In the run-up to the opening of the Wonder Woman movie, I thought you’d enjoy this compendium of other women superheroes. As you can see, there were a lot of them…not just Wonder Woman. Hope Nicholson does a great job putting these superwoman characters in historical context. This book includes plenty of artwork. I learned a lot about the very early characters in comics history that I wasn’t aware of. I have a few quibbles like where is Tank Girl, Barb Wire, and Elektra? But other than a few missing superwomen, The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen presents a fairly comprehensive history of comic book superwomen over the decades. How many of these superwomen do you recognize? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. The 1930s: Birth of an Industry 12
The Magician from Mars 14
Olga Mesmer 15
Sally the Sleuth 17
Torch Brown 20
Icon of the Decade: Little Lulu 22
2. The 1940s: The Golden Age 26
Black Cat 28
Gail Porter: Girl Photographer 30
Gale Allen and the Girl Squadron 31
Katy Keene 33
Madame Strange 34
Miss Fury 37
Senorita Rio 39
Star Flag, Undercover Girl 40
Ultra Violet 43
The Wing 44
Icon of the Decade: Wonder Woman 46
3. The 1950s: Comics Code Crackdown 50
Black Phantom 52
G.I. Jane 54
Gale Ford, Girl Friday 55
Jetta Raye 57
Lucy the Real Gone Gal 58
Man Huntin’ Minnie of Delta Pu 59
Nurse Helen Grant 62
The Old Witch 63
Starlight 65
Tomboy 67
Wendy the Good Little Witch 68
Icon of the Decade: Supergirl 70
4. The 1960s: Superheroes Return 74
Angel O’Day 76
Barbarella 77
Bikini Luv 79
Bunny Ball 81
Mystra and Dragonella 83
Nurse Betsy Crane 85
Pussycat 86
‘Scot 88
Sue and Sally Smith, Flying Nurses 89
Tiffany Sinn 90
Vampirella 92
Icon of the Decade: Batgirl 96
5. The 1970s: Underground Comix Rise 100
Friday Foser 102
Frieda Phelps 104
Laura Chandler 105
Leetah 107
Page Peterson 109
Pauline Peril 110
Pudge, Girl Blimp 113
Starfire 116
Superbitch 118
Survivalwoman 119
Zelda the Witch 121
Icon of the Decade: Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers) 124
6. 1980s: Black-and-White Boom (and Bust) 128
Amanda Waller 130
Cutey Bunny 132
Dakota North 133
Dazzler 135
Fashion in Action 138
Ginger Fox 139
Maggie Chascarillo 141
Ms. Tree 143
Sindi Shade 145
Sunflower 147
Vanity 149
Icon of the Decade: Silk Spectre 152
7. The 1990s: “Comics Aren’t Just for Kids” 156
American Woman 158
Bitchy Bitch (and Bitchy Butch) 160
The Girl 161
The Jaguar 163
Jain 164
Jink 166
Liliane 169
Martha Washington 170
Scary Godmother 173
Simone Cundy 174
Squirrel Girl 175
Icon of the Decade: Witchblade 178
8. The 2000s: Webcomics and ComicCons 182
Annabelle 184
Didi (Desiree Chastel) 185
Empowered 186
Jalisco 188
Jamie McJack 190
Jessica Jones 191
Nibbil 195
Rose Harvestar 197
The Saucy Mermaid 198
Street Angel 200
Xavin 202
Icon of the Decade: Ramona Flowers 204
9. The 2010s: Digital and Diverse 208
Bandette 210
Beth Ross 212
Blaze 214
Bold Riley 216
Callie 218
Deathface Ginny 219
Gwen Dylan 221
Kath, Raven, and Angie 224
Keegan 224
Maika Halfwolf 225
Penny Rolle 228
Icon of the Decade: Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan 230
Index 232
Art Credits 238
Acknowledgements 240

I enjoyed Andrew Cartmel’s first mystery featuring The Vinyl Detective. You can read my review here. This new second adventure, The Vinyl Detective: The Run-Out Groove, has our hero and his girl friend, Nevada, hired to find a rare 45 record (which may have a secret message hidden on it) of “Britain’s answer to Janis Joplin.” Valerian, a troubled girl, was the lead singer in a 1960s rock band. Valerian died–the coroner ruled suicide–and the band broke up. Now, decades later, Valerian’s brother hires The Vinyl Detective and Nevada to find the child Valerian gave birth to before her death. Like the first book in the series, the “thrill of the hunt” for rare records and untangling the stories behind the music generate the excitement. Of course, the Dark Forces try to kill The Vinyl Detective and Nevada, but they interpret this as: “We’re getting close to the answers.” The Vinyl Detective: The Run Out Groove is the perfect Beach Book. Light and frothy, it will amuse you as you work on your tan. GRADE: B+

Just in time for the opening of the Wonder Woman live action feature later this week, this animated movie provides the background to Wonder Woman’s origins. “On the mystical island of Themyscira, a proud warrior race of Amazon women thrives, shielded from the corrupt world of man. But a betrayal leads to the escape of Ares, the God of War, and Amazon Princess Diana must capture him before he unleashes global chaos and destruction. With the aid of cocky fighter pilot Steve Trevor, Diana tracks Ares to the United States for a battle unlike any humankind has ever faced in this epic tale.” That’s a little pompous, but it’s a fair description of what happens in this 113-minute animated adventure. First released in 2009, this edition was directed by Lauren Montgomery and stars the voices of Keri Russell (Diana), Nathan Fillion ((Steve Trevor), Alfred Molina (Ares), Rosario Dawson (Artemis), and Oliver Platt (Hades). If you need a little something extra to get you excited about the Wonder Woman movie, this little tidbit will fire you up! GRADE: B+

Have you noticed that household items seem to break down in pairs? Our fan died and needed replacement (yesterday’s post) and then our ironing board fell apart after years of use. Diane had a coupon at Bed, Bath, and Beyond so she checked out the available ironing boards. Diane decided on the Real Simple Ironing Board (the choice might be influenced by Diane’s subscription to Real Simple magazine). The model Diane purchased was Board Grey 54″ x 15″ RS‑1554. With her coupon, the Real Simple ironing board cost less than $30! A bargain! How much ironing do you do?

Our bedroom upstairs gets warm in the Summer even with the air conditioning. Diane and I have used a fan to help cool the room over the years. But, last Fall, our fan died. Now that warmer temperatures have arrived in Western New York it was time to buy a replacement. We decided on the Costway 18‘’ Pedestal Fan with 3-Speed Oscillating Manual Control (including a Timer and a Swing Head). Even though I’m not “handy,” I ordered the Costway Pedestal Fan from AMAZON (only $36!). It arrived in a few days. With Diane’s help, I was able to assemble the fan. I only needed a Phillips screwdriver. Now, after a week of use, I can report the Costway Pedestal Fan is the quietest fan I’ve ever bought! GRADE: A

When I went to College in the 1960s, there were no Science Fiction courses. Fast forward a few decades and you’ll find colleges and universities started offering courses in Popular Culture: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mysteries, TV shows, movies, etc. By chance, I came into possession of Garyn G. Robert’s “textbook” for college SF courses, The Prentice Hall Anthology of Science Fiction and Fatnasy. It was published in 2001 and became the Gold Standard for SF textbooks for years. Like most textbooks, The Prentice Hall Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy takes an historical approach. There are plenty of good stories in this 1000+ page volume. There’s also a lot of clutter. But copies are available online for a pittance. If you’re looking for an comprehensive survey of SF and fantasy, this textbook presents a lot of material. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS
“Foreward” by Jack Williamson
Preface
Introduction: “Stories for the Millennium: Science Fiction and Fantasy as Contemporary Mythology.”
I. TWO ARCHETYPAL STORIES.
Enduring Traditions of Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe.
The Mortal Immortal: A Tale, Mary W. Shelley
The Fall of the House of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe.

II. FANTASY.
Stories of the Fantastique, Tales of the Quest.
Dark Fantasy.
Edgar Allan Poe, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, and Stephen King—and Traditions Before, Between, and Since.
Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Old Nurse’s Story, Elizabeth (Cleghorn) Gaskell. No. 1 Branch Line: The Signalman, Charles (John Huffam) Dickens. The Ghost in the Cap’n Brown House, Harriet Beecher Stowe. The Body Snatcher, Robert Louis Stevenson. The Damned Thing, Ambrose Bierce. Dracula’s Guest, Abraham (“Bram”) Stoker. The Monkey’s Paw, W(illiam) W(ymark) Jacobs. The Colour Out of Space, H(oward) P(hillips) Lovecraft. The Three Marked Pennies, M(ary) E(lizabeth) Counselman. Catnip, Robert Bloch. The Lottery, Shirley Jackson. To Serve Man, Damon (Francis) Knight. The Third Level, Jack Finney. The Howling Man, Charles Beaumont. Duel, Richard (Burton) Matheson. The Raft, Stephen (Edwin) King. Nightcrawlers, Robert R(ichard) McCammon.

High Fantasy.
Ancestorsand Disciples of Robert E. Howard and J.R.R. Tolkien.
The Gray Wolf, George MacDonald. The People of the Pit, A(braham) Merritt. Friend Island, Francis Stevens. The City of Singing Flame, Clark Ashton Smith. The Tower of the Elephant, Robert E(rvin) Howard. Riddles in the Dark, J(ohn) R(onald) R(uel) Tolkien. Smoke Ghost, Fritz (Reuter) Leiber, Jr. The Strange Drug of Doctor Caber, Lord Dunsany. The Anything Box, Zenna (Chlarson) Henderson. The Drowned Giant, J(ames) G(raham) Ballard. Red as Blood, Tanith Lee (Kaiine). The Malaysian Mer, Jane (Hyatt) Yolen. Troll Bridge, Neil (Richard) Gaiman. Thirteen Phantasms, James P(aul) Blaylock.

III. SCIENCE FICTION.

Jules Verne, Herbert George Wells, Hugo Gernsback, and the Early Days of Modern Scientifiction.
The Diamond Lens, Fitz-James O’Brien. The Clock That Went Backward, Edward Page Mitchell. An Express of the Future, Jules (Gabriel) Verne. The Star, H(erbert) G(eorge) Wells. The Ray of Displacement, Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford. A Princess of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs. The Eggs from Lake Tanganyika, Curt Siodmak. The Fate of Poseidonia, Clare Winger Harris. The Conquest of Gola, Leslie F(rancis) Stone. Shambleau, C(atherine) L(ucille) Moore. Robot Nemesis, E(dward) E(lmer) “Doc” Smith. A Martian Odyssey, Stanley G(rauman) Weinbaum. Robbie, Isaac Asimov. Jay Score, Eric Frank Russell. The Weapons Shop, A(lfred) E(lton) van Vogt. Arena, Frederic (William) Brown. Thunder and Roses, Theodore Sturgeon. That Only a Mother, Judith Merril. The Enchantress of Venus, Leigh (Douglass) Brackett. The Long Watch, Robert A(nson) Heinlein. There Will Come Soft Rains, Ray(mond Douglas) Bradbury. Invasion, Frank Belknap Long. The Harpers of Titan, Edmond (Moore) Hamilton. The Sentinel, Arthur C(harles) Clarke. Pictures Don’t Lie, Katherine (Anne) MacLean. The Lovers, Philip José Farmer. Mousetrap, Andre Norton. Fondly Fahrenheit, Alfred Bester. Exiles of Tomorrow, Marion Zimmer Bradley. Dust Rag, Hal Clement. Or All the Sea With Oysters, Avram (James) Davidson. The Store of the Worlds, Robert Sheckley. Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut (Jr.). Without a Thought, Fred(erick Thomas) Saberhagen. The Fiend, Frederik Pohl. We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, P(hilip) K(indred) Dick. Driftglass, Samuel R(ay) (“Chip”) Delany. The Jigsaw Man, Larry Niven. The Last Flight of Dr. Ain, James Tiptree, Jr. Seed Stock, Frank )Patrick) Herbert. Roommates, Harry Harrison. When It Changed, Joanna Russ. The Undercity, Dean R(ay) Koontz. Opening Fire, Barry N(orman) Malzberg. The Engine at Heartspring’s Center, Roger (Joseph) Zelazny. Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card. Melancholy Elephants, Spider (Paul) Robinson. Burning Chrome, William (Ford) Gibson. Blood Music, Greg(ory Dale) Bear. Bloodchild, Octavia (Estelle) Butler. The Plague Star, George R(aymond) R(ichard) Martin. Remaking History, Kim Stanley Robinson. The Purchase of Earth, Jack Williamson.
IV. AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.
How Science Fiction Got Its Name, Sam Moskowitz.
V. LISTS AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES.
Fantasy and Science Fiction Film and Television.
Fantasy and Science Fiction Radio Series.
Fantasy and Science Fiction Comic Strips and Comic Books.
Fantasy and Science Fiction on the Internet.
Fantasy and Science Fiction Themes, Motifs, and Settings.
Cornerstone Studies and Anthologies of Fantasy and Science Fiction in Print Media.
Cornerstone Studies and Anthologies of Fantasy and Science Fiction in Nonprint Media.
Index.
Credits.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years since The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. In celebration of this Anniversary, Capitol Records has pulled out all the stops!
“The album is newly mixed by Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell in stereo, sourced directly from the four-track masters at Abbey Road Studios in London, and guided by the original, Beatles-preferred mono mix produced by his father, George Martin. This extensive collection gives an unprecedented insight into how The Beatles made their ground-breaking album. The box set features a new stereo version by Giles Martin and 33 tracks from the Sgt. Pepper sessions that place you in the studio as the group develop the songs.

4 Audio CDs:
A new stereo mix of the album by Giles Martin. Sgt. Pepper Sessions on 2 CDs with over 100 minutes of audio illustrating how the album was created. Newly mixed from the original four-track tapes, most of the material is previously unreleased. Also contains the original 1967 mono mix of the album and bonus tracks including three previously unreleased mixes.

Blu-Ray/DVD:
Fully restored 1992 documentary The Making of Sgt. Pepper, including interviews with Paul, George and Ringo and fascinating in-the-studio footage introduced by George Martin. Restored promotional films for ‘A Day In The Life’, ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and ‘Penny Lane’. 2017 Giles Martin 5.1 surround sound mix and high-resolution stereo audio in 96KHz/24bit of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band plus ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and ‘Penny Lane’.

144-page hardback book featuring an introduction by Sir Paul McCartney, comprehensive song-by-song details and recording information, in-depth essays about the design of the cover, the album’s musical innovations and its historical context… and much more. Illustrations include photographs from the recording sessions, handwritten lyrics and Abbey Road documentation.

Plus a replica of the original card insert and two bonus posters.” All of this for a mere $117! This set goes on sale tomorrow. What’s your favorite Beatles song?

Disc: 1
  1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (2017 Mix)
  2. With A Little Help From My Friends (2017 Mix)
  3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (2017 Mix)
  4. Getting Better (2017 Mix)
  5. Fixing A Hole (2017 Mix)
  6. She’s Leaving Home (2017 Mix)
  7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! (2017 Mix)
  8. Within You Without You (2017 Mix)
  9. When I’m Sixty – Four (2017 Mix)
  10. Lovely Rita (2017 Mix)
  11. Good Morning Good Morning (2017 Mix)
  12. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (2017 Mix)
  13. A Day In The Life (2017 Mix)
Disc: 2
  1. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 1)
  2. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 4)
  3. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 7)
  4. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 26)
  5. Strawberry Fields Forever (Stereo Mix – 2015)
  6. When I’m Sixty – Four (Take 2)
  7. Penny Lane (Take 6 – Instrumental)
  8. Penny Lane (Vocal Overdubs And Speech)
  9. Penny Lane (Stereo Mix 2017)
  10. A Day In The Life (Take 1)
  11. A Day In The Life (Take 2)
  12. A Day In The Life (Orchestra Overdub)
  13. A Day In The Life (Hummed Last Chord, Takes 8, 9, 10 and 11)
  14. A Day In The Life (The Last Chord)
  15. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Take 1 – Instrumental)
  16. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Take 9 And Speech)
  17. Good Morning Good Morning (Take 1 – Instrumental, Breakdown)
  18. Good Morning Good Morning (Take 8)
Disc: 3
  1. Fixing A Hole (Take 1)
  2. Fixing A Hole (Speech And Take 3)
  3. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! (Speech From Before Take 1; Take 4 And Speech At End)
  4. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! (Take 7)
  5. Lovely Rita (Speech And Take 9)
  6. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Take 1 And Speech At The End)
  7. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Speech, False Start And Take 5)
  8. Getting Better (Take 1 – Instrumental And Speech At The End)
  9. Getting Better (Take 12)
  10. Within You Without You (Take 1 – Indian Instruments Only)
  11. Within You Without You (George Coaching The Musicians)
  12. She’s Leaving Home (Take 1 – Instrumental)
  13. She’s Leaving Home (Take 6 – Instrumental)
  14. With A Little Help From My Friends (Take 1 – False Start And Take 2
  15. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (Speech And Take 8)
Disc: 4
  1. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Mono)
  2. With A Little Help From My Friends (Mono)
  3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Mono)
  4. Getting Better (Mono)
  5. Fixing A Hole (Mono)
  6. She’s Leaving Home (Mono)
  7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite! (Mono)
  8. Within You Without You (Mono)
  9. When I’m Sixty Four (Mono)
  10. Lovely Rita (Mono)
  11. Good Morning Good Morning (Mono)
  12. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (Mono)
  13. A Day In The Life (Mono)
  14. Strawberry Fields Forever(Original Mono Mix)
  15. Penny Lane (Original Mono Mix)
  16. A Day In The Life (Unreleased First Mono Mix)
  17. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Unreleased Mono Mix – No. 11)
  18. She’s Leaving Home (Unreleased First Mono Mix)
  19. Penny Lane (Capitol Records U.S. Promo Single – Mono Mix)
Disc: 5
  1. The Making of Sgt. Pepper DVD Music Video
Disc: 6
  1. Blu – Ray Audio Music Video

After enjoying our visit to San Jose, Livermore, and GOOGLE Land, we decided to break up the return trip by stopping in Vegas for a few days. We stayed at the MGM Signature (Tower 3) in a wonderful suite. We had dinner with our niece, Elise, who works as a lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board. Diane and I don’t gamble (we’ve taken too many math courses), but we do love the food and shows in Vegas. We grew up listening to Cher’s music. “Classic Cher” at the Park Theater at the Monte Carlo fit the bill: fun music, video clips of andThe Sonny and Cher Show, a film montage of Cher’s movie roles, and an amazing 20+ costume changes! An entertaining concert! Cher is 70 years old, but doesn’t look it. But at one point in the concert, Cher said, “What’s your granny doing tonight?” Check out the Set List below. What’s your favorite Cher song? GRADE: A-
SET LIST:
Woman’s World
Strong Enough
All or Nothing
The Beat Goes On (Sonny & Cher song)
All I Really Want to Do (Bob Dylan cover)
I Got You Babe (Sonny & Cher song)
Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves
Dark Lady
Half-Breed
Welcome to Burlesque
Take Me Home
After All
Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn cover)
The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss) (Betty Everett cover)
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
I Found Someone (Laura Branigan cover)
If I Could Turn Back Time
ENCORE: Believe

The Handmaid’s Tale, based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel, stars Elizabeth Moss (from Mad Men) and Alexis Bledel (Rory from GIlmore Girls). In this version of the near-future, the United States no longer exists. A totalitarian Government rules. Most women are infertile, but the few who are–like Moss and Bledel–are forced to be “Handmaidens” (sex slaves) to the men who run things. Yes, this is grim stuff. HULU renewed The Handmaiden’s Tale for 2018. Fun Fact: the older woman who slaps Elizabeth Moss in the first episode is Margaret Atwood! GRADE: A