80 Glorious Years Of Wonder Woman!

Hola and welcome, my absolutely astounding Amazon associates, to the 80th anniversary of the Themysciran Titan known as – Wonder Woman! That’s right, William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter’s groundbreaking fictional female first appeared in print exactly eight decades ago to this day, in the October 1941 issue of Sensation Comics #08.

If you’ve been a follower of the Precinct for awhile now, you more than likely know our affinity and adoration for Diana, in fact near forty percent of the post output here has been about the wondrous one’s myriad adventures. We have regaled you, dear reader, with comic and graphic novel reviews, psychological breakdowns of Diana’s mantra and impact, not only in the world of comics but also in real life situations of feminism, emancipation and acceptance, not to mention in-depth looks at her many allies, and foes, biographies of her creators, and the sundry stunning writers and artists who have depicted her over the decades.

Wonder Woman is THE most important fictional female character ever committed to print, a shining beacon of hope and bastion of empowerment and equality, in the popular world of the superhero, she is the anomaly, relying on forgiveness, love and acceptance, rather than just the fist. That said, she is also a three millennium old Amazon warrior, who has been training, alongside her immortal sisters, in martial mastery since her illustrious and divine creation by a pantheon of Greek gods, so, if she needs to kick arse, let’s just say, very few can stand before her might.

So, in celebration of Wondy’s eighty year reign, we would love to share with you a selection of our favourite Precinct1313 Wonder Woman posts from throughout the past eight years of this blog’s existence, that regale our love and admiration of the scintillating scion of the sublime. Enjoy, and… Happy 80th Anniversary Diana, we love ya!

Wonder Woman: The True Amazon

Eisner Award winning writer/artist – Jill Thompson’s perfect parable of Diana’s earlier years is an alluring and sometimes provocative take on the Themysciran Titan, the storytelling contained within this terrific tome has a level of true emotional depth oft unfound in the medium, and you can re-visit our 2016 review – Right Here.

Wonder Woman/Conan

The legendary pairing of the Themysciran Princess and sullen eyed Cimmerian – Conan the Barbarian is equalled in this titanic tale by the mythical mixing of it’s superstar creators – Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti. Simone’s slow but epic build up in the story allows us to richly immerse ourselves into Conan’s savage and tempestuous reality, of which you too can experience if you visit our glowing review from 2020 – Right Here!

Wonder Woman: Rebirth

Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp and Nicola Scott’s Rebirth series was a phenomenon both visually and in it’s stellar story-telling, and world building, and has ended up with the distinction of being one of my absolute favourite ever takes on Gaea’s glorious gal, and you can find out why when you re-visit our 2016 post – Right Here.

Why We Love Wonder Woman

A more recent post from July 2021, where we spend time reflecting on the core attributes about Zeus’ favoured daughter that initially attracted us to the classic character, and why we still hold her in such reverence. Why not wend your way over to this particularly poignant post – Right Here!

Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed

Celebrated author – Laurie Halse Anderson and illustrator – Leila Del Luca provided a fresh and funky new take on Diana’s early upbringing on Paradise Island. A superb coming of age drama that’s not afraid to delve into the darker recesses of humankind, but is ultimately a tale of family, friends, love and emancipation. Indulge your senses in our review – Right Here.

Diana – Princess Of The Amazons

Diana: Princess of the Amazons tells the tale of the wondrous one many years before she became the icon known as Wonder Woman. An eleven year old girl growing up on the idyllic paradise island of Themyscira. This fabulous fable is an uplifting tale about dealing with the inevitable growing pains that everyone ultimately experiences on their emotional journey into adulthood. A young adult novel that can be enjoyed by all ages, and you can start your very own voyage into this wildly wonderful world – Right Here!

Happy 80th Anniversary Diana! Just 20 More Years To The Centenary!!

Why We Love Wonder Woman…

It is 1941, and eminent psychology professor and inventor, William Moulton Marston, radically shakes up the male dominated market of Superhero comics with his charismatic and compelling creation – Wonder Woman, unleashed in the progressive pages of All Star Comics #8, Diana was an instant hit, and less than a year later the seminal character received her very own ongoing comic-book series, which is still being published monthly to this day, almost eight decades on from her groundbreaking inception.

It is 1982, and a nine year old Batman fanatic opens his eyes to a whole new and enlightening world outside of the grimy, corrupt streets of Gotham City, transcending the grim, driven, dark angel of justice known as The Batman, and accepting into his other (comic book) reality a much more virtuous and progressive character. A simple gift from his mum would ultimately turn into a lifelong (but wholesome) obsession, with Wonder Woman helping to not only sate a young imagination with fantastic tales of heroism, mythological monsters and warrior women, but ultimately also help guide his future precepts, and tenets.

I, of course, am that nine year old Batfan, and though the above statement of receiving guidance from a fictional character on moral precepts may sound corny, it’s also true! You see, even though much of our growth mentally and morally is instigated through parentage, friendships and schooling, we are also heavily influenced by (especially now) the fictional worlds we reside in, be that video-games, novels, movies and, of course comic-books.

My comic-book upbringing, strangely, mirrors that of my actual upbringing, and, no, that does not mean my dad ran around in tights, a pointy eared mask and fought crime, but he did share similarities to the caped crusader. He was a driven, but kind man, a member of the British parachute regiment who received the military cross for his act of heroism in rescuing injured members of his squad from a minefield, like the Batman, he was a hero that I looked up to. My mum, again has always been a kind and gentle soul with a love of animals and people, whom has never a bad word to say about anyone, she is also a feminist and rights activist, she also is my hero. Batsy and Wondy have always felt like perfect fictional counterparts to my parents, and that connection between real world and fiction has what’s really led to comic-books holding a special place in my essence.

My adoration of the Themysciran Titan not only derives from my affection for comic-books and a long-standing fascination of Greek mythology, but also my love of strong women in all forms of narrative fiction, and reality, in fact I have always preferred kick-arse female fighters in my video-games and movies and most certainly comics. I have over the years here in the Precinct written about the female influences in my life, my love of martial arts films stems mostly from my youth and watching fantastic fighting female furies like Moon Lee and Cynthia Rothrock reverse the tropes and kick everyone’s arses in film, and don’t get me started on the myriad female superheroes outside of Diana that I adore.

Ultimately though, I look up to Wonder Woman because she stands for everything I personally believe in, social justice, diversity and equity. Fairness, equality and emancipation are tenets that we should all aspire to, and Wonder Woman was, is, and always shall be a golden beacon of hope held up to shine her light on the philosophical theory of a fair and equal society. Long may she reign!

Amazon Accoutrements: The Lasso Of Truth

Over the past eight years that Precinct1313 has been a thing, we have posted, discussed and revealed the many fascinating and fantastic facets that make up the legend that is Wonder Woman, from her early beginnings courtesy of her genius architect – William Moulton Marston, through her sundry appearances in television, film, animation and, of course, comic-books.

We have regaled and radiated our adoration for the astonishing Amazon, poured praise upon the reasoning of why she is, and always shall be, the most important fictional female in literary history and shared with you, my astounding Amazonian associates, our very favourite manifold mythologies of the Themysciran Titan, be that through comic covers, reviews, news and just general gushing of our love for the character. So let us continue on that path through the philanthropic perfection that is Diana, with a brand new series of articles thusly titled – Amazon Accoutrements, with our very first episode devoted to the Lariat of Hestia, aka – the Lasso of Truth!

Truth, justice, emancipation, empowerment, and forgiveness are the key traits to Wonder Woman’s psyche, these five character hallmarks form Diana as the benevolent being she is, a gracious goddess whose sole mission is to convey these admirable distinctions to humanity. The truth is integral to Diana’s persona, she is innately incapable of lying, but having to deal on a daily basis with the deceit and nefarious whims of “man’s world” Diana is blessed to have been furnished with the legendary Lariat of Hestia, a glorious golden goddess granted lasso that compels all ensnared within its bonds to tell the truth.

The Hellenic Herald’s titanic tether was originally a part of Aphrodite’s magical girdle, which in itself had the power to inspire passion and desire, with the Queen of the gods herself, Hera, occasionally borrowing it to influence bridal contests for suitors and to rejoin bickering spouses in love. This mystical adornment was gifted to the Amazon race which bequest them their fabled strength and immortality. It was the Amazon, Metala, under mandate by Queen Hippolyta, who was enraptured by the magical artifact, that she forge a golden rope from the graceful girdle, and thus was born the very first form of the righteous rope of veracity.

In the tradition of the burgeoning DC Universe and it’s often shifting narrative and character mythos, the Lasso of Truth has also seen it’s beguiling backstory altered. The groundbreaking comic-book series – Crisis On Infinite Earths, by celebrated comic-book creators – George Perez and Marv Wolfman, posited that the lasso was forged by maestro of metallurgy and god of fire himself – Hephaestus. The bombastic blacksmith of the gods forged the lavish lariat from the Golden Girdle of Gaea, this mythological artifact was actually created by none other than Wonder Woman’s very own architect – William Moulton Marston, originally named by the esteemed doctor of psychology as the Magical Girdle of Aphrodite, an allegory for the power of female allure, and in Greek mythology – the mythic girdle was obtained by Heracles from Hippolyte as a key quest of his twelve labours.

The ability to extract the truth though is but one of the powerful properties contained within the golden links of the lasso, it is also capable of translating spoken languages, the mere act of gripping the lasso will enable Diana and any other beings to universally understand each other and speak foreign tongues, the libertarian lariat is also adept at disseminating illusions and hallucinations, and other mental maladies. 

If you’ve had the good fortune of seeing the latest cinematic adaptation of Wonder Woman, you’ll recall seeing Gal Gadot’s Diana learning how to utilise her lasso and the wind currents to enable her ability to fly, this glorious gift wasn’t created for the fantastic film however, but was lifted from the very pages of the comic books themselves. When originally conceived, Diana was incapable of the fantastic feat of flight, but through experimentation of the lasso’s myriad powers, discovered that if she spun the lasso at great speeds, the oscillation would create currents of air she could then use to glide upon, mimicking the power of flight.

The comic-book creation of the Lasso of Truth by William Moulton Marston was in direct correlation to the esteemed psychologists real life creation of the Systolic Blood Pressure Test, which eventually became one of the key components in the John Larson invented Polygraph. It was actually professor Marston’s wife – Elizabeth Holloway that first suggested a distinct connection between emotion and blood pressure differentiation, noting that whenever they got frustrated or emotional, their blood pressure would climb. 

Thanks so much for dropping by the Precinct as we explored the history and profundity of Wonder Woman’s laudable and lavish lariat of the gods, next episode we shall be traversing the fictional (and mythological) Amazon annals to search out the history of Diana’s Bracelets of Submission, until that time I shall just say “apochairetismos” my absolutely awesome Amazonian affiliates!

Joye Hummel Murchison – The First Woman Commissioned To Write Wonder Woman Comics In The 1940’s, Passes Away At 97.

It is with great sadness that we pass on the news that Wonder Woman and Comic-Book author, Joye Hummel Murchison passed away at the age of 97 years old on April 5th. Joye was the ghost writer of many classic golden age Wonder Woman tales between the years of 1944 and 1947, with her first ever script appearing in the spring 1945 issue of Wonder Woman #12, after the Wondy creator and mainstay writer – William Moulton Marston fell terminally ill.

Joye was first offered the role of authoring the ongoing adventures of the wondrous one in March of 1944 by Professor Marston himself, who was a tutor of psychology at the Katharine Gibbs school in Manhattan, where Joye was a pupil. Professor Marston, over dinner, invited Joye to co-author the further adventures of the Themysciran Titan. At this point, Joye had not only never read Wonder Woman, but indeed any comic-books whatsoever, though she accepted the position through her respect and admiration of Marston and his varying works that included not just comic-book writing but also psychology, invention (he co-invented the lie detector, which gave way in the comics to Wondy’s Lasso of Truth) and unyielding support of women’s rights and the Suffragist movement.

Joye worked on Wonder Woman’s continuing adventures for three years as a ghost-writer, yet was never accredited much attention until the Jill Lepore penned – The Secret History Of Wonder Woman – was released in 2014. Four years after historian Lepore’s book was released, Joye was awarded one of the most prestigious comic-book awards – The Bill Finger Award – primarily given to oft underappreciated and overlooked comic creators.

Our thought go out to her family and friends at this time, and our eternal thanks to Joye for the many wonderful tales of Diana’s golden age adventures she regaled her many fans with.

Happy Holidays From Wonder Woman And Precinct1313…

Precinct1313 welcomes all it’s loyal agents to rousing revelry and much celebratory carousing in the majestic mansion of mystery’s ‘Great Hall of Quaffing’ (Eldritch, our resident carrion crow of woe will show you the way, it’s near the end of the Corridors of Collation, just take a left at the Comic-Book Crypts, if you reach the Mortuary of Movie Mayhem then you’ve definitely gone too far) But before we take our seats at the titanic table of terrific tales and indulge in holiday merriment how about a quick jaunt through the Ancient Amazon Archives to catch up with our favourite Themysciran Princess’ festive adventures.

We have some absolutely Classic Wonder Woman here my astonishing Amazonian associates, Sensation Comics #38 was published in December 1944, written by WW’s genius creator William Moulton Marston and illustrated by the legendary Harry G. Peter. We follow our heroic Hellenic herald as she decides to play Santa in a notoriously poor and downtrodden neighbourhood, to bring some festive cheer to a local orphanage. Upon arrival the Themysciran Titan accidentally stumbles across a nefarious plot to rob the US treasury, with the events quickly escalating to a hostage situation involving the children themselves.

December ’44 was a busy month for the delightfully dynamic duo of W.M Marston and H.G Peter as they also presented us with the festive edition of DC Comics’ timeless ‘Comic Cavalcade’, comprising three tenaciously terrific tales and a cadre of classic characters that includes The Flash (original Jay Garrick version) Green Lantern and, of course, our illustriously immortal idol Wonder Woman!

Sensational seventies superstar Wonder Woman, the lovely Lynda Carter came face to face with ‘The Deadly Toys’ in a holiday themed episode of the scintillating seventies show that formed part of the second season and aired in 1979. Once again penned by Wondy’s ceaseless composer of creation W.M. Marston (writing under his oft used pen name of Charles Moulton.)

This effervescent episode found the wondrous one investigating a suspicious toy maker (played by none other than sixties Batman villain – The Riddler’s Frank Gorshin) who had replaced three scientists with his own android creations after they refused to create a weapon of mass destruction known as Project XYZ. As Diana nears the source of her investigation, the dastardly Toy Maker whips up his own android version of Gaea’s Glorious Gal, and the two Wonder Women engage in a (delightfully camp) fracas, only in seventies Wondy can Hula Hoops become weapons of mass destruction!

Happy Holidays Fellow Agents Of Precinct1313, And How About We End With A Few Festive Felicitations From The Batman Himself…

Well, What Did You Expect… it’s Batman!!

That Time Wonder Woman…

Became A Crouton!

Hola my absolutely astonishing Amazonian associates, and welcome to the very first episode of – That Time Wonder Woman… a brand new ongoing chronicle of the Themysciran Titan’s strangest and most obscure adventures across the past eight enthralling decades of Diana’s reputable reign as THE queen of female superheroes. Beginning with this surreal soup de jour – Wonder Woman #217 from January 1975.

Over the past seventy nine years the scintillating scion of the sublime known as Wonder Woman has graced our lives with her ongoing odyssey to spread the message of hope, love and empowerment.

Throughout this formidable reign she has battled the causes of all societal ills including misogyny, racism, and poverty, but also… Gods of War, Tri-headed Demonic Dogs, Minotaurs, Alien Invasions and more. But do you remember that time she – became a surrogate mother to a dinosaur, fought a giant sentient egg (!?) teamed up with her teenage and toddler self to fight Mer-men, and, at one point, even took a job as a coffee shop barista to pay her rent… you don’t? well allow Precinct1313 to regale you with these outlandish tales and more through this surreal series, and introduce you to this oft overlooked wild and wacky world of wonder.

Wonder Woman Vol 1 #217 encompasses three tantalisingly terrific tales of the Themysciran Titan, including our cover story – The Day That Time Broke Loose. This crazy caper finds Wondy team up with the Emerald Archer – Green Arrow to fight that mighty master of illusions – The Duke Of Deception.

The hilarious hi-jinks included in this eccentric excursion include such delirious delights as, Diana believing she has used her golden lasso to truss the tenacious trickster, only to find that it is she herself that is entangled within her legendary lariat of Hestia. Green Arrow becoming so confused by the diabolical Duke’s mental malarkey he turns to hypnosis performed by none other than The Batman himself (I mean, is there anything the Bat is incapable of?) to set him straight, oh, and, a large bowl of soup with our heroic Hellenic herald as seasoning!!

Merciful Minerva, what a melodious mix of mirth and mayhem, yet in the wild world of weird Wonder Woman waxings this particular parable is rather run of the mill. So why not join us next episode on our ongoing obscure and outrageous odyssey with – That Time Wonder Woman…

Happy Wonder Woman Day!

On this day on October 21 1941 an inspiration was born, Diana, Princess of the Amazons made her dynamic debut courtesy of her celebrated creator William Moulton Marston. And so in celebration of Wonder Woman Day, I present to you, my astonishing Amazonian Affiliates, an extra special instalment of ‘Comic Cover Of The Week’ a hearken back to my first ever encounter with the Themysciran Titan, way back in that glorious decade known as the 1980s!

Ah the eighties, it was an interesting and rather revolutionary time in the UK. It had just gotten over the phenomenon that was Punk Rock, a rebellious anti-establishment movement that, really, was more about freedom of speech and giving voice to the people than it was about the music itself. I was actually way too young to appreciate the campaign for acceptance and diversity that Punk represented, but looking back on that era now, have come to realise how much Superheroes fit into the same mould as the punk rockers of the day, working outside of Government control, for the benefit of the people themselves.

I grew up in the greatest decade in the history of human kind (at least it was to me) the 1980’s. Icons from my era included such luminaries as Siouxsie and the Banshees (my all time favourite band… yes I was a Goth!) ridiculously over the top action heroes like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Wesley Snipes, Cynthia Rothrock and Moon Lee (my favourite female action stars.) Video Games began to really evolve from their previous very simplistic and basic look and premise in the seventies, adding more complexity and depth in both the graphics and gameplay. But even with all these wonderful new distractions available to me, Comic-Books were still my first love, my go to for escapism and ultimate reverie.

It was the shadowy Masked Manhunter, The Batman, who initially introduced me into wonderful world of Superheroes. My first encounter with this iconic character was when I was six years of age, I was captivated by his world, so very different from my own (yet at times eerily similar.) Gotham was a terrible, seething place of corruption and murder, yet it had a redeemer, someone who swathed himself in darkness, and was scarier than even the worst denizens of this malevolent city… and yet, fought for good!

The character beguiled me, and it was through him that my love of not just comics, but also literature itself began. It wasn’t until I was nine that I experienced my first foray into the legendary world of the Amazons, I knew who Wonder Woman was of course, through the occasional crossover story in ‘Batman’ and ‘Detective Comics’ but had yet to branch out fully into other realms, feeling contented in my protracted residence in Gotham City.

Wonder Woman #271 was the first time I invested heavily in a character who didn’t have a cape, a cowl and a fatalistic outlook to the world around him. In fact the two characters are literally night and day, which is why I believe that I began to love the Themysciran Titan with the same amount of reverence as I did the Dark Knight, because they were so different. She offered hope, and an optimism that The Bat just didn’t have, a figure who inspired goodness in those around her, with the strength and fortitude to fight the evils of man, yet show compassion and kindness to those deserving (and those who also were not, thus is her leniency and benevolence.)

I have always seen the two characters as my diametrically opposed halves, Batman represents my love of the darkness, gothicism (technically not a word, I know, but I like it) horror movies, the supernatural et al, and Wonder Woman has always constituted my hopes for the future, my work to forward animal rights, vegetarianism, and a general aspiration for betterment of myself and the world about me, and so…

Wonder Woman #750: Celebrating An Icon

Iconic is absolutely an apt terminology for William Moulton Marston’s legendary creation – Wonder Woman. Icon comes to us from the original ancient Hellenic word – Eika, and with Diana’s entire narrative background tied up (sometimes literally – the Amazons were famous for bondage games!) in Greek mythology, I could not think of a phrase that encapsulates the Amazon Princess any more effectively.

Diana first leapt onto the pages of comic-books in the 1941 issue of All Star Comics #8, and from that point began her legendary odyssey through the annals of comic history with close to eight decades of epic storylines of emancipation, liberation and love.  Diana’s rich heritage is tied to her ability to empathise and forgive, traits not necessarily intrinsic to the majority of Superheroes, who tend to rely on fists, brute force and their overtly herculean super-powers to right any wrongs that present themselves.

Wonder Woman was always cut from a different cloth, preferring to extend a hand in friendship rather than raise a fist in anger. Diana’s real life creation from her genius architect, the aforementioned William Marston is key to the character’s enduring legacy of liberation and amnesty. Marston’s ideal for the character came from his groundbreaking (especially for the era) work in the feminist and suffragette movements of the 1930’s and 40’s, with birth control pioneer Margaret Sanger, in particular her work – Woman and the New Race becoming a catalyst for Diana’s eventual fictional birth in 1941.

An astonishing seventy nine years later, Wonder Woman is actually more popular now than she has probably ever been, with a whole new audience outside of her fervent comic-book fandom brought into her Amazonian ranks thanks to her recent and magnificent celluloid outing in Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins’ 2017 movie. She has been in continuous print since her iconic inception, is the original blueprint for virtually every female Superhero that has been created since her dazzling debut and is still THE fictional front woman for feminism and emancipation in the world today. I am sure Dr William Marston is looking down from his well deserved place on Mount Olympus and smiling, watching as his monumental creation continues to spread her message of hope and love to all the masses both fictional, and real.

To celebrate Wondy’s 750th issue DC Comics have brought together some of the Themysciran Titans’ most revered story tellers and artists – George Perez, Gail Simone, Nicola Scott, Greg Rucka, Jenny Frison and Brian Bolland to name just a few are onboard for this 96 page prestige format tome. 

Nine exhilarating tales of the astonishing Amazon regale the reader with fabulous fables that represent her past, present and future, each allegorical piece fits, jigsaw like, into a whole that fundamentally represents everything we love about Wonder Woman, with our personal favourite from the selection being Gail Simone’s fabulous – ‘From Small Things, Mama’  though we are happy to report that not one of the other eight exceptional epics on offer are anything less than deserving of Diana’s halcyon heritage.

 

Wonder Woman #750 is available from your local comic-book emporium right now! Make sure to show your love for the most important fictional female in history by buying this landmark issue, my astonishingly adroit amazonian associates.

 

Our dynamic duo of WW #750 variant covers were purchased from our absolute favourite comic-book emporium: Final Frontier.

Happy Wonder Woman Day!

Great Hera! Today marks the official celebration of everyone’s favourite feisty fictional female, the Themysciran Titan – Wonder Woman!

That’s right fellow fans of fantastic female fiction, October 21st commemorates Diana’s first ever appearance in ‘All Star Comics #8’ which released in October of 1941 courtesy of her celebrated creator William Moulton Marston, and DC Comics. That’s a sensational seventy eight years in her illuminating presence!

We love Wonder Woman here in Precinct1313, she’s actually our favourite comic-book creation of all time (sorry Batsy!) and I personally have been reading and collecting Wondy comics, movies and memorabilia since I was a mere nine years of age, she has always been an inspiration to me. Unlike her superheroic peers, Diana doesn’t necessarily rely on her fists… her strength lies within her power to understand, and forgive, to first extend a hand of friendship rather than wield her sword. Diana’s mantra is love and compassion, and in the rather unpredictable world we live in today, she is very much the hero we need…

So, to honour the dynamic daughter of Queen Hippolyta and the pantheon of Greek Gods that bestowed the wondrous one upon us, let’s share in some inspirational, enlightening and quintessential quotes courtesy of the Princess of Themyscira. Happy Wonder Woman day, my astoundingly awesome Amazonian associates!

Professor Marston And The Wonder Women: How Not To Film A Biopic!

Now, as you probably know we don’t often address negatives in the Precinct, it is a place that all its agent alumni come together to celebrate the phenomenal publishing powerhouse that’s known as DC Comics… but this… this is too much.

Following closely in the stead of the absolutely sterling Wonder Woman cinematic triumph comes Professor Marston And The Wonder Women, a so called biopic of the true story behind Diana of Themyscira’s creator… except it’s not… at all.

Statement By Christy Marston, Granddaughter Of William Marston

Though the biopic has received above average reviews, its actual content is in no way, shape, or form true, which ultimately negates its claim to being a biopic and ends up as much an act of fiction as the comic-book character herself. Christy Marston, the granddaughter of William Moulton Marston recently made several statements that the film did not represent almost any fact of truth whatsoever and was needlessly sexualised to add a touch of salaciouness, especially in its depiction of the two women in Marston’s life who did not share polyamorous relations.

In a recent interview Christy Marston said that the family had not been approached at all by the film makers – “No, there was no contact” Christy revealed “In an interview Angela Robinson (the director) said she made the choice not to talk to anybody because she wanted to use her own interpretation, both the depiction of the Marston family and Wonder Woman’s origins are entirely made up”  

Professor William Marston And His Iconic Creation Deserve Better…

Two other Wonder Women have recently also spoke out on the film, Lynda Carter who played the iconic character in the 70’s and 80’s tweeted that – “As a friend of the Marston family, I encourage you to listen to Christie’s opinion about the movie” and Susan Eisenberg who for many years was the voice talent behind the Themysciran Titan in various DC animated series and movies said – “Important to note, the Professor Marston film is NOT a true story but a narrative made up by the filmmaker!”

Now then, I have been a WW fan since I was nine years old, and like most things I love in life also had a fascination with the characters origins both in an out of its fictional setting especially that of her talented creator William Moulton Marston, and this is no way to honour his name and family.

I was excited when I first heard the inkling of a movie based upon the Marston family, but having followed Christy Marston on Facebook and Twitter for many years became dismayed the more I heard about the project. I will leave the link for Christy’s interview with Big Fan Boy, the popular movie site that goes in depth on the subject right here  please read if you get the chance and Christy’s Facebook page is a must follow for any fan of Diana Prince and is attached thus – Share The Wonder it is a fascinating place full of dedicated WW fans, with Christy herself a guiding light throughout.

The character of Wonder Woman not only stands for hope, love and compassion but also truth, I’m sure she’s really rather peeved right now!

 

United Nations Renounce Wonder Woman As Ambassador…

Well I’ll be honest, I don’t really know how to process this, frankly ridiculous, news… that’s right folks the United Nations have revoked Wonder Woman’s honorary ambassadorial role for the empowerment of women and girls  after a petition against the character’s right to that standing, because apparently – a. she’s fictional, and – b. she isn’t a good choice of a role model for women!? (that second reason is so ridiculously laughable, that you’d almost believe the whole situation was a joke… it unfortunately is not!)

OK let’s begin by recounting the situation from the beginning… Wonder Woman recently celebrated 75 years of virtual existence, that’s seven and a half decades of awesome comics and the prominence of a female character who has always stood for justice, compassion, and equality. She is and always has been the gold standard of equal rights and female empowerment, THE original female Superhero, who, unlike her peers has always carried the torch for emancipation and equal opportunities outside of her comics and fictional being, transcending the fictitious to bring the world the absolute definition of a Role Model.

Gal Gadot And Lynda Carter, Wonder Women… And Yes – Role Models!

Wonder Woman was created by Harvard scholar, inventor and psychologist William Moulton Marston in the 40’s as a positive female comic book icon amongst a sea of male Superheroes. She, like her peers, stood for justice, truth and moral virtue, but also female empowerment and equality. She has been a shining beacon for these virtues since that time, and virtually all fictional female comic characters have been influenced by her since then, following in her paradigmatic stead.

The idea behind making Wonder Woman an honorary ambassador was envisioned originally to get people young and old talking about the very real issue of gender equality by utilising a famous fictional character who has always stood for equal rights, but a petition started by ‘concerned UN members’ gave way to her being stripped of the role. One of the reasons given for Diana’s removal was her looks, apparently she is ‘too busty and beautiful’ to really work as an icon for gender equality… the last time I checked one of the biggest problems facing real change is people judging others on how they look or dress, equal rights means everyone and the UN have managed to do exactly what they have been trying to preclude others from doing, which is absolute craziness.

You Tell ‘Em Diana!

We have included below a petition set up by fans to get the UN to reconsider their decision, it currently stands at just under 3,500 signatures but needs to hit 5,000 before delivery. If this is something you agree with then your support would be great, and would join alongside the signatures of Wonder Woman writer Gail Simone and artist Nicola Scott, both of whom tirelessly defend equality and Diana’s importance in this role.

https://www.change.org/p/united-nations-make-wonder-woman-a-un-ambassador-again

Plus Lynda Carter gave an interview with the New York Times yesterday deflecting critic’s complaints of the character which makes for great reading and is included as a link thus:

The Week In Geek… With Precinct1313: Special Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Edition

Welcome fellow agents of Precinct1313 to an extra special celebratory episode of ‘The Week In Geek’ where we share our favourite Comic Book, Video Game, and Cult Movie news for your perusal and pleasure. And ‘Great Hera’ do we have some awesome Amazonian articles to share with you, in our ongoing celebration of the Themysciran Titan’s 75th anniversary.

Wonder Women Join Forces At The United Nations…

Wonder Women

‘By the labyrinthian lair of the mighty Minotaur’ was Friday 21 of October an awesome day in the annals of Comic-Book history, not only did we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the world’s foremost female Superhero, but also, awesome Amazons; Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot came together to tag team the United Nations and accept the award for ‘Honorary Ambassador For The Empowerment Of Women And Girls’ on behalf of the Princess of Themyscira.

Amazons Lynda Carter And Gal Gadot Join Forces At The United Nations Building

‘The campaign is about women and girls everywhere, who are wonder women in their own right, and the men and boys who support their struggle for gender equality, bringing about a positive change in their homes, workplace, communities, countries, and the world at large.’ 

Also present at the monumental meeting were: Diane Nelson – President of DC Entertainment, Patty Jenkins – Film Director of the upcoming 2017 Wonder Woman movie, and Christie Marston – Granddaughter of Wonder Woman’s creator William Moulton Marston.

Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Special…

Seven and a half decades of arse-kicking Amazon awesomeness will come together in collective Comic-Book form on October 26 when DC Comics release the ‘Wonder Woman Anniversary Special’. An illustrious 80 page issue celebrating the phenomenal Themysciran Princess, that brings together a cadre of classic creators including; Gail Simone, Brian Azzarello, Adam Hughes, Jill Thompson, Jim Lee, Karl Kerschl, plus many, many more.

Astounding Artwork By Karl Kerschl

So grab your Golden Lasso of Truth, hop into your Invisible Plane, and zoom on down to your local comic book emporium this Wednesday to ask… nay demand your copy of this titanic tome, and indulge in it’s Eleusinian Mysteries!

Zack Snyder Unveils New Wonder Woman Image From Justice League Movie…

By The Fires Of Tartarus, This Is Awesome!

Director Zack Snyder unleashed a brand new image of the Astonishing Amazon in celebration of her 75 years of heroic heraldry from his upcoming 2017 Justice League movie. The image was shown last Friday in her honour at the United Nations celebrations. Justice League debuts at cinemas on November 17 2017, and also stars Ben Affleck as The Batman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Henry Cavill as Superman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg.

‘By the horns of Amalthea’ why not join us next time friends for more Week in Geek.

Classic Wonder Woman: 75 Years Of The Awesome Amazon

After our Herculean trek through the Ancient Amazon Archives reached it’s climactic crescendo in our previous instalment, we find ourselves, once more, basking in the alluring beauty of the legendary paradise island known as Themyscira. A warm breeze again caresses our skin as we cross the tranquil tapestry of forests, mountains and rivers that ultimately unfolds before us to form this awe inspiring isle of immortals.

Bird song greets our ears and a serene calm seems to hang over this ethereal island. As we move further inland, ancient baluster rise from the ground arranging a beautacious path that weaves it’s way towards an ancient city that defies mortal eyes with it’s diaphanous presence of elegance, gleaming incandescently in the golden hue of the sun. The Baluster give way to pennants softly swaying in the breeze, with each of these intricate vexillum vying for our attention with their Daedalian imagery of the Hellenic Gods and Amazons.

Our heartbeat quickens and anticipation heightens as we finally reach the majestically wrought marble gates that lead, ultimately, into the elysian rapture that is the city-state of Themyscira. Hanging conspicuously from a single strand of an unknown golden gossamer to the side of the grand gates is an elaborately detailed horn depicting Zeus’ nurturing goat Amalthea, softly blowing into the Cornu causes the Mycenaean styled gate to slowly reveal the magnificence of it’s interior, a vision so resplendent that it can only be relayed to mortal eyes through… ‘Classic Wonder Woman’ Precinct1313’s comic cover countdown to the 75th anniversary of the Themysciran Titan.

And lo our odyssey reaches its conclusion as we find ourselves at the denouement of this quest to celebrate the creation and continuation of the world’s premier and most important fictional female character. The journey through the Ancient Amazon Archives has been filled with many tantalising tales of heroism, and heartbreak, a grand adventure that ultimately ends here with the 75th anniversary of Princess Diana of Themyscira, better known to the world as Wonder Woman.

DC Comics, that fine purveyor of the fantastic, have pronounced that today is their official celebration of Diana’s virtual birth, it coincides with the United Nations event naming the wondrous one as their ‘Honorary Ambassador For The Empowerment Of Women And Girls’ and you can count on Precinct1313 to commemorate this monumental occasion with a week long salute to our favourite fictional female. 

The Week In Geek… With Precinct1313

Welcome fellow agents of Precinct1313 to another episode of ‘The Week In Geek’ where we share our favourite Comic Book, Video-Game and Cult Movie news for your perusal and pleasure, so join us as we Sally Forth unto geekdom…

Batwoman Returns…

Kate Kane, better known by her alter ego, Batwoman, will be returning to her own solo series early next year DC have announced. The flame haired costumed crimefighter is currently prowling the streets of Gotham City alongside The Batman in Detective Comics, but fans have been vocal in their longing for Kate to return to her own ongoing solo series since her ‘New 52’ run ended with issue 40.

‘Batwoman: Rebirth’ will be written by Marguerite Bennett, with art by Steve Epting, and will follow Kate as she scours the planet for the monstrous villain behind the sale of a deadly toxic bio-weapon. Kate’s globetrotting tale will initially begin as a two part story arc in Detective Comics which will then segue into a one shot prologue ‘Batwoman #1’ before exploding into her own full blown series in April 2017.

Wonder Woman Named Honorary United Nations Ambassador…

Not content with being the Princess of a paradise island of Amazonian warriors, Themysciran Herald, Justice League member and one time God of War, it seems that Diana has also now accepted the task of being an Ambassador for the United Nations!

On October 21, the United Nations are due to announce the Themysciran Titan as it’s ‘Honorary Ambassador For The Empowerment Of Women And Girls’ The earth-shattering event will coincide with DC Comic’s very own ‘Wonder Woman Day’ and will take place at the UN’s headquarters in New York. The event serves to highlight the U.N. campaign for worldwide gender equality, and ‘Suffering Sappho’ we couldn’t think of a comic book character more suited to the role than Wondy!

William Moulton Marston Biopic Announced…

Professor Marston: Creator Of A Legend

Wonder Woman’s creator, William Moulton Marston was a fascinating individual, not only was he the architect of the world’s first ever female Superhero, he was also a Harvard trained psychologist and a successful inventor (one of a team who designed the original polygraph machine in fact!) 

‘Professor Marston And The Wonder Women’ is the title of the currently in production biopic dedicated to honouring his achievements, from a script by Angela Robinson who will also be taking the directorial reins for the Sony Pictures drama. British actor Luke Evans has been cast as Marston, alongside Rebecca Hall and Bella Heathcote who will play Marston’s wife Elizabeth, and Olive Byrne (who lived with the couple in an extended relationship) respectively.

The announcement from Sony Pictures reads:

In a Superhero origin tale unlike any other, this is the true story of 1940’s Harvard psychologist Dr William Moulton Marston, the inventor of the lie detector and creator of the iconic Wonder Woman. Who defends his feminist Superhero against charges of ‘sexual perversity’ while at the same time maintaining a secret that could have destroyed him. Unknown to others, Marston’s inspiration for Wonder Woman was his wife Elizabeth Marston and their lover Olive Byrne, two empowered women in the field of psychology who defied convention by building a secret life together with Marston that rivalled the greatest of Superhero disguises.

Why not join us again next time friends for more ‘Week In Geek’

Classic Wonder Woman: Sensation Comics #38

Copyright: DC Comics

Welcome my Amazonian amigos to a festive instalment of “Classic Wonder Woman,” Precinct1313’s weekly comic cover countdown to the 75th anniversary of Zeus’ favoured daughter. We’ve gone retro for this holiday episode, as we hearken back in time to December 1944 and Wonder Woman’s appearance in Sensation Comics #38. Written by: William Moulton Marston. Cover and interior art by: Harry G. Peter.

Diana takes on the role of Santa for the day in a local poor neighbourhood, during which she stumbles onto a plot to rob the US treasury. Events take a turn for the worse when the escalating predicament turns into a hostage situation, when the very children Diana was bringing seasonal cheer become the hostages.

This issue really is the epitome of ‘Classic Wonder Woman,’ written by her creator William Marston and illustrated by the great Harry Peter. Though modern comics are substantially more professionally produced, with sublime art, depth of plot and sophisticated dialogue, there’s just something I love about these retro 40’s and 50’s four colour comics, bold imagery, simple but fun story-lines and a general feel good atmosphere. Happy holidays everyone, and why not join us again next week for more Classic Wonder Woman.