buffy, he ended his run on the book by having Kitty sacrifice herself for the good of Earth.  Aw shucks, Joss!  You always get me right in the feels. And a thank you to Kitty Pryde for helping little girls realize that they are smart and cool and special and for all those times you stopped catastrophic things from happening to the non-mutants like myself.

Kitty in one of her first appearances in 1980 donning the name Sprite.

Kitty on the cover of “Kitty Pryde and Wolverine” #1

Kitty in the animated series “X-Men Evolution”

Kitty and Colossus

Kitty and her kindred spirit Lockheed the dragon.

Kitty on the cover of “Astonishing X-Men” #26

Kitty Pryde played by Ellen Page in the new film “X-Men: Days of Future Past” out on May 26, 2014

all photos belong to Marvel.

written by Adrian Puryear

We Can Do It! Jean Grey

“We Can Do It!: Women in Comics, Television and Beyond” is Hush Comics’ answer to what women in comics mean to the world and to us  Visit our page every Monday to learn about a new super lady!

Who:

Jean Grey

Nicknames/Aliases:

Marvel Girl, Phoenix, Dark Phoenix

Skills:

Telepathy, telekinesis, total recall, and being the most powerful woman in the X-Men.

Origin Story:

Jean Grey debuted in September of 1963 in X-Men #1.  That’s right, she was there from the beginning!  But… there is a catch.  Jean Grey was originally known as Marvel Girl, and she was only telekinetic.  In one of her many retcons (Bizarre Adventurers #27, “Secret Lives of the X-Men”), it is revealed that telepathy was a suppressed power of hers.  When Jean was a child, she witnessed a friend of hers killed by being run over by a car.  She was sent to Professor Xavier and became one of the first X-Men, and the only original female.  Jean loves Scott Summers, but also finds herself in lust with Wolverine, two other members of the X-Men.  In 1976, and many times over, Jean becomes the legendary Phoenix during an attempt to save her fellow X-Men during a plane crash.  From then on, Jean’s story is in flux between herself, Phoenix, and the Dark Phoenix.  And because of that, they both deserve articles in their own right.

Why is she important?:

Jean Grey is the ultimate ethereal mutant.  Her mind can live in your mind.  Her mind lives in other times.  Her mind is on other planes!  Her mind could be invading my mind right now!  But seriously, Jean is important because she was the first female member of the X-Men.  She goes on to become the Head Mistress in charge at the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.  She is a woman in charge!  When Marvel Girl was introduced and for many years later, she was considered the weakest member of the group.  In the late 70’s with Phoenix Unleashed (X-Men #105), Chris Claremont changed all that.  In a drastic move, he took Jean from the weak link to the brightest star in the sky.  Today, Jean Grey is considered one the most important and mighty heroes, gender aside.  To emphasize how important Jean is, she has died over a dozen times in the comics, but she is timeless.  No matter how many times she dies, Jean will always come back because she means so much to the story of the mutants.

What she means to me:

Growing up watching X-Men: The Animated Series, Jean Grey was an inspiration because she was so strong.  And not in the physical sense of the word, but she made it O.K. for women to be mentally powerful.  Jean is on the same mental level as the all-knowing Charles Xavier.  Because of her commanding mind, she is a main force to be reckoned with for enemies.  It is hard to be a young girl and not be influenced by a woman who can read and control minds.  How cool is that?

Jean Grey as Marvel Girl in the 1960’s

Jean Grey becomes The Phoenix in 1976.

Jean Grey in X-Men: The Animated Series in 1992.

Famke Janssen as Jean Grey in X-Men the Movie in 2000.

Jean Grey is amazing!

all photos belong to Marvel.

written by Adrian Puryear

“Respect My Craft” – Gail Simone

In this consumer-based industry, it can be easy to forget the years of hard work that the people in the business put in. Behind every panel, it takes a skilled writer, artist, inker and colorist to make the product complete. Hush Comics’ weekly article “Respect My Craft” will dive into the history of these comic book greats that will hopefully give a new perspective on how the men and women behind the pen (or stylus) contribute to the collective awesome-ness of comic books, or at least give you a reason to invest in their work.

Name: Gail Simone

Profession: Writer

Notable Work: Batgirl (New 52), Birds of Prey, Tomb Raider, The Movement (New 52)

“Right now there are so many wonderful female things in comics; characters, creators, commentators, editors, convention organizers, store owners and readers. They don’t threaten anything in the industry, they add to it.” – Gail Simone

When you make a list of top-tier writers in the comic book industry right now, Gail Simone should always be brought up. Her great dialog and story vision has made Batgirl and The Movement two of DC Comics most intriguing titles, and garnered a strong fan-base along the way. Simone’s beginning are far simpler than the juggernaut writer she has become, though. Simone began as a blogger – well, I suppose they weren’t really known as bloggers in the late 1990’s. Through Comic Book Resources, Simone wrote a periodical called “You’ll All Be Sorry!” with a group of collaborators, writing satirical stories (one of my favorites was the “Bizarro  Preacher” article, written on my birthday). The stories must have given her the courage to piss off a whole lot of people when she launched Women in Refrigerators in 1999.

Women in Refrigerators was originally meant to poke fun at an industry flaw, not incite rage – the same way we hoot and holler when Laurel starts making pouty faces on Arrow, chastising it for being too “C-Dub.” Anyway, the joke behind WIR is that women are constantly being used at plot pieces for either the development of male characters, or the deconstruction of the female ones. This wasn’t just some wild accusation either. On the site, which looks a whole lot like a 90’s Geocities page I made when I was in junior high, had a whole list of characters that fit the bill of expendable women in comic books. The most shocking thing about the list of that many of these characters – Storm, Supergirl, Wonder Woman – are prominent characters in the comic book world. She may not have made many friends by openly criticizing the industry, but it’s where Simone got her first job in the industry.

This really happened in Green Lantern #54 (1994)

She began writing for The Simpsons in 2000, and covered several outlets for them. From the main title, to a Bart-based and Treehouse of Horror mini-series to the Sunday morning comic strips in the papers, Gail Simone was breaking out in a big way. Her work on The Simpsons led her to a job with Marvel on the Deadpool and Agent X series, where she was able to show off her humorous side – which has always been a strong suit of hers. It wasn’t until Simone got a gig writing Birds of Prey that things really took off.

It was with DC Comics that Simone would really get the opportunity to spread her wings. Spanning 52 (heh heh, DC loves its 52’s) issues from 2003-2007, the Birds of Prey are a group of crime-fighting women working as a team. At this point in the story, Barbara Gordon AKA Oracle is confined to the seat of a wheelchair after the grueling fallout of The Killing Joke. Physically limited, yes, but Oracle is one of the team’s most valuable assets with her technical savvy. After runs on Secret Six, Gen13, Villains United and other short runs, Simone really turned heads with her long run on Wonder Woman and The All-New Atom. Even with all that under her belt, it wasn’t until her second run on Secret Six that Gail Simone was a name that made me a fan for life.

Princess Diana’s sweet armor in Wonder Woman #28

The Secret Six are a ragtag group of villains, led by the likes of Bane, that try to work as a team on contract to kill another villain. Simone was able to breathe a lot of life into these characters, most of which were unknown to casual fans. In fact, before the New 52 relaunch, Secret Six was one of the most beloved books on the shelves. The way Simone was able to turn these despicable villains into misunderstood heroes. After 36 issues of Secret Six, the series was canceled and Simone was brought on to write the new Batgirl series.

Batgirl has ben one of my favorite books, and it’s because of the development of Barbara Gordon. The Batgirl from the first few issues is hardly recognizable to the Batgirl in issue #28. I love that her character is strong, yet shows vulnerability to the reader. That’s the result you get when you have a writer who is as passionate about the characters she or he is writing about. In a time where DC was criticized for its a lack of diversity (out of all the New 52 books released in 2011, hers was the only one written by a woman), Batgirl gave all leaders a better sense of identity. Her other DC story, The Movement, is loosely based super-hero version of the Occupy movement – once again giving a voice to those who cannot do so themselves. Unfortunately, the series will be canceled after the 12th issue in May. Lately, Simone has expanded her scope to write for other publishers now that her exclusive deal with DC Comics has ended. She has been writing the new Red Sonja series, as well as a brand new Tomb Raider. She hasn’t stopped there, either; Simone will be heading the Savage Wolverine series starting in May.

From Killer Princesses to her upcoming Kickstarter project, Leaving Megalopolis, Gail Simone writes women characters that are capable, intelligent, and convincing. Her career in the industry started very much the way ours has – just a group of awesome friends typing out their love for comic books. Gail Simone is constantly on the floor at comic book conventions, and engages her fans via social media (Twitter, Tumblr). It might have started out as a joke, but her Women in Refrigerators piece was great commentary on the industry’s need to represent women better. One woman can’t change the world view alone, but with a work ethic like hers, you have to respect her craft! 

Checked out her bibliography and still want more? Check this out:

Gail Simone lights up the social networking with her witty, honest and often hilarious Tweets.

You can find paperback collections of her “You’ll All Be Sorry” articles on Amazon for less than $5.

I wanted to point out that none of this art is mine; it is all credited to the original publishers (Marvel Comics & DC Comics) . Thanks for all the love and support for You Nerd Like A Girl. Look to us next week for more “Respect My Craft!,” featuring the industries most talented contributors.

Written by Sherif Elkhatib

You Nerd Like a Girl

Hush Comics is proud to present our latest and greatest in reviews and features for the month of March.  After much success with last month’s All Black Everything articles celebrating Black History Month, it only seemed appropriate to celebrate women for Women’s History Month.  We are calling it “You Nerd Like a Girl.”  No, it is not intended to say that girls are bad at being nerds.  Rather, it is celebrating all the wonderful things women have done and will continue to do in the comic book and media industry.

In addition to all our Graphic Novel Reviews and Respect My Craft articles focusing on female characters and creators, this month we will also be unveiling our newest weekly feature (yes, that means it will continue past March), We Can Do It!: Women in Comics, TV, Movies and Beyond.  The feature will focus on important information pertaining to the women who make me the woman I am today.  Are there really that many fictional and real nerdy women who influenced me that much to feature one for every week of the year?  Yes, yes there are.  And Hush Comics cannot wait to share it!

Buffy Summers. The woman who taught me about life. Why this random image? Because I can, that’s why.

The image used is property of Dark Horse Comics

written by Adrian Puryear