Sequential Scholars

@sequentialscholars.bsky.social

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Academics reading and celebrating the style, substance, and sublimity of all kinds of comics. By scholars, for everyone. Led by @annapeppard.bsky.social & Dr. J. Andrew Deman.

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Though later iterations across media would lose touch with it, one of the most unique and compelling aspects of Marv Wolfman and George Pérez’s founding take on the character Raven is her commitment to pacifism and non-violence as categorical imperatives. #TeenTitans #Raven 1/8

In “George Pérez and the Classical Narrative Style” scholar Marc Singer breaks down the genius of Pérez’s style and seeks to account for the critical neglect that the legendary illustrator has received from comics scholars, despite a legendary career output. #TeenTitans 1/7

The New #TeenTitans began in 1980, revitalizing previous attempts at a Teen Titans franchise that traced back all the way to the 1960s, with mixed results. The Wolfman-Pérez run of Titans, however, was an unequivocal triumph, both financially and creatively. 1/9

The “gag strip,” a short comic strip common in newspapers, is sometimes viewed as a simplistic form of humor. Yet gag strips are considerably more complex than they’re often given credit for, due in part to comics’ unique representations of space & time. 1/12 #ComicsStudies

Where some comic strips read like nothing that came before them, Bill Watterson’s “Calvin & Hobbes” can be read like everything that came before it, all at once – a work of pastiche that mines earlier comics greats for influence and inspiration. #CalvinandHobbes 1/7

Comics historians have suggested that early American comic strips would often make use of broad racial caricatures as the subject of specific punchlines, entire comedic premises or even iconic characters. #ComicStrips #ComicsStudies 1/8

Many histories of comics privilege male characters & connotatively masculine genres. But comics have always responded to changing gender norms, including various waves of feminism. The popular genre of “working girl” comic strips offers many illustrative examples. 1/12

In his essay “Tarpé Mills’ Miss Fury: Costume, Sexuality and Power,” appearing in the book “Supersex,” pioneer comics scholar Richard Reynolds analyzes #MissFury, the first female superhero created by a woman, as a rich—and potentially queer—exploration of gendered power. 1/14

One of the more interesting nuances of Charles Schulz’s work that has been singled out by comics scholars is his portrayal of faith and religion, the subject of more than one book on the author’s legacy to the broader field of comics history. #peanuts 1/6

Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip is iconic – a true transmedia property whose scope exceeded anything that came before it. But lost in that, at times, is the fact that Peanuts was (particularly early on) an innovative work of pop culture genius. #PEANUTS #comicsstudies 1/10

In the book “Wide Awake in Slumberland,” Katherine Roeder relates Winsor McKay’s classic comic strip #LittleNemo to a variety of preoccupations of early 20th century entertainment & consumerism, referencing dime museums, amusement parks, circuses & the rise of mass culture. 1/14

Though perhaps not as enduring in our culture as other comics classics (despite notable reprinting enterprises), there is an argument to be made that the most important and influential comic strip in human history is “Krazy Kat” by George Herriman. #krazykat #comicsstudies 1/10

Comic strips first began appearing in American newspapers in the mid-1890s. One direct inspiration for the form was the political cartoons appearing in 19th century magazines such as “Puck” and “Truth,” themselves inspired by British satire magazines such as “Punch.” 1/10

In 2016, the She-Hulk character was handed over to an accomplished writer and given the pronoun-less title of “Hulk.” The story that unfolded, however, divided the fanbase, raising key questions about the role of character consistency in comics. #SheHulk 1/9

The 2014 #SheHulk series, penned by Charles Soule w/ pencils by Javier Pulido & Ron Wimberly and covers by Kevin Wada, features a strong cast of female supporting characters. And two characters, Hellcat/Patsy Walker and Tigra/Greer Nelson, have fascinating feminist legacies. 1/9

We’ve discussed the relationships between monstrosity and patriarchy in She-Hulk, but there’s a way to extend that argument to include Jennifer’s role in the legal system, one that sees her monstrosity empowering justice for an otherwise subjugated feminine voice. #shehulk 1/8.

As Gail Simone’s “Women in Refrigerators” blog documents, female superheroes often face sexual violence. They less often litigate cases involving it. A 2006 story penned by Dan Slott features #SheHulk dealing with both—with mixed results. CW: discussion of sexual assault. 1/15

John Byrne’s rejuvenation of #SheHulk in “Sensational She-Hulk” (1989-1994) indelibly changed the character and was, for many years, Marvel’s longest-running title starring a female hero. Yet the series’ sexualization of its title character is controversial—and complicated. 1/14

She-Hulk’s debut in “Savage She-Hulk” (1980-82) is not as fondly remembered as other iterations. But the series is worth re-examining in its historical context and because it can help us understand fundamental conflicts that continue to influence the character. 1/10 #SheHulk

This week, we’re cross-examining She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters. The character was created by Stan Lee & John Buscema in Savage She-Hulk #1 (1980). She was partly created to retain copyright, Lee being worried the Incredible Hulk TV series might develop its own She-Hulk. #SheHulk 1/11

Our third, and final, video essay on "The Vision" looks at the series' complicated use of racial metaphor. youtu.be/eYfQudwDX60?...

Racial Metaphor in "The Vision"youtu.be Themes of passing & prejudice and the pursuit of truth & justice should make superhero comics well-suited to discussing racial politics. However, the frequen...

In “The Supergirls,” Mike Madrid writes of #DoomPatrol’s Elasti-Girl, “She is an emancipated superheroine, with strength and power to put her on part with her male counterparts.” In the 1960s, Elasti-Girl was almost unique in this regard, pushing boundaries & making space. 1/11

Our latest video essay looks at Gabriel Walta's phenomenal artwork in "The Vision." www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUwG...

Gabriel Walta's Uncanny Pencils in "The Vision"www.youtube.com In “The Vision,” penciler Gabriel Hernández Walta’s unique style empowers the eerie silences and punctuating moments of violent eruption to create a rare and powerful atmospheric anxiety that drives the story onward and signals many of its key themes.

Because their bodies are multiple & ever-changing, shapeshifters inherently question gender & sexual binaries. Yet stories sometimes struggle to represent truly alien forms of difference. John Ostrander & Tom Mandrake’s “Martian Manhunter” pushes boundaries - within limits. 1/12

Where most shapeshifters become empowered to choose their aesthetic, Meggan from Marvel's "Excalibur" possesses shapeshifting abilities that instead serve to explore how (and why) society pressures women to conform to a generic beauty standard. #XMen #Excalibur 1/8

Our latest video essay on "The Vision" and "The Stepford Wives:" youtu.be/CY26u_gYHas?...

"The Vision" and "The Stepford Wives"youtu.be The Vision features intertexts with various Marvel series, but also some deeply important connective tissue with “The Stepford Wives,” a story that notably i...

Superheroes often reflect normative physical ideas: men are big & hard, women curvy & sexy. Non-normative bodies complicate matters, but aren’t always subversive. For instance, Stan Lee & Jack Kirby’s Mr. Fantastic is both fluid & an ideal Cold War patriarch. #FantasticFour 1/13

ND Stevenson’s “Nimona” presents a corrupted society that is simultaneously wrecked and revitalized by a morally ambiguous shapeshifter, thus offering an intriguing model for the potential impact of shapeshifters (literal/figurative) on social structure #Nimona #comicsstudies 1/9

The polymorphic powers of Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan are both a fluid and precise metaphor. The character’s 2014 debut by by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona uses polymorphism to subvert tropes and tell a complex, identifiable story about intersectional identity. 1/12 #MsMarvel

Paper Girls offers readers an iteration of a supernatural conceit by which to explore the concept of self-evaluation, one that has been used for centuries in the works of authors from Dickens to Claremont: the intersection of time-displaced versions of yourself. #PaperGirls 1/8