Interview with Allison O'Toole of Wayward Sisters: Anthology of Monstrous Women



My latest obsession has been Kickstarter. My days would be work, school, and then scroll through the onslaught of projects posted to Kickstarter. Something about these independent projects gaining their voice really just gives me a thrill- and if my $25 can help get these projects off the ground, then by all means, TAKE MY MONEY. My favorite projects to see are those that promote feminism. Wayward Sisters does a great job in representing women and non-binary individuals in a beautifully drawn comic book. It takes monsters- a genre mainly driven by men- and turns it around into a wonderfully written comic book celebrating femininity and those who identify as non-binary. The Kickstarter has already been fully funded, but if you would like to continue to support this project (and I really think you should!), you can find it here. The comic is set to release on February 1, 2018 and I am more than excited to see what this anthology has in store. I set out to find the Lead Editor for Wayward Sisters and find out some more about this interesting anthology. That interview can be seen below. I hope in the future to bring you guys more independent projects- especially those that have to deal with feminism.

What was your inspiration for writing Wayward Sisters: An Anthology of Monstrous Women?

I always loved monsters when I was growing up, and I was unsatisfied that I saw so few women monsters in the stories I was reading (and no non-binary ones). I wanted to tell stories about monsters who weren’t men, and who weren’t sexualized for the male gaze, so I decided to create this anthology.

What impact do you hope that Wayward Sisters will have on readers?

I hope that readers who love monsters as much as I do will love the anthology! We tried to incorporate a wide range of tones and styles, so I hope that there’s a story in here for everyone, whether you like your monsters scary or silly.

How do you feel about the current representation of non-binary individuals in pop culture?

What representation? I joke, but I feel like non-binary or gender non-conforming people are almost never represented in pop culture, and I think that’s damaging. Including non-binary characters in fiction, I think, will help that identity be more widely understood and accepted; trans representation in general still has so far to go. Seeing positive depictions trans and gender non-conforming characters in media does so much to destigmatize real people with those identities, I think there’s so much more we can and should be doing.

How important do you believe it is to incorporate more women and non-binary individuals into the comic industry? 

People want to see themselves represented in media, and it’s important to include women, trans people, people of colour, and everyone else, when we’re having conversations about those identities. People who don’t identify a certain way can write stories about characters with those identities, but they can’t write a story examining the experiences of a person with that identity. Including marginalized people in media, allowing them to tell their own stories, means that representation will be done properly, and also leads to a more varied media landscape. The more kinds of stories we’re telling, the more vital our media can remain. If only one kind of person (straight, white cis-dudes) is allowed to tell stories about himself, then media will stagnate.

Do you have a personal favorite comic from the anthology? If so, what is it?

Oh, I couldn’t pick a favourite! I’m excited about the story I wrote though, it’s a Noir Hollywood tale about a screenwriter who pursues a femme fatale who’s more fatale than most. It’s being drawn by Emmanuelle Chateauneuf, who’s amazing, I can’t wait for everyone to see her work on this story.

Safe Rooms in Public Areas?

    Hello! Today I come to you with some fairly controversial food-for-thought. However, I intend to have you believing in the need for safe rooms in public areas by the end of this article, so buckle up your seat belts and hold on tight!

    So, the first topic I'd like to hit is why safe rooms (public or private) are considered controversial. It has been noted that the use of "safe rooms" (which were anything but) were used as cruel punishment, or were used in the improper way. Such instances can be noted here. How is it safe to place individuals who may suffer from sensory overload (as many individuals living with mental disabilities do) into a tight room with loud, disruptive students? Or, how can it be ethical to place students into solitary confinement-type rooms for behavior they may have performed, but do not entirely understand? I'm sure we can all agree that those uses for safe rooms are a big no-no, but must be carefully considered when speaking about the use of safe rooms for public areas as we know exactly what to avoid. 

    As someone with anxiety that is often triggered by social situations or sensory-overload, I can speak from experience that some sort of safe room may have better helped me to cope when I was feeling panicky out in public. But, if I don't mean the safe rooms mentioned above? What do I mean? Well, consider the following- a room, in which individuals are free to come and go as they please, where the only expectation is to sit silently. You can do whatever you please to calm down, as long as it does not disrupt the coping mechanisms of another individual. A room solely devoted to assisting individuals with mental disabilities and/or sensory overload cope with the loud, chaotic world around them. As businesses and corporations work to make their public spaces more accessible and inclusive to all, they must learn to consider those with disabilities they cannot see, and learn to accomodate them as needed. Now, I'm not saying that a safe room in public spaces is fool-proof and is a guaranteed solution to work for all, I know it's not as we've seen what happens when used wrong. But, if we wanted to work towards inclusion for ALL, don't you think it'd be a step in the right direction? 

Spaceman by Mike Massimino, Book Review

"If you work hard and get help from good friends, together you can overcome almost any challenge, no matter how great."

     Spaceman by Mike Massimino is a compelling narrative that tells the story of a young astronaut candidate trying to reach his dream of traveling to space. It features personal narration, witty humor, and inspiring messages as we follow Massimino on his journey. 

    Now, let me start off by saying math and science have never been my strong suit. I've always been interested in space, astronomy, and flight due to my participation in Civil Air Patrol, and individual followings of the latest in space news. However, I never wanted to be an astronaut. I knew writing and art were where my passions lie. So when I decided to pick up this book I honestly thought I would be bored out of my mind. Yeah, it's an astronaut and I love astronauts, but I don't need to be bombarded by science and math terms in my free time. Oh was I wrong. Mike Massimino does such a great job of introducing you to the formal scientific terms of things throughout the novel, but then provides an easy to understand description of what he means. I never even knew I was actually learning things until I put the book down and thought about it. Way to go for getting this artsy kid into science, Massimino!

    There was absolutely no room to be bored with Massimino at all in this book. Even from the get-go. The first few words in the book, I was already engaged and the writer had taken control of my attention. That's not something very many readers can accomplish. Never did he lose my interest. He talked about these strides in aerospace technology, and the less impressive life of a college kid trying to be apart of those strides. His humor and overall passion for the space program really show as everything he says just sounds interesting and fun.

    One of the elements that truly makes this book interesting is the detailing of not only his personal progress, but the progression of the space program. You see, Massimino was a man who grew with the program and that allows the reader to have a unique insight that we can't find anywhere else. As someone who is interested in astronomy recreationally, the detailing of the space program was a nice touch. I could honestly see this book being used in classrooms to teach kids about space travel and astronauts. (*cough* Hey Mrs. Miller if you're reading this *cough*) 

    Even if you're like me, someone who never considered aerospace as a possible career path, this book will speak to you. No matter what you want to do with your life, this book speaks to you. This book explores common themes of perseverance, camaraderie, teamwork, and of course, exploration (of science and of yourself). This book causes you to look inside of yourself. What do you want to achieve in your life? How bad do you want it? What are you actively doing to achieve it? No matter if you're five, or one hundred and five, Massimino shows how no matter who you are, you can achieve your dreams if you work hard (and boy do I mean hard). 

    To recap, Massimino's humor, and laid-back tone make this book easy and fun to read no matter the experience you have with science. This book does a very good job of keeping the reader engaged and on their toes. Additionally, you get a glimpse of not only the progression of an astronaut, but of the space program as a whole. And finally, no matter who you are or what you want to do with your life, this book will speak to you somehow.

This book was given to me by bloggingforbooks.com for an honest review. 
5/5 stars

   HEY GUYS BATSY HERE I DON'T KNOW WHAT BLOGGER IS DOING TO MY FORMAT. PLEASE BE PATIENT AS I TRY TO FIX THE FONT. 

Why I Can't Afford to Live Self Consciously Anymore (reposted from my tumblr)

WHY I CANT AFFORD TO LIVE SELF CONSCIOUSLY ANYMORE

My name is Batsy. I am a teenager. I live with a former single mom who is currently engaged to a beautiful woman. I am the oldest of three kids. I run my school's GSA. I am also a part of a cosplay group on Instagram. Finally, I am a volunteer teacher for 2-9 year olds. 

I do not like myself. I used to go look at a mirror and cringe at what I saw looking back at me. I considered myself to be my own worst enemy. I pretty much smothered myself in self loathing. But I can't do this anymore. I have two little siblings looking up to me. I need to be a role model for them and guide them to do right in this world? How can they follow me ahen I am always at war with myself? I teach children, young children. They are extremely impressionable. When I walk into my classroom, what am I showing them? I need to teach fhem to love themselves for who they are. I am president of GSA, I need to show my fellow advocates that we need to be strong in who we are and be unapologetically ourselves.

I have realized, I could be a force for good or I could lead a cycle of self loathing in generations to come.

Now, I'll admit there are times when I will slide, it happens. But if struggling with depression has taught me anything it's that no matter how much something hurts, no matter how bad the situation may be, no matter how much you wish You were dead; time will pass, the world will continue on and you need to decide to continue on with it, and when you do-.. Scars fade, pain numbs, feelings drift away. Nothing is going to last forever.

So, today I am through with hating who I am. I will love the person I see in the mirror, not only for me, but for the people that look up to me. I want to be that force of good for this world.