Not too long ago I asked a famous comic book artist to draw me a picture of Oracle and what I got was not at all what I expected. Barbara Gordon was depicted in a hospital wheelchair with a blanket over her legs, certainly not the Oracle I know. “How could big name-so-and-so not know how to draw someone in a wheelchair?” I said to myself but then I thought, “Probably because they aren’t in one.” That’s just one possible scenario of course, there are plenty of artists out there (like Adam Hughes above) who get it right. But if there’s a problem we all suffer from at times it’s ignorance. Yes…all of us. Some more than others of course but even the most learned of us could do with a bit of education now and then and that’s my goal today.

It’s certainly not meant as a dig, but through the years, it’s become obvious to me that a lot of people are oblivious to the every day lives of people with disabilities (PWD). And that’s why awareness and education are important. It’s not that people don’t care (although some might not), it’s that they truly don’t know what’s appropriate in certain situations. Read on for a few examples of different types of wheelchairs, as well as those who use them, plus some commentary by a creator and an actor who are close to the topic at hand. 

We’ve all heard of books being banned before, and as ridiculous as we may sometimes find the titles on those lists, none may be more ridiculous than this one. A school in Canada has chosen to ban Dr. Seuss’ Yertle the Turtle for being subversive to children. I do not like this one bit, in fact, it has me in a snit. (Don’t worry, that was my one and only attempt at rhyming in this article.)

So, you may have been trying to avoid all the buzz that surrounded The Cabin in the Woods, which, if all you have seen of it is the commercials and online ads, is being marketed as your typical “young people in a creepy cabin in the middle of nowhere surrounded by supernatural evil” kind of movie. However, if you’d been anywhere near the internet before its release on April 13, you would have known that there were tons of people who had seen this movie, either at SXSW or at a more recent screening, and could not talk about it because of the massive secret about the framework of the movie that could not be revealed that there was zero indication of in the ads. A friend told me, between the SXSW premiere and the 13th, that Joss Whedon — the movie’s co-writer and producer — said if the secret to this movie got out, he would hunt that person down in their own home and kill them, or something to that effect. (Apologies for not finding Joss Whedon saying that exact quote. Not kill, but mock — the “threat” can be seen here.)

Now that the movie has been out for over a week, some of you have seen it, and some of you are planning on it. And some of you might be wondering, as you hear all the hyperbolic statements about “the spoilers” and “the awesome,” what makes this movie so astoundingly great and unique. Don’t worry, I’m going to tell you. However, I’m also going to discuss the whole movie, so if you haven’t seen it, and you’re avoiding spoilers, I strongly urge you to trust me (and everyone else) to see the movie to find out for yourself how great it is. Because after the jump: tons o’ spoilers.

And now: Why The Cabin in the Woods is everyone’s new favorite horror movie.

Scientist: “We’re doing this new study we were hoping you could help us out with?” Woman: “What would it involve?” Scientist: “Watching a lot of porn, and also, documentaries on sea life.” Woman: ” I will help you…for science!”

Researchers in the Netherlands have discovered, through careful scientific study, that part of our brains shut down while watching pornographic videos and that there’s a perfectly valid explanation for it. They also have a few words on how anxiety affects sexual arousal. Please do read on. 

I said big news, I didn’t specify whether it was good or bad. Well, it’s actually a bit of both. There’s been an editorial shakeup in the DC offices leading to the promotion of one of their female editors but an announcement of a new series called National Comics (with eleven creators on board) doesn’t go far in bumping up the publisher’s male to female creator ratio.

Every year around this time, and even when it’s not this time, marshmallow Peeps have themselves a moment. People think of clever, unconventional recipes for them, they make them re-enact scenes from classic literature, all kinds of things! And all with those yellow sugar-covered, vaguely bird-shaped marshmallow treats. But how did they emerge from the pastel plastic grass of the Easter basket to land squarely into the epicenter of pop culture (to the joy/annoyance of many)?

Have you ever had to make a life decision and thought, “What would Katniss do?” Or perhaps, “What would Anne of Green Gables do?” I think it’s safe to assume our audience has placed their favorite young adult heroine in their shoes at least once or twice but now, the folks over at Book Riot have put together some handy diagrams showing us what some of the most popular YA heroines would do if they had to…DUN DUN DUN! Pay their rent. Click ahead to see where their priorities lie. 

Although it’s based on a best-selling young adult novel, it’s safe to say the odds weren’t in The Hunger Games’ favor. True, the film was projected to do well at the box office but history likes to tell us female-led action films don’t sell. It’s often used as an excuse in Hollywood to not make those films. They can’t use that excuse anymore, Jennifer Lawrence helped The Hunger Games make a record $155 million this past weekend and she did it with all of her clothes on. 

The Mary Sue got an email yesterday from Playboy. Not the kind of mail we’ve come to expect but it was about The Walking Dead so we gave it a look. Turns out, writer Robert Kirkman and artist Charlie Adlard are releasing an origin story for one of the comic’s most famous characters – Michonne – exclusively in Playboy today. We find this slightly odd. Here’s why. 

It’s just been announced that the Arab state of Qatar will be sending women to the Olympics for the first time when the games kick off in London this year. It comes after much debate from both the public and the International Olympic Committee over Middle East countries inclusion (or exclusion as the case may be) of women in games. But the fight is ongoing.