America Chavez.

Marvel's America Chavez, artist Joe Quinones.

Marvel’s America Chavez, artist Joe Quinones.

The ever fabulous America Chavez, Latina Lesbian Superhero, will have her own series this year!

This spring, young adult novelist Gabby Rivera (Juliet Takes a Breath) and artist Joe Quinones (Howard the Duck) continue the high-octane adventures of America Chavez. Marvel’s lesbian Latina powerhouse, Chavez punches her way through dimensions and faces off against an oncoming alien horde all while managing her social life and trying to attend various classes on alternate Earths. Since her introduction in 2012, Chavez has stood side by side with Marvel’s most powerful heroes, and this year she’s ready to take the world by storm in her new series, America. We asked Rivera about her new series.

You can read the full story at The Advocate.

Sunday Facepalm.

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Did you know the latest Lego Batman flick promotes the …. Gay Agenda!?! It does. Even worse, it promotes gay adoption, oh no! I haven’t seen the latest Lego superhero flicks, but I’ve seen the others, and they are nice, lightweight fun. I even have a little Lego Batman somewhere. It’s possible Batman met the rats and lost. Anyroad, John-Henry Westen of Life Site is a tad upsetty over all the homo queerness infecting Lego Batman.

It was chock full of pro-gay propaganda. Think the sexual innuendo of the Flintstones minus the real humor. It seemed the creators were so anxious to subtly indoctrinate the little ones into the gender ideology that making it humorous came as a distant second thought.

You watch The Flinstones for sexual innuendo? And humor? Really. I think some xians should simply not be allowed to watch television or movies. That stuff isn’t mentioned in the bible, anyway. Mr. Westen couldn’t actually be bothered to be specific about what bothered him, or provide examples of that chock fullness of the gay. Instead, he quotes a rambling, rather strange review by Michael Hamilton at PJ media, who apparently had a really difficult time with a few “my two dads” references, along with Batman and The Joker resolving their relationship into one of happy hate, realizing that a superhero will always need a villain, and I guess in this case, The Joker really needs the attention of a superhero, or else it’s just not fun. I’m sure I’ll see this at some point, and enjoy it in the same way as the others. They all fall a little flat here and there, humour wise, but I’m not a sprog, either, so what do I know about what they might find screamingly funny? Mostly, the latest Lego effort is about the importance of family, even for stoics like Batman, and sometimes, you have to make that family yourself. That seems a good message to me.

I have to wonder if either of these men watched the 1960s Batman, because I did, and that was one of the most flamingly camp shows ever. I loved that show, and I can guarantee it had a hell of a lot more innuendo than a slew of Lego movies will ever have. To the Batpoles! And as far as Jokers go, Cesar Romero was the most flamboyantly fabulous Joker ever, and always will be. I think the Christian homophobes are better off coping with the minor league jokes of Lego movies, but definitely stay away from Batman.

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Cesar Romero as The Joker. He had style.

DC: Leading Lesbian Superhero Is Back!

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Batwoman returns as part of DC’s Rebirth event.

Kate Kane, a.k.a. lesbian superhero Batwoman, is back! Part of DC Comics’ Rebirth event, Batwoman: Rebirth quickly gets new readers up to speed. The first issue in the series is available in comics stores and at Comixology today. When Batwoman debuted in 2011, she became the first LGBT character to star in an ongoing monthly comic book from a mainstream publisher. Marguerite Bennett (DC Comics Bombshells,Batgirl,Earth 2: World’s End) will be writing the new adventures of the heroine, with art by Steve Epting.

“There has never been a heroine I have loved more than Batwoman,” Bennett says. “Her flaws, her ferocity, her struggle to rise above her own history and find a way to serve the greater good and those she loves — she’s always cut me straight to the bone. To be a queer woman and to see a queer woman as not just a part but a pillar of the Bat family was life-changing, inspiring, and gave me the courage to pursue this career in comics. The opportunity to add to Kate Kane’s story and legacy is both an honor and a sincere dream come true.”

You can see much more at The Advocate.

NO DAPL Roundup.

Malia Obama (Pinterest)

Malia Obama (Pinterest)

Malia Obama has chosen to stand with Standing Rock.

A group of 100 people gathered in Park City to protest the revival of the project by new U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall, Malia Obama joined the protester who were holding up signs that read: “Exist. Resist. Rise.” and “Impeach corporate control,” according to the Daily Mail.

Along with protesting the construction of the pipeline, which will disturb sacred grounds and introduce contaminants into the local water supply, the group was protesting the festival sponsorship by Chase Bank, which is invested in the pipeline. The rally was held in front of the Chase Sapphire on Main lounge.

Courtesy MSNBC via YouTube.

Courtesy MSNBC via YouTube.

Chairman Archambault on MSNBC: ‘President Is Circumventing Federal Law’.

Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault II was more surprised at the rapidity with which Donald Trump signed presidential memoranda purporting to speed up the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and reinstate the Keystone XL pipeline than he was by the act itself.

“We were prepared for President Trump take a run at everything we have accomplished in the last two years,” Archambault told Tamron Hall on MSNBC on Wednesday January 25, the day after Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum attempting to move DAPL along. “This nation better start bracing itself for what’s to come if in the first four days we’re witnessing him using an executive order to circumvent federal laws. It’s not right, and it’s something we better get ready for. I was disappointed that it came this soon, because we had worked so hard for the last two years.”

The tribe wants closer study of the pipeline’s potential effects on water supply, sacred sites and treaty rights, he said, and Trump is trying to do an end run around such statutes as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

“The troubling thing is that this president is circumventing federal law,” Archambault said. “We have Treaty rights, we have water rights with our Winter’s Doctrine, we have NEPA.”

The Keystone XL Pipeline Will Create Just 35 Permanent Jobs. Don’t Believe the Lies.

For those who still insist fossil fuels are the future, the Trump administration represents a new day for some old ideas. In an early sign of things to come, the president showed his faith in big oil when he signed documents Tuesday pressuring federal agencies to support construction of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines. Each of these projects faced enormous protests and was put on hold by the Obama administration because of legitimate environmental and due process concerns.

Congressional Republicans frequently howled at far less heavy-handed exercises of executive power under the previous administration. Today, they applaud Trump’s move on the mistaken premise that these pipelines are good investments. Not only will these projects not create long-lasting jobs – as CNBC, not exactly an anti-corporate mouthpiece, has noted: “Pipelines do not require much labor to operate in the long term” – they will further delay the inevitable transition to clean, renewable energy our economy needs and the American people demand.

Standing Rock Chairman Archambault Sends Strong Letter to Trump.

Editor’s note: Reaction was swift and strong when President Donald Trump signed a series of Presidential Memoranda and Executive Orders designed to move the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) forward and revive the Keystone XL pipeline. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe responded immediately, and on January 25 Standing Rock Chairman Archambault wrote a letter to Trump explaining the legal constraints, the support that the Environmental Impact Statement and the tribe have, and the need for a leader-to-leader meeting. The full text is below.

DAPL Profiteers Steal Marty Two Bulls Designs.

You’ve probably seen and shared at least one of the many brilliant political cartoons by Marty Two Bulls at some point in time. Marty Two Bulls—an artist from the Oglala Lakota Nation—has been drawing political cartoons with great success for many years. His work has long been a staple on the pages of ICTMN. He’s known for bringing clever humor and hilarious imagery to hot, controversial issues: most recently the anti-DAPL movement in Standing Rock.

But now, you might see his work in places it shouldn’t be: dozens of t-shirt sellers who are hoping to make a buck from the #NoDAPL campaigns have ripped off Marty Two Bulls designs and been using them to sell t-shirts of their own with no credit, profit, or acknowledgement offered to the artist. Now, Two Bulls has taken the matter into his own hands. In addition to filing dozens of reports to stop production of the rip-offs, he has decided to sell t-shirts of his own.

The design thieves are mostly from overseas with no connection to Native country.
“So far I caught over 20,” Two Bulls said, “I go online, I search terms like #NoDAPL and Water is Life on Facebook, and there they are.”

Marty is an amazingly talented artist, and one of the best political cartoonists in the world, he’s brilliant. Please, if you want to show support for Standing Rock, take the time to make sure your item is coming from the actual artist. Most artists aren’t rolling in money, and this theft hurts, one more than one level. Marty is trying to do something for his people, and if you want to help, and like his artwork, please buy from Marty Two Bulls.

Batman Pushes Up Daisies, New in Comics.

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Cover for Batman #48. Cover illustrated by Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, and Francisco Perez. Photo courtesy of DC Entertainment.

Written by Scott Snyder, pencils by Greg Capullo, ink by Danny Miki, colors by Francisco Perez.

Everyone thinks Bruce Wayne died (gasp!) with the Joker (double gasp!) a few years back, so the mantle of Batman is held by Commissioner Gordon. With this wildly striking cover by Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, and Francisco Perez, issue #48 revolves around a new villain named Mr. Bloom. Mr. Bloom is a giant plant-creature whose seeds are churning up the bodies in Gotham. As he snatches Commissioner Gordon in his titan grasp, Bruce has to decide if it’s finally time to come out of hiding. The artwork in this issue is unsettling, with Mr. Bloom portrayed as a garden variety “Slenderman,” and the writing (though monologue-heavy) does a good job of asking hard questions about equality among citizens.

Cover for Captain Marvel #1. Cover illustrated by Kris Anka. Photo courtesy of Marvel Entertainment.

Cover for Captain Marvel #1. Cover illustrated by Kris Anka. Photo courtesy of Marvel Entertainment.

Written by Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, art by Kris Anka, colors by Matthew Wilson

Carol Danvers, a.k.a., Captain Marvel, got supernatural powers after an alien ship explosion. Now she’s a tough-as-hell badass who talks smack and punches things very hard. In this first issue of her new series, Captain Marvel takes a job with an intergalactic defense force. Her first order of business? Punching asteroids. The writing by Fazekas and Butters (showrunners and writers for Marvel’s Agent Carter on ABC) is snappy, crisp, and playful. The art by Anka showcases characters of all different shapes and sizes, and shows them all as equally capable. And Wilson’s coloring takes a cue from Guardians of the Galaxy, with glowing neons contrasting against solid primaries. Captain Marvel #1 is firmly set in the sci-fi world, but it’s a great jumping-in point for new fans.

Also new in comics this week, Copra #1 and Immolation #1. Read all about them at The Creators Project!

Artist Unite for Orlando Benefit Comic.

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Some of the biggest names in the comic book industry are contributing their talents to Love Is Love, a 144-page comic book made in collaboration by IDW Publishing and DC Comics to benefit Equality Florida, and honor the victims, survivors, and families of the attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

Contributors include Brian Michael Bendis, Gail Simone, Scott Snyder, Grant Morrison, Jock, Cat Staggs, Paul Dini, James Asmus, Ming Doyle, and a ton more as well as names outside of the comic industry like Damon Lindelof, Patton Oswalt, and Patty Jenkins.

This oversize comic contains moving and heartfelt material from some of the greatest talent in comics, mourning the victims, supporting the survivors, celebrating the LGBTQ community, and examining love in today’s world. All material has been kindly donated by the writers, artists, and editors with all proceeds going to victims, survivors, and their families.

You can order and preview Love is Love here.

Stocking Stuffers.

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Just a little reminder, if you’re looking for little goodies this Saturnalia, to delight your favourite atheist, happy hedonist, or religious relative, remember Oglaf!*** There are the fabulous tracts, or this nifty Sithrak pin, because you don’t want to go upsetting Sithrak, as he is an insane god for an unjust world:

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as well as many other wonderful goodies. I hafta get that pin. Actually, Dear Santa, I would like the whole Oglaf store… The Oglaf store is here.

***If you are new to Oglaf, never heard of Oglaf, do not open link at work. Lots of naked people, lots and lots and lots of sexy fun times with fully visible genitalia, and a whole lot of irreverence, intelligence, and biting wit, so if you’re sensitive about that sort of thing, don’t click.