Comix for Chix #4: Likewise


In her first three series--Awkward, Definition, and Potential--cartoonist Ariel Schrag gave us the autobiographical stories of her freshman, sophomore, and junior years of high school, respectively. Now with her current series, Likewise, Ariel is completing the cycle with the story of her senior year.

In the current issue (no. 2) Ariel spends way too much time alone and we become privy to her thoughts, which are largely centered on her friend (girlfriend? ex-girlfriend? ah, the joys of ambiguous high school relationships!) Sally, who is a year older and now away at college. She also thinks about an upcoming interview she has with Bitch Magazine, her recent yeast infection, the battle of wills between her divorced parents; but mostly about Sally, who is--as Ariel angrilly writes to her in a letter near the end--"not even gay!"

The level of honesty that Ariel is able to portray about herself and others is amazing. At one point, after masturbating, she remarks to herself: "why do my vaginal secretions have to smell so damn much like Sally's!"

Many comics contain letters section at the end, but Likewise is the only one I know of that prints letters from people who are in the book! No. 2 has letters from Sally, Ariel's sister, and Ariel's mom. (Her mom! I can't imagine my mom reading stuff like this about my life!)

(There's a good four year old interview with Ariel in Sequential Tart.)

If your local comix shop doesn't carry Ariel's comics, you can get them from the publisher or probably from Amazon and the like.

Comix for Chix #3: Gotham Central no. 7


In the previous issue--part 1 of Greg Rucka's "Half a Life"--GCPD detective Renee Montoya was outed rather publicly, a photo of her kissing her girlfriend Daria posted on the squad bulletin board. This issue deals with the repercussions, as Renee faces her co-workers, her brother, her girlfriend, and the P.I. who took the photo.

Rucka has shown--through both his comix and novels--to be a rare male writer who 'gets' women as characters. He's set to soon take over the writing duties on Wonder Woman, which I am definitely looking forward to.

Waiting for the L Word

It's been a sad week for girl television watchers. First we have the end of Buffy (but maybe hopefully Willow will have guest shot or two on Angel next season), and now we have word that Showtime's The L Word is being delayed until at least January of 2004.

And why is it that The Amazing Race always seems to have a gay male couple, but they've yet to have any lebian couples?

I'm going to Hell!


I took the Dante's Inferno Hell Test recently, which is based on the nine circles of Hell as described in Dante's Inferno. By answering a series of questions, it determines which circle of Hell you will spend eternity in.

Unsurprisingly, it looks like I'll end up in the second circle: lust. Here's the description:

"You have come to a place mute of all light, where the wind bellows as the sea does in a tempest. This is the realm where the lustful spend eternity. Here, sinners are blown around endlessly by the unforgiving winds of unquenchable desire as punishment for their transgressions. The infernal hurricane that never rests hurtles the spirits onward in its rapine, whirling them round, and smiting, it molests them. You have betrayed reason at the behest of your appetite for pleasure, and so here you are doomed to remain. Cleopatra and Helen of Troy are two that share in your fate."

There are much worse things, I think, than spending eternity with a couple of hot babes like Cleopatra and Helen of Troy :)

Buffy Countdown

Can it be? Just three more episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer remaining?

Tomorrow night's episode has the big lesbian sex scene between Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Kennedy (Iyari Limon). Don't miss it!

In the meantime, here's a link to some rather risque pictures of the lovely Ms. Hannigan from a couple of years back :)