photo+comix

A month ago I premiered AMERICAN NARADA: PHOTO+COMIX #1 at Midwest Comic Book Association's SpringCon. The full-color 16-page zine features all 12 photocomix (and the remixed cover comix image) from my forthcoming AMERICAN NARADA: INDIA travelogue.

Inspired by the recent photocomix experiments of Derik Badman, I decided to attempt my own. Not only did it allow me to share nearly 50 photographs from my 2010 India trip and provide a preview-of-sorts for the travelogue, but it challenged me to make sequential sense out of those same photos. In preparing to create the comix, I set three formal rules for myself: (1) restrict each composition to a four-panel grid; (2) limit each strip to one day; (3) present the pictures used in chronological order. Within those rules, I then considered visual flow, color, and theme. It was challenging -- more challenging than I imagined -- but was a very fulfilling intellectual exercise.

Here are three excerpts...

"Fashion - 1/07/10"


"Flower - 1/10/10(b)"


"Baha'i - 1/15/10"


If you're interested in aquiring a copy of the zine, send $4 (check or money order, paid to "Evan Harrison Cass") and your mailing addy to the address below; shipping-and-handling is included. I moved ONE whole copy at SpringCon, so I have plenty still available...

1631 Ward Ave. #7
Hudson WI 54016

bunnshire

Jennifer "Inkbunny Diaries" Young shares her SpringCon 2011 experience, in the process enshrining me as a character in Bunnshire! Here's a peek...



^_^

Well, time to pack... I move back to Wausau for a job on Friday, where I'll be serving animals (for the second summer in a row) at Merrill's Lincoln County Humane Society starting in mid-June -- can't wait!

springcon 2011

Midwest Comic Book Association knows how to celebrate. This past Saturday and Sunday, MCBA and volunteers played generous hosts to a gamut of comix fans, creators and vendors alike at the 24th annual SpringCon in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Despite severe weather, fun appeared to be had by all. I know I had a great time.

As a guest creator, I premiered -- and sold out of (!) -- my ROBOT MARX book. (Always in-stock and available for purchase online, BTW.) It was a real pleasure to chat with fellow fans and other interested individuals about ROBOTECH, sociological theories, and the publishing process. It was also a real pleasure to visit with my tablemates, Jennifer "Inkbunny Diaries" Young and her husband Jason "Straight Line Stitch" White. We talked about life, religion and family between lulls, and managed the table for one another when the other was away. (Jenny's books are available here; learn about Jason's band here.)



In addition to connecting with Jenny and Jason, it was a treat to reconnect with a few other old friends too. Friend-of-a-friend and fellow Central Wisconsin native, Robb Wadzinski was my first customer; the last time we saw each other was at Wizard World Chicago 2008... now he's married. Old-school ROBOTECH fan and someone I indirectly dedicated ROBOT MARX to ("AX Robotech Fans, Class of 2006"), Chad "Marshall" VanVorst was busy masquerading as Darth Vader with con attraction Star Wars' 501st Legion - Central Garrison, but managed to swing by my table -- in and out of costume -- to chat regularly; we geeked out about our favorite cult cartoon (naturally) and made plans to meet up for a drink at the next MCBA show. And what would a MCBA show be without good ol' Michael "MetroMed" Hutchison? I met "The Hutch" at WWC08, found out he used to live in my hometown (Wausau, WI) in the '90s, and hosted him as a guest-of-honor in 2009 at the comix/sci-fi convention I used to organize. Mike's one of the nicest guys in the industry with a sincere, endearing love for the superhero genre and superhero comix; even though we're polar opposites in many ways, visiting with him is always a joy. (His book is available to preview and buy here.)

As a fan, I had three objectives: Buy Ryan Kelly's FUNRAMA #2 preview-zine. Meet Noah Van Sciver and buy an issue of BLAMMO. And meet Trina Robbins and ask her to autograph my ROBOTECH: ART 2 hardcover.



Between freelance work and parenting, Ryan Kelly has been slowly-but-surely rolling out his creator-owned FUNRAMA PRESENTS comix series. It's always inspiring to see creators dedicated to their own ideas, so I was quick to purchase Issue One ("The Mutant Punks") last year. Issue Two ("Raccoon") is still in-progress, but Kelly did prepare an eight-page "MN SpringCon Preview" zine for the show. I thoroughly enjoyed the peek, and look forward to reading the full issue whenever it becomes available.



I recently became intrigued with Noah Van Sciver and his work following a series of podcast interviews. Between his public front (self-deprecating), his comix ideology ('80s/'90s indie) and his stories (Juggalo love; Joseph Smith bio; kooky chickens), I knew I had to meet him. It took me forever to find his table, but when I finally did... well, Noah is awesome. We shared our run-ins with and admiration for Harvey Pekar; we compared experiences growing up in religious-minority low-income families; and Noah showed me stunning original art pages from his in-progress "Young Abraham Lincoln" masterwork, THE HYPO. I ended up walking away with signed copies of BLAMMO Number Six and Seven, and I promptly poured myself into them. BLAMMO is now my favorite floppy. If you're a comix enthusiast and haven't already, do yourself a favor and buy them. Van Sciver is a talent to watch.



And then there was Trina Robbins. It was a genuine honor to meet and talk with one of comix foremost historians, creators and trailblazers. And contemporary paper-doll creators. In 1987, Robbins contributed four paper-doll compositions to ROBOTECH: ART 2. In 1987, my father bought said book for me as a gift; I've regularly perused its contents ever since. Trina was kind enough to autograph all four selections and her bio/photo in the back. (She was also thrilled to hear my story about how I made my dad photocopy her ART 2 paper-doll pages so I could cut out and play with them as an 11 year-old boy... ROBOTECH is wonderfully subversive that way.) Meeting Robbins provided me a meaningful way to connect both my guest and fan SpringCon 2011 experiences.

As mentioned at the outset, SpringCon's organizers are generous -- hearty grab bags and fun attractions for attendees, free tables and full catering for creators, and affordable space and an open mind for a variety of dealers. Without a doubt, MCBA went out of their way to make it a "Comic Book Celebration." I'm already anticipating their FallCon in October...

robot marx, the book

Robot Marx - Robotech®, Patriarchy, and Kids' Culture: A Conflict Theory Perspective is now available as a book. I'll be premiering it this weekend at Saint Paul, Minnesota's SpringCon.

Robot Marx -- "The Collected Essays from AmericanNarada.blogspot.com" -- is a 5-inches wide x 7.5-inches tall, square-bound, full-color, 38-page paperback. Sold at-cost, this "Not-for-profit Academic Scholarship intended for Education" publication is available for $5.00 U.S. From the back cover:

When ROBOTECH -- the classic 85-episode "sci-fi soap opera" cartoon that introduced a generation of American kids to Japanese animation -- premiered in 1985, it stood out from its contemporaries. Unlike iconically similar G.I. JOE and TRANSFORMERS, ROBOTECH's characters lived and died, met and fell in love, and expressed real emotions and evolved as individuals. The program spawned toys, comix, role-playing games, novels, and other pop-cultural artifacts. From the Conflict-Marxist assumption that America is a patriarchal society, ROBOTECH is a fascinating case study: it featured women heroes in leadership positions, a cross-dressing male hero, and an essentially anti-war message, among other subversive elements. ROBOT MARX critiques ROBOTECH, its marketing, and its fandom from this perspective, in the process discussing concepts such as gender representation, diva citizenship, and archetypes. An enjoyable academic expression of fandom.

The book was born from a number of influences. First, last month's "remastered" ROBOT MARX project* re-sparked my latent ROBOTECH fandom. From 2001 to 2004, I edited and published the "official" unofficial ROBOTECH fanzine, Emissaries; Robot Marx was an excuse to indulge in that fandom while being able to provide something new for my fellow fans again. Second, I was inspired after reading Stephen Bissette's Teen Angels & New Mutants to do something similar; I wanted to do for ROBOTECH what he did for Rick Veitch's BRAT PACK. In an admittedly limited way, Robot Marx fit the bill. And third, pulling the book together allowed me to flex my publishing muscles (I have an Associate's degree in Printing & Publishing) in preparation for the forthcoming American Narada: India 1 reflections and comix collection. Using nothing but freeware, Robot Marx was a fun DIY exercise.



Midwest Comic Book Association's SpringCon "Comic Book Celebration" is held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds' Grandstand from 10 AM to 5 PM on both Saturday and Sunday (May 21 & 22); with a canned-food donation, admission is only $10 for the weekend. I'll be tabling alongside friend and uber talented tattoo-artist/cartoonist/designer, Jennifer "Inkbunny Diaries" Young. If you're in the region, I encourage you to attend. MCBA puts on a great show. I'd love to meet AMERICAN NARADA's readers and my fellow ROBOTECH and comix fans, so, please -- if you do attend -- stop by my table and say "Hi!"

Robot Marx will be available for purchase there. The book is also available online via IndyPlanet.

- - -

* ROBOTECH ® and all associated concepts, names, designs, and images are trademark and copyright Harmony Gold USA, Inc. 1985-2011. Application of such for the ROBOT MARX project by Evan Harrison Cass is based on the U.S. Copyright principle of Fair Use for not-for-profit "criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research." No infringement of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.'s or associated companies' and individuals' rights is intended.

crime thwarted by friendly neighborhood cass-man

"I was preparing my whole life for this," says area man



RIVER FALLS -- Yesterday, an area man's life forever changed when he caught a would-be thief attempting to break into his neighbors' apartment. The man's amateur sleuthing and gutsy actions have his neighbors christening him a neighborhood hero.

Evan Cass, 34, was reading a comic book Friday afternoon in his Town of River Falls apartment when he heard his neighbors' dogs barking. "It was 4:30. I looked outside and saw that [neighbors] Dustin and Chelsea weren't home. It was go time -- I grabbed my notepad, a pencil and my camera, and headed outside. It was the moment I'd been waiting for."

"Go time" was a month in the making. Cass, who lives upstairs in the eight-apartment complex located on 920th Street, had been monitoring suspicious activity at the apartment below his own for weeks. "Every once in a while, when my neighbors weren't home, their dogs would go crazy. And just like that -- they'd stop. Something was up." Last week, after being awakened from yet another nap, he decided to take the law into his own hands. Next to his gliding rocking chair, Cass placed a notepad, a pencil and a digital camera at-the-ready. The same notepad, pencil and camera he was clutching in that fateful moment.

When Cass looked down from his balcony at Dustin and Chelsea's doorway, he witnessed an adult male trying to jimmy the door with a credit card. "It was green." In addition to the card's color, Cass also recognized the culprit, but needed photographic evidence. So Cass daringly leaned over the balcony railing with his camera and took a picture. What he saw in the picture did not surprise him. "He's a bum. A mooch. He doesn't even put his shoes on properly. So when I saw that first picture, I knew I had my man -- James." The picture shows James' feet and trademark shoe-wearing style.



The 54 year-old James, a creepy hypochondriac who lives in the apartment building's basement, tried befriending Cass in August 2010 when Cass first moved to the 920th Street address. Cass did not reciprocate. "I didn't like him. I had no desire to get to know him better. He made my 'spider sense' tingle, if you know what I mean. I was right." Unfortunately, the photo was not conclusive; it did not display James' face. Fortunately, James continued to try to break in for the next two hours. "It was unbelievable. He'd leave, then he'd come back. He kept trying and I kept taking pictures." Cass eventually got the conclusive photos he was hoping for from his precarious position overhead.



But it was not easy. Events took a dangerous turn when James tried to strong-arm his way through the door with a four-foot crowbar. Asked if he was scared, Cass said: "I'm a lover, not a fighter. That said, I was prepared to kick someone down a flight of stairs if I had to." James made his last failed break-in attempt at 6 PM.

Dustin and Chelsea returned home at 9 PM. Cass promptly paid them a neighborly visit to share with them the criminal timeline that he had recorded in his notepad and the incriminating photographs on his camera. "They were friendly with James," said Cass, "they were the real victims. I wanted them to be the ones to decide what we should do with James. It was the fair and right thing to do." Cass's neighbors ended up called the landlord, Harmon Properties.

"It's a relief," said Dustin. "It answers a lot of questions. We're glad to have a neighbor like him [Cass]. He was all, like, Mission Impossible hanging off that balcony taking pictures."

"Or like Spider-Man in that movie," said Chelsea, "where he hangs upside down and kisses that girl."

"It was awesome. We're going to Target as soon as possible. We want a new lock."

"And I need to replace a month's worth of stolen underwear."

Cass was asked to reflect on recent events in the context of his almost 35 years of existence. What did it all mean to him? He was quiet for a solid minute, then said: "When I was a kid, I was a big fan of [the cartoon] A Pup Named Scooby-Doo and [the children's book series] Encyclopedia Brown. I used to wear Superman Underoos too. So, yeah, I guess I was preparing my whole life for this."



Cass was also asked about his history as a costumed avenger. Did he see himself donning the cape and cowl again in line with the real-life superhero fad sweeping the globe? "It is true that I used to wear a costume. But that was for a public access TV show a lifetime ago. My hometown, Wausau, has its own superhero -- The Boss -- a special-needs kid who patrols the neighborhood by the airport on his bike. But 'real life' superheroes are freaks. I have a reputation to uphold."

Chelsea's comment about Spider-Man was mentioned to Cass. He laughed. "Spider-Man, huh? Well, he was a photographer. And I wouldn't say 'no' if a pretty girl wanted to kiss me. But, nah -- I'm just a guy who caught one of my neighbors trying to break into my other neighbors' apartment. The only reward that I can ask for is that people remember to lock their doors and that justice is served."

Harmon Properties "served" James an eviction notice early this morning.

- - -

CORRECTION, 9 May 2011: Victimized neighbor Dustin was misidentified as Kevin. The online version has been changed. AMERICAN NARADA regrets the error.

sheila, play with robots

To close out the month-long ROBOT MARX project, here are a couple peripheral asides...

Aside 1: In addition to the semester-long WOM 203 writing project that ultimately became ROBOT MARX were a number of other written assignments. Following a week of readings and discussions about popular music, my classmates and I were assigned to pick a song, critique it from the Conflict-Marxist patriarchal-society perspective, and write a one-page analysis. I chose a song from my favorite band -- The Smiths' "Sheila Take A Bow." I had a ball writing it; here's the essay...

British pop-music singer/songwriter, Steven Patrick Morrissey said: "The sexes have been too easily defined. People are so rigidly locked into these two little categories. ... It limits people's potential in so many areas. I think we should slap down these barriers" (qtd. in Robertson 8, 9). Throughout his 26 year career -- starting in 1984 as lyricist for and lead-singer of The Smiths -- Morrissey has actively tried to subvert the patriarchal social structure. For example, 1987's "Sheila Take A Bow" playfully challenges patriarchy on all four of Allen Johnson's defined fronts (5-15).

"Patriarchy is male dominated in that positions of authority [in the world] ... are generally reserved for men" (Johnson 5). Morrissey writes and sings: "Sheila ... / Boot the grime of this world in the crotch, dear" (lines 5, 6). The word "crotch" is most often associated with male genitals, therefore Morrissey is encouraging the song's female protagonist to challenge and rebel against patriarchal society's ascribed expectations for her.

"Patriarchal societies are male identified in that the core cultural ideas about what is considered ... normal are associated with how we think about men and masculinity" (Johnson 6). Society's concept of the differences between "male" and "female" genders are established and reinforced by patriarchy; in the song, Morrissey -- a "male" singer/songwriter -- is singing about Sheila -- a "female." Within this context, Morrissey writes and sings: "Take my hand and off we stride / You're a girl and I'm a boy" (lines 17, 18). In the very next verse, though, Morrissey matter-of-factly takes the opportunity to subvert and confuse gender norms: "Take my hand and off we stride / I'm a girl and you're a boy" (lines 19, 20).

"[Patriarchy] is male-centered, which means that the focus of attention is primarily on men and what they do. ... Male experience is what patriarchal culture uses to represent human experience, even when it is women who most often live it" (Johnson 10). The fact that Morrissey is writing and singing about a woman and her life differentiates him from the majority of his fellow male singer/songwriters who typically sing and write about themselves or the "girls they love." This is reinforced by two of the song's lines: "Is it wrong to want to live on your [Sheila's] own? / ... Throw your homework [patriarchy's gender conditioning] into the fire" (lines 1, 22).

"[Patriarchy] is an obsession with control as a core value around which social life is organized. ... As a result, controllers come to see themselves as subjects who intend and decide what will happen, and to see others as objects to act upon" (Johnson 14, 15). In patriarchal societies, men are the controllers -- the "choosers" -- and women are the controlled -- the "chosen." Here, again, Morrissey subverts the structured norm: "[Sheila] come out and find the one that you love and who loves you" (line 8). Morrissey admonishes the female protagonist to choose for herself a lover, and admonishes her to choose someone who loves "you" -- i.e. Sheila, "the full and complex human being" (Johnson 15). It is also interesting to note that Morrissey leaves the gender of the to-be-chosen lover ambiguous: s/he could be "male," "female," or other.

As exemplified by The Smiths' "Sheila Take A Bow," Morrissey has actively challenged and questioned patriarchy throughout his career. In choosing to consume similarly subversive media, all of us -- "male" and "female" alike -- can do our part in "[challenging patriarchy's] status quo" (Johnson 19).

- - -

Johnson, Allen G. The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy. Rev. ed. Temple UP, 2005. Print.

Morrissey/Marr Songs Ltd. "Sheila Take A Bow." 1987. Musical composition. Performed by The Smiths, from the compact disc Louder Than Bombs (Sire, 1987).

Robertson, John. Morrissey: In His Own Words. London: Omnibus, 1988. Print.

Aside 2: Behold...



... the original Robot Marx (and son)! A Blogger Stats' traffic-source pointed me to this classic toy manufactured by Louis Marx & Company. From the website, Vintage Robot Toys:

Of the many toys it produced, Marx's line of toy robots are undoubtedly among the most beloved by collectors. Marx introduced this line in the 1950s and 1960s to capitalize on the space and robot craze of the era... These toys included ... Robot and Son, which was released in 1956 and was the first robot toy Marx produced... Founded in 1919, Marx toys were a fixture in five and dime stores as well as with retailers such as Montgomery Ward and Sears, which sold their wares through mail order catalogs. ... The company philosophy of giving their customers 'more toy for less money' helped make Louis Marx one of the most successful toy makers in America; at the height of the Great Depression of the 1930s, when many companies were floundering, Marx not only recorded growing revenues, it was also able to open three factories. By the 1950s, Marx had become the largest toy manufacturer in the world, and founder Louis Marx was crowned "the Toy King" by no less than Time magazine in 1955. ... Louis Marx eventually closed its doors in 1978.

Neat, huh? Now I want one to stand alongside my ROBOTECH Raider X. Too bad it'd cost me over $200... Maybe I'll just write a paper about it instead.

And with that -- ROBOT MARX is officially a wrap.

sister, i'm not a poet

This April is the 16th annual National Poetry Month, "when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets around the country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture." Unlike Morrissey, I'm not a poet. But I've written some poems that I'm sharing here -- for posterity and with contextual notes -- to contribute to the celebration. (Yeah, potentially embarrassing; 'see through my clothes, no reason to hide my words.')

The first poem saw publication in 2001 in the poetry anthology, WOVEN MAGIC. It came to me one evening in 2000 when I realized that the three CDs randomly playing in my disc-changer -- The Cure's Bloodflowers, Deftones' White Pony, and Marillion's Fugazi -- all shared themes that reflected my mind-set of the moment.

From my author's note in WOVEN MAGIC: "Music is a mirror. It reflects the listener's hopes and fears, their dreams and desires, their true selves and their state of mind. Music can also be a muse, inspiring the listener emotionally and intellectually. It inspired me to write [this poem], which deals with my own look in the mirror. What did I find...? I found depression. [Yep. Embarrassing.] But despite that, I also found strength in my loneliness. Thanks to music." Here's "The Music Is Dark"...

The music is dark
as my mind falls apart.

Grasping and groping, I crawl
where's the light?

Eyes blind to joy, it seems
impossible to find?

Help me up, please... I think
can't see...

Tears streak and burn
sweet euphoria!

I hear the Night Call
and it is beautiful...

The next two poems came to me and were written on the same day -- Sunday, 25 March 2007. The then "love of my life" had ended our romantic relationship the Sunday before; I was heartdestroyed. My car had broken down earlier in the week; a financial and logistic nightmare. I had received my mid-term grades later that same week; they were not good. And I had just wrapped organizing, managing, and MCing the inaugural year of a sci-fi/comix convention the day before; I didn't have much left to give, but I gave it my remaining all and more.

When I finally crawled out of bed that Sunday, I posted a convention update via MySpace Bulletin. (Times sure change, don't they?) Rereading it a couple of hours later, I noticed that it had a kinda-sorta poetic rhythm. So I reworked it into "Sweet Relief"...

For those of you in the know...
I survived.
Still some worries and stressors,
but not nearly the weight.
Kissed some guy,
hugged some women.
Found out I probably could pursue that Stand-Up Comedy career.
But no...
The joy -- or should that be "gift"? -- I receive in caring, giving and helping can't be beat.
$430 to The Women's Community!
Looked like a dork on TV.
For the first time in nearly a week...
no nightmares.
Doing it again next year.

That Sunday was also an unseasonably warm, beautiful day. So I went for a long walk to decompress. When I got back home, I wrote "Deep Breaths"...

*

Late afternoon
Stepping outside
Deep breath... Deep breath... Deep breath...
First walk of the Spring
In PJs and Chuck Taylors
Down Hamilton, from 5th to 3rd
What will people think?
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"
Wrong context
Six blocks to Grant
Nice lady on her porch
I smile
"Beautiful day, isn't it?"
A big, warm smile back
"Yes. Yes it is!"
Kissing her daughter goodbye
What's she thinking? Does she trust him?
Does she worry?
Deep breath... Deep breath...
Down Grant, from 3rd to 5th
Churches
Lots of them
It's been awhile
Is He watching? What's He thinking?
Deep breath...
Six blocks back to Hamilton
"So that's what my house would look like if my landlord finished painting it"
Man walking
Still using a Walkman
Wonder if I'll ever get an iPod...
How many blocks total?
One, two, three, four, five...
16 blocks
I still have to see that movie
Home
Deep breath... Deep breath... Deep breaths.

The final poem that I'll share -- written in the same style -- came to me a few days later. It's called "Morning Haze"...

Stir from a dream
images...
Rob rolling his family van down a mountainside...
Tim drawing "lit" Jewish comics...
Mom losing a lot of weight, but now sporting a scruff-beard
"What time is it...?"
might as well get up
Out I flop
turn the coffee pot on
"Thump!"
Al starts calling out to me from his room
Stumble into the living room...
sunny
Turn on computer
eyes still heavy
MySpace while the coffee brews
"A silly for a monday morn.....Best (Worst) Headlines"
read later
Bathroom
Eyes not red
poke and prod the gunk out
"Love these contacts... gotta tell Dr. Chris"
Take a whiz
dark yellow... am I sick?
Get coffee
Get Al
"Hey! It's about time! I'm starv -- WAIT!
"Look! A ladybug!!"
"Don't eat it, buddy... I think I heard they're poisonous."
Meds and water
NPR
"Hourly" first
Time for "Best (Worst) Headlines"
... who writes these things?!
"Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead"
"Ha!" that truly is the winner!
Thought
"I'm gonna write a poem a day, every day"
a diary in word pictures
starting yesterday
Time for "Morning Edition"
big wake-up yawn
Jimi Hendrix' "Purple Haze" plays in my head
later...
I still want to enjoy my Morning Haze.

**

Well, I never wrote that "poem a day, every day," but I did have the opportunity to perform all of the above at a packed open-mic poetry reading that my friend, David "Supernatural Sexual Political Comic Book Doctrine" Cohen -- who is a poet -- organized a couple of years ago. "Deep Breaths" and "Morning Haze" were very well received; it was quite flattering, and I'm proud of them.

As National Poetry Month draws to a close, buy out some time to celebrate this intimate medium if you haven't already. Revisit or write your own. Attend a local poetry reading. Or read some selections. Poets.org is a wonderful one-stop resource. If you need a prompt, I encourage you to consider the late, great Gwendolyn Brooks; she's my personal favorite.

- - -

* "Evening stroll in tutu" by Bonita Cooke.

** "Ladybug" by David Gn; "Jimi Hendrix" via Aaron Smith.

robot marx, part 6

Robotech®, Patriarchy, and Kids' Culture:
A Conflict Theory Perspective

In her essay "Producing Girls: Rethinking the Study of Female Youth Culture," Mary Celeste Kearney examines the role female teens and young women have played and continue to play in consuming, shaping and creating media. From solicited contributions in corporate, commercial magazines to anti-corporate, do-it-yourself (DIY) zines, Kearney tracks the history of the compromises and conflicts between "for girls" and "by girls" in the context of "producing girls," i.e. girls as "cultural producers" (286). Similarly throughout its history, "corporate" ROBOTECH has coexisted and occasionally come into conflict with "DIY" ROBOTECH; and, through it all, "producing girls" have been active participants.



An example of solicited contributions in a corporate, commercial publication is that of ROBOTECH: ART 2. ART 2 was the second in a series of three ROBOTECH art books released in the 1980s by boutique publisher Starblaze/The Donning Company. Whereas ART 1 was a "series bible" of sorts (episode guide, character profiles, behind-the-scenes production notes), ART 2 was a high-end collection of professional and amateur artworks. Of the 19 artists featured, six (32%) were women; notably, of the 78 artworks included, 49 (63%) were created by female artists. ART 2 is considered by many ROBOTECH fans as one of the series' finest merchandise items ever released -- an item that would not have existed were it not for the female artists (professional and amateur alike) who contributed to its contents.

The late 1980s into and throughout the 1990s saw, at first, a renaissance in "old school" fanzines (Kearney 299) focused on ROBOTECH, followed by -- as the internet entered the mainstream -- an explosion in ROBOTECH-specific fan websites (fansites). This was an era that found ROBOTECH's corporate owners, Harmony Gold, legally passive in regards to their ROBOTECH brand; fans were able to create -- unchecked -- DIY fan-fictions, fan-artworks and fan-communities. In the case of both fanzine and fansite contributions, many female fans generously contributed their writings and artworks. An interesting note regarding female ROBOTECH fans: They seemed to be primarily responsible for website "shrines" that focused on specific series' characters and couples (two sites that The Author recalls dealt with "The Masters"' character Musica and the "New Generation" couple Scott and Marlene). Kearney explains why this might be: "[Much] of this (sub)cultural activity on the part of today's youth is not entirely independent from the mainstream media and popular culture upon which it must rely not only for publicity and promotion, but also for source material..." (298).



The year 2000 saw Harmony Gold actively reasserting control over its ROBOTECH brand. Through to the present, Harmony Gold's legal department has occasionally targeted fanzines and fansites with a "cease and desist" letter; the result, sadly, is that many of the fan produced relics of the previous decades -- many by "producing girls" -- have been abandoned or altogether lost. Harmony Gold has tried to make amends by establishing a "Fan Art & Fiction" section on their official ROBOTECH website for the program's fans, but (in The Author's opinion) the creative works lack a certain genuineness and integrity inherent in Harmony Gold's defaulted legal submission filter.

Despite these recent challenges, the heritage of ROBOTECH's fandom is positively felt to this very day -- especially in regards to female fans moving beyond being "producing fangirls" to become independent "cultural producers." As Kearney says: "In numbers now too big to ignore, female adolescents are increasingly involved in the production of films and videos, the recording of music, the publication of literature, and the manufacturing of clothing and fashion accessories" (289).

- - -

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kearney, Mary Celeste. "Producing Girls: Rethinking the Study of Female Youth Culture." Unknown. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 285-309. Print.

"Lonely Soldier Boy." ColleenDoran.com. Colleen Doran, 2011. Web. 2010. http://colleendoran.com/2010/04/01/04012010/.

Reynolds, Kay, ed. Robotech: Art 2. Norfolk, Virginia: Donning Company/Publishers, 1987. Print.

Robotech.com. Harmony Gold USA, Inc., 2007. Web. 2010. http://robotech.com/.

- - -

ROBOTECH ® and all associated concepts, names, designs, and images are trademark and copyright Harmony Gold USA, Inc. 1985-2011. Application of such for the ROBOT MARX project by Evan Harrison Cass is based on the U.S. Copyright principle of Fair Use for not-for-profit "criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research." No infringement of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.'s or associated companies' and individuals' rights is intended.

robot marx, part 5

Robotech®, Patriarchy, and Kids' Culture:
A Conflict Theory Perspective

Like other "boy" cartoons of the 1980s, ROBOTECH had an action-figure line of toys. But unlike its contemporaries' lines (ex. He-Man & the Masters of the Universe and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero), ROBOTECH's was unique in that it featured a notable number of female characters. Whereas He-man had She-Ra and G.I. Joe had Scarlett -- "token" female characters -- ROBOTECH had significant, "essential" female characters.



The ROBOTECH action figures released in 1985 by Matchbox were modeled after the hugely successful G.I. Joe figures of the time -- mostly 3 3/4 inches tall; packaged on "character cards" that included a character biography and a listing of other figures in the line; accessorized with a gun and helmet, and/or some other character-specific item(s); and engineered so as to be placed within higher-priced line-specific vehicles as "pilots." Although Matchbox's ROBOTECH vehicles were highly regarded for their quality and playability, the same cannot be said about their ROBOTECH action figures, which were low in quality and lacked playable poseability (i.e. they had limited toy-joint articulation). Due to this, as the decade progressed -- and even into the mid 1990s -- it was not uncommon to come across ROBOTECH action figures at dramatically reduced prices or in clearance dump-bins at toy stores.

It is also possible, though, that the very nature of the ROBOTECH action-figure line resulted in its lack of popularity and marketability. As Sherrie Inness brings out in "'It's a Girl Thing': Tough Female Action Figures in the Toy Store":

A two-tier system exists [... H]undreds of male [action figures] are available at [...] major toy [stores ...] A few females might appear, but [...] female action figures can be a hard sell to males. [...] For [an action figure] toy line [...], which is marketed primarily to males [...], including females risks that boys might not purchase the toys [...] (87)

As previously noted, the ROBOTECH action-figure line featured a sizable number of female characters in its ranks. Of the 22 available figures -- of both "hero" and "villain" characters -- six were female. This may not seem significant; but when just the "heroes" are considered, five out of 11 -- nearly half -- are female. Along with their male comrades, they, too, were accessorized with a gun and helmet (the only exception being pop-singer character, Lynn Minmei, who came with a microphone and helmet). Truly, the ROBOTECH action-figure line -- in the context of its lingua franca (Inness 81) -- was a paradox.



Despite ROBOTECH and its action figures' limited marketability, its brand and its toys did touch the lives of many young fans who discovered and latched onto this largely overlooked series. As Inness says:

When we think about the gender-segregated universe of children's toys [and cartoons], including action figures, it is easy to assume the worst. [...] There is no doubt that such stereotyped gender roles have a tremendous influence, but we also have to remember that children can be subversive [...] (90, 91)

And that surely was the case with ROBOTECH. Both fanboys and fangirls purchased and played with these action figures; boys played with girl characters/figures, and girls played with boy characters/figures. Female characters in leadership roles in the military inspired more than a few female fans to pursue a career in the military; scientist characters inspired male and female fans to pursue a career in the sciences; and a transgender character even inspired one male fan to embrace his bisexual identity. As demonstrated by its action-figure line, it can be said the ROBOTECH was both "a boy and girl thing," and challenged and shaped gender expectations for a small-but-devoted generation of 1980s cartoon/toy fans.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Inness, Sherrie A. "Chapter 3: 'It's a Girl Thing': Tough Female Action Figures in the Toy Store." Unknown. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 75-94. Print.

"Robotech by Matchbox." Action Figure Archive. Action Figure Archive, 2011. Web. 2010. http://action-figures.ca/robotech.htm.

Robotech.com. Harmony Gold USA, Inc., 2007. Web. 2010. http://robotech.com/.

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ROBOTECH ® and all associated concepts, names, designs, and images are trademark and copyright Harmony Gold USA, Inc. 1985-2011. Application of such for the ROBOT MARX project by Evan Harrison Cass is based on the U.S. Copyright principle of Fair Use for not-for-profit "criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research." No infringement of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.'s or associated companies' and individuals' rights is intended.

robot marx, part 4

Robotech®, Patriarchy, and Kids' Culture:
A Conflict Theory Perspective

ROBOTECH's "New Generation" features a Princess, a Prince and a Queen, with parallels to both "Uncle" Walt Disney and Team Disney's archetypical models. The context in which "New Generation" takes place is Earth after being conquered by the alien Invid, spawning a human resistance movement leading up to an attempt by space-faring humans to try to win back the planet for all of humanity.



The Princess in "New Generation" is Ariel/Marlene -- an Invid princess who is inserted into a human resistance cell's ranks as a spy for her people; as an Invid, her name is Ariel, whereas the amnesiac identity she adopts while with the humans is Marlene. Towards series' end, Marlene discovers who she really is -- the Invid princess, Ariel -- and exhibits behaviors similar to those described by Rebecca-Anne C. Do Rozario in "The Princess and the Magic Kingdom: Beyond Nostalgia, the Function of the Disney Princess" as the "Uncle Walt" princess archetype: "She wanders barefoot in the woods and is uninterested in the affairs of kings, devastated when she learns she is a princess [...]" (38). Following this revelation, though, she eventually embraces her Invid heritage and name and, along with Scott and her other freedom fighter companions, "creates the possibility of an equal match between hero[es] and princess [... The] new government [that is ultimately] forged is less insular and the princess is reconciled to both father [or mother, i.e. the Regess] and lover [Scott and humanity]" (55, 56).



The Prince is Lt. Scott Bernard -- the lone surviver of an earlier, failed attempt to win back Earth for humanity, and the leader of the human resistance cell Ariel is inserted into; Ariel enters the group as an amnesiac, after which Scott names her "Marlene" after his dead fiance. Over the course of their characters' arcs, Scott and Marlene begin to fall in love and Scott regularly comes to her rescue, similar to the Walt Disney prince archetype described by Do Rozario -- the "prince [Scott] as rescuer, and a 'dragon' [i.e. the Regess ...] from whom the princess [Ariel/Marlene] needs rescuing" (42). From the "Team Disney" point-of-view, Scott functions as an outsider-prince in the eyes of the Regess: "He appears to threaten the stable future of the kingdom by changing the status quo, a forbidden prince who is contrary to the custom of the kingdom and will force the kingdom to become less insular" (54).



The Queen is the Regess -- the queen-mother of the Invid race who has come to Earth and conquered it for her people's survival, due to the fact that their food source, the Flower of Life, has taken root and flourished on the planet following the devastating end-result of the previous Robotech war ("The Masters"). Do Rozario describes Team Disney's queen/mother archetype as "disdained [by their daughters...] their identity and their work simultaneously erased, naturalized and devalued" (Haas qtd. 52). This especially holds true while Ariel is amnesiac and believes herself to be Marlene -- since she does not know any better, she denies the Regess as her mother and fights against her. It is at the end of "New Generation" that a striking "Uncle" Walt Disney-esque queen/mother moment occurs: To stop humanity from destroying their own world (Earth) in an attempt to exterminate the Invid, the Regess sacrifices her and her race's new home by choosing to flee from it by "turning herself into a proverbial dragon" (40), thus saving not only her own race but that of the one she had previously conquered.

A princess. A prince. And a queen. ROBOTECH's "New Generation" features all three, with both the Walt Disney and Team Disney archetypes apparent throughout.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Do Rozario, Rebecca-Anne C. "The Princess and the Magic Kingdom: Beyond Nostalgia, the Function of the Disney Princess." Women's Studies in Communication 27.1: 34-59. Print.

Robotech.com. Harmony Gold USA, Inc., 2007. Web. 2010. http://robotech.com/.

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ROBOTECH ® and all associated concepts, names, designs, and images are trademark and copyright Harmony Gold USA, Inc. 1985-2011. Application of such for the ROBOT MARX project by Evan Harrison Cass is based on the U.S. Copyright principle of Fair Use for not-for-profit "criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research." No infringement of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.'s or associated companies' and individuals' rights is intended.