Athena’s Div III Project
Oh hey. Let me tell you about my Div III. My Div III is taking the form of my own personal magazine. The magazine is called “Burn Book,” and it’s a mix of comics and writing, journalism and—and—blathering on about myself. Like a real Burn Book, I intend for it to look somewhat collage-y; a mixture of different scraps and styles and ideas. Only instead of rigidly adhering to harsh clique labels and ideals, I hope to explore/explode them. I’m doing four issues over the course of the year, and each issue has the theme of a different stereotype label. The labels are as follows:
* Slut (Fall)
* Hick (Janterm)
* Hipster (Spring)
* Geek (Spring)
So now I have a proposition for you, Dear Readers. Do you have any stories pertaining to these themes? Times you have identified with any of those words? Times you have felt unfairly labeled as one of those words? Times you have called others one of those words?
Send me an email (it’s on my About page), and we can set up an interview. Or you can just write the story in your own glorious prose, and I can make a comic using your words. Or you can make me a comic, and I could use that too! I would love for this magazine to have a variety of interesting collaborations, not just my own two cents.
For the “Slut” issue, I would need your words no later than Tuesday, November 24, just two and a half weeks away. Please, please: do not think that I am only looking for stories from girls who identify as “sluts.” I am looking for stories of all kinds—I will say more about this on Monday. For now, I leave you to your brainstorming.
PS: Secret readers who have never commented or made me aware of your presence—NOW IS THE TIME!!! I will draw you so hard. And if you know of other cartoonists/writers who might be interested in participating, please link them to this page. MEME IT UP.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Athena, you gonna submit your Div III to the Omen? Eh? Eh?
November 7th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Re: Slut
When we took Dixie in to be spayed, it turned out she was already pregnant and had to have an abortion. When I came home and told Ross about it, his only reaction was, “That slut!”
November 7th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Ha, only if you guys give me my own separate special issues. Naw, I’ll probably send you a few snippets from each issue! Actually, I just sent you a few Action Athena comics, like, MINUTES ago.
November 7th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Mom: I’m making a comic about that. Done. Bam.
November 8th, 2009 at 12:52 am
Seriously though depending on how reasonably-sized these things turn out to be I would totally distro them as part of the Omen. Lord knows we can afford it.
November 8th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Though obviously if you are gonna pay for your own damn photocopies no need to piggyback on our WIDE READERSHIP of as many as FOURTEEN FIRST-YEARS.
November 8th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
While I could come up with some stories about all four, I think any “Slut” stories I have would pretty much by definition involve other people’s business to the point where I shouldn’t be sharing them (particularly in anything that will be distributed). Except one little tidbit (about sex in high school) that is short but appropriate. I’ll write up that one; the others you can either interview me about or have me write up, your choice.
November 12th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Define ‘hick’?
November 19th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Evan: Ooooh, Omen monies? I am intrigued. Yeah, yesterday my committee was telling me about how there is money set aside for Div III projects like mine, and I should look into finding somebody to cover the printing costs. I don’t know if the Omen is what they intended, but I would certainly appreciate some financial help for this thing.
Just so you know, I’m working in standard comic size, which is 6.625″ X 10.25″. The size of any regular Marvel or DC issue. I’m doing color covers, and black and white interiors.
Dylan: The Staff of Burn Book Appreciates Your Contribution.
Elizabeth: I’m going pretty general with that definition. For most people, “redneck” seems to particularly connote the South, while “hick” is nationwide, referring to pretty much anyone from a small, middle-of-nowhere town, where education (formal and cultural) was limited.
Above all, this issue is an excuse to talk about my love of Minnesota and the Midwest. The Midwest is interesting to me because, for East and West Coasters, it doesn’t seem to carry such powerfully negative connotations as (dun dun dun!!!) THE SOUTH, but rather, they find the idea of the Midwest so boring that they can barely stand to think about it. And there are still a lot of stupid stereotypes (basically, that the place consists of pale, fat, pro-lifers–and that there are no cities, only towns. and a lot of cows.) As a fellow Midwesterner, I would be most interested in your thoughts on this issue!
Oh, and ALSO, the hick issue is a chance for me to confess my love of trashy things. “White trash” things, I guess. “White trash” and “hick” seem to be used interchangeably by some.
Okay. Yeah. Whew.