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I have some thoughts regarding Rime of the Icemaiden, and they actually go all the way back to Catwoman.
Yes, Catwoman. You know the one.
I will try to be as clear as possible, but feel free to talk to me if you have a differing view. I love discussions and will always listen.
Yes, Catwoman. You know the one.
I will try to be as clear as possible, but feel free to talk to me if you have a differing view. I love discussions and will always listen.
When Catwoman came out in 2004, it was—forgive me, Halle— widely regarded as one of the worst superhero films of all time, and Elektra (2005) followed up a year later as a commercial and critical failure, viewed essentially the same way.
I have always found it incredibly telling that the seeming Hollywood response was not, "Ah, we made a bad movie."
It was, "Ah, female hero movies don't sell."
It took us YEARS to see another female-led superhero movie. Wonder Woman being the new highest-grossing superhero movie
It was, "Ah, female hero movies don't sell."
It took us YEARS to see another female-led superhero movie. Wonder Woman being the new highest-grossing superhero movie
after Catwoman does not feel as good when you remember that Wonder Woman follows years and years and years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, during which each new male-led movie seemed to smash records. It took us until 2017 to see a smash hit.
This is important to me.
This is important to me.
Rime of the Icemaiden has one of the most diverse writing teams we've seen from WotC. Its non-male freelancers are proven writers that we know and trust to do well and who have always been voices for good.
When I see people immediately lunge to tear apart RotIM—for things that
When I see people immediately lunge to tear apart RotIM—for things that
should be critiqued, yes, absolutely—I worry. I worry because recent hardcovers didn't, to my knowledge, get nearly this much critique. I don't recall seeing this much judgment on Avernus, Eberron. And while I think these things should be talked about, I deeply worry it will have
the opposite effect of what we want.
I don't want publishers to be so concerned about getting a smash hit that they wait nearly 13 years to try again.
I don't want this to turn into a lesson of "non-male freelancers and female antagonists don't do well."
I don't want this
I don't want publishers to be so concerned about getting a smash hit that they wait nearly 13 years to try again.
I don't want this to turn into a lesson of "non-male freelancers and female antagonists don't do well."
I don't want this
critical reception to get trickled down the wrong avenue until the ones who are paying for it are the ones who shouldn't be. I don't want Rime of the Icemaiden to be our Catwoman and Elektra.
To be clear: I think these conversations can and should happen, and I applaud everyone
To be clear: I think these conversations can and should happen, and I applaud everyone
who goes to bat for these things over. and over. and OVER. Our industry is filled with brave warriors who will never stop fighting for what is right. And I love that.
I just don't want this to be our Catwoman/Elektra. I'm just concerned about that. I'm concerned we won't see our
I just don't want this to be our Catwoman/Elektra. I'm just concerned about that. I'm concerned we won't see our
Wonder Woman for another decade or more if we stomp down on progress now.
And by gosh, I want that Wonder Woman someday.
And by gosh, I want that Wonder Woman someday.
(And quite frankly, this could BE our Wonder Woman. We don't know if this a Catwoman or a Wonder Woman—we won't know until we have the book in our hands. This could be our WW!
Context is important, and I am looking forward to reading this book by my favorite writers so. much.)
Context is important, and I am looking forward to reading this book by my favorite writers so. much.)
