Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Russell uses Wagners concept of
Voice in Comic Book Narrative. By Jacqueline the Gesamtkunstwerk (complete art
Danziger-Russell. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, work) to draw similarities between
2013. picture books and comics as hybrid art
forms, as both depend on words and
Reviewed by Sarah Fabian
images to tell a whole story. While this
chapter seems to veer from the theme
In Girls and Their Comics, Jacqueline
of the book, it becomes clear that she
Danziger-Russell finally gives comics-
is setting up her argument for chapter
loving girls (and women) a voice as
three, which focuses on the power of
readers and writers of this genre. She
visual images in telling girls stories.
writes that her intention is to explore
Unsurprisingly, the strongest chap-
and explode the myths surrounding
ters in the book are those that are most
the field of comic books, their implied
focused on female readership of and
readership, and the gendering of the
narratives in comics. Here Danziger-
field (2). This may sound like a lot
Russell combines textual examples
to tackle in one book, but Danziger-
with existing and original reader/
Russell does a solid job of covering
writer/librarian interviews to make
all of that ground. The book consists
a number of important arguments
of five essays that complement one
about female narratives in contem-
another to fulfill her intentions. The
porary comics. Chapter three, The
examples used throughout the text are
Power of Visual Narrative, focuses on
plentiful, ranging from staples such
the importance and underapprecia-
as Archie to lesser-known Japanese
tion of visual literacy, and documents
manga like Land of the Blindfolded,
the ways in which comics readership
and readers and scholars will appreci-
can enhance that skill. The author
ate this breadth of coverage.
also uses this chapter to discuss how,
The first two chapters of the book
due to its visual nature, the format is
provide the canvas for the bulk of
uniquely positioned to work to com-
Danziger-Russells arguments regard-
bat stereotypical representations of
ing female narratives in comics. In
females: Girls comics are becoming
the opening chapter, she discusses
experimental and literary, offering an
how and why comics have been mar-
alterative to the stereotypes typically
ginalized as a genre in the US over
found in mainstream comics, which
the past century, then introduces the
often continue to objectify the female
changes that are currently happening
body and neglect her power as a hu-
to reverse that marginalization in the
man being (93). While some of her
comics and publishing industries, as
illustrations are questionable (Go,
well as in terms of acceptance of the
Girl!, for example), her point is a
genre as an art form. She also provides
crucial one.
an overview of comics popularity
Chapter four, The Appeal of
among girls and young women during
Manga, explores the ways in which
various periods throughout the past
translated Japanese manga has trans-
century. In chapter two, Danziger-
formed comics readership in the
164 Childrens Literature Association Quarterly
United States. While Danziger-Russell across genres (autobiography, fantasy,
spends a little too much time rehash- etc.) within comics. I hope that this
ing Schodts history of manga (I am is just the tip of the iceberg, and that
also unsure about why she quotes the more talented women who publish
much older of his two texts on the independentlywhether through
subject), she does discuss at length small presses, self-publication, or
its importance and influence in girls onlinereceive the recognition they
exposure to comics, as well as the deserve.
current state of manga publishing in It is important to acknowledge
the United States. The availability of the accessibility of this text; there is a
major US comics companies trans- very wide range of scholars, teachers,
lations of Japanese manga in large librarians, and comics enthusiasts
chain bookstores (rather than boys who will find it compelling. It will be
club comic shops) was the industry very useful to library collections and
change that allowed comics to become researchers focused on media stud-
so widely accessible to girls. Danziger- ies, comics history, girlhood studies,
Russell goes on to expertly document and contemporary childrens litera-
the ways in which the current state of ture. Despite some very minor flaws,
online publishing, amateur/pirated Danziger-Russells book is a truly
translations, and the downfall of chain vital addition to the field of comics
bookstores are affecting female manga studies, as it documents an area of the
readership. comics industry and fan base that is
In the beginning of the book, thriving, but which has never before
Danziger-Russell writes, Through been covered at length. Danziger-
independent comics, we begin to see Russell is more focused on capturing
a revolution taking place: the clear the existence of something previously
voices of young women are shining disregarded than she is on critically
through this medium with more examining that existence. This may
personal and imaginative forms of be why, despite genuinely finding the
storytelling (31). As a reader of in- book to be interesting and important
dependent comics, I was excited by to the field, I was at times left feeling
the prospect of these stories finally that she could have pushed some of
getting the spotlight, and in her fifth her argumentsI wanted more! At
and final chapter, Girls Comics the end of the last chapter, she writes
Today, Danziger-Russell does a stel- that This new surge of female nar-
lar job of seeing this through. In this ratives in comics, especially those of
essay, she focuses on four graphic girlhood and adolescence, suggests
novels with young female protago- that there may be something afoot in
nistsPersepolis, The Tale of One Bad the way comics are viewedand in
Rat, Salamander Dream, and Anyas turn the way girls are viewed. It is a
Ghostproviding background about provocative notion that the two may
the authors and their methods of cre- be related (220). Danziger-Russell
ation. These texts serve as excellent ex- certainly has opened the dialogue
amples of the female experience/story with this book; I hope that she and
Book Reviews 165
others will continue this conversation or holy pictures (1718). Delay sees
in the future. womens life writings as complicating
the stereotype that a childhood spent
Sarah Fabian is an Associate Professor and in the Irish countryside was Edenic or
librarian at Eastern Michigan University, in the city, dreadful: The idyllic rural
where she serves as liaison to the childrens
literature and first-year writing programs. childhood is interrupted by moments
of fear, shame and anxiety; the rough-
and-tumble urban childhood reveals
flashes of joy and comfort (14).
The Country of the Young: Interpretations of Describing how the Sisters of
Youth and Childhood in Irish Culture. Edited by Charity educated Irish children in
John Countryman and Kelly Matthews. Dublin: Albany, New York, from 1828 to 1847,
Four Courts, 2013. Margaret Lasch Carroll explores the
central role of these nuns in moving
Reviewed by Jeanette Roberts Shumaker Albanys Irish immigrant community
out of poverty. She also posits that
Quoting That is no country for the nuns laid the foundation for the
old men from Yeatss Sailing to network of social services in Albany
Byzantium, Kelly Matthews opens that helped numerous immigrants
this volume with the contention that escaping the Irish Famine from 1845
Ireland since the Famine of the 1840s to 1860 (48).
has been preoccupied with its children Returning to Ireland itself, Gavin
and young adults (1). Matthews and Foster memorably traces the recasting
coeditor John Countryman have col- of young revolutionaries, who were
lected a variety of essays around this called heroes before the civil war
theme. Three of them provide histori- of 19221924, but renamed black-
cal studies of Irish youth culture, while guards during its duration (51). The
the other six examine childhood and faction who favored the 1921 treaty
youth in novels, films, and plays from with the British that gave up North-
both Ireland and Northern Ireland. ern Ireland in exchange for Irelands
In an absorbing study of Irish autonomy used such subtle propa-
womens life writings from 1850 to ganda to discredit their opponents;
1950, Cara Delay discusses the influ- meanwhile, those opponents, who
ence that mothers had on their daugh- were eventually defeated, continued
ters piety and self-concept. She argues to praise the youth culture of the Irish
that mothers, more than the nuns revolutionary (66).
who taught girls in school, were the Like Foster, Susan Cahill examines
foundation of girls religious experi- the ideology of Irelands past with a
ences (23). In addition, working-class skeptical eye. She discusses a popular
Irish mothers asserted their moral Irish childrens writer of the 1930s,
authority in the home when they Mirn Cregan, who is little known
competed with each other over who today. What made Cregans original
could create the best religious display, Irish fairy tale, Old John, popular in
whether it involved banners, altars, 1937 was her close connections to the
166 Childrens Literature Association Quarterly
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permission.
