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11 awesome comic books that are more than just muscle-y white dudes.

These days you can't go anywhere without seeing superheroes — or someone (rightly) decrying their lack of diversity.

As both a lifelong comic book fan and a lifelong white dude, I understands both sides of it. On one hand, it's exciting to see these iconic characters finally get the spotlight after 50-plus years of being relegated to four-color funny books. I mean, we get at least seven different superhero blockbusters this year alone, and that's not even counting television!

But on the other hand, well ... let's just say that guys like me have never been left wanting for role models that look just like us.

Fortunately, things aren't quite the same as they were back in 1939, when Superman first showed up on the scene. Sure, there are still plenty of characters (and fans) who stick to their traditions of Stoic Manguy Hero and The Sexy Lady That He Rescues All the Time. But now it's easier than ever to find comic books that accurately reflect the world we live in — where there are more distinctions between people than the color of their spandex over-the-pants underwear.

Here are just a few of our favorites:

1. "Spider-Man"

Wait what?! Don't worry, Peter Parker is still around. But a black Hispanic teenager named Miles Morales is also Spider-Man, thanks to Brian Michael Bendis, a Jewish-American comic book writer who wanted a more diverse role model for his adopted children. Originally introduced in 2011 as part of Marvel's "Ultimate" universe (a parallel alternate continuity ... because comics), the new Spider-Man comic launching in February will place him firmly beside all your other favorite heroes.

Image by Sara Pichelli/Marvel.

2. "The Wicked + the Divine"

"Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead." It's happening again right now — and this time, they're all beloved pop stars. That's the basic premise of "The Wicked + the Divine," which explores fandom, death, divinity, and the irresistible allure of pop music. While the book itself is set in England, the pantheon of deities pulls from every culture and historical period and mashes it together with a cast that spans the spectrum of race, gender, and sexuality. And it all oozes with a rock 'n' roll sex appeal.

Image by Jamie McKelvie/Image Comics.

3. "Midnighter"

When he was first introduced, Midnighter and his now-ex-husband, Apollo, were basically a gay homage to Batman and Superman. And if that sounds like the concept to a cheap sketch comedy, that couldn't be further from the truth. Midnighter is more powerful than Batman and at least as badass — if not more. (Let's just say his early appearances were part of DC's adult-oriented publications.) He was also the first gay male to headline an ongoing DC comic book, and the current iteration is the first time it's being scripted by an out writer, too.

Image by David Messina/DC Comics.

4. "Lumberjanes"

Speaking of adult content, "Lumberjanes" is probably the most delightful all-ages comic you will ever read. The girls at the (big breath!) Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady Types (yes, really) get into all kinds of fantastical mischief as they learn about friendship and about themselves. It's heartfelt. It's fresh. It's universal. It's like the best parts of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Scooby-Doo," and "Salute Your Shorts" all rolled into one. Did I mention that it also features a transgender cast member and can help kids and adults alike to empathize with issues of gender dysphoria?

Image by Brooke Allen/BOOM! Studios.

5. "Ms. Marvel"

If you thought Peter Parker was the only character who is relatable as the lovable loser whose superhero antics get in the way of getting his life together, then you haven't read "Ms. Marvel." Kamala Khan is a nerdy teenage girl living in Jersey City when she discovers that she has superpowers. Think about your own most embarrassing high school experience; now imagine that it happens when you're teaming up with Wolverine and that you can't tell anybody about it and that your parents still won't let you go to that party with all your friends — ugh. On top of all that, Ms. Marvel is the first mainstream Muslim superhero comic, scripted by a Muslim writer, and it doesn't shy away from all the complications that come along with that.

Image by Giuseppe Cammuncoli/Marvel.

6. "The Private Eye"

It's cool enough that "The Private Eye" is a pay-what-you-want digital comic about Internet privacy that was specifically designed to be read on a computer or tablet. It's also an incredibly compelling detective story with a bisexual, biracial protagonist, set in a near-future society after The Cloud burst and released everyone's private information out into the world. The international and highly acclaimed creative team have also made the book available completely DRM-free, with translations in English, Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese. You have pretty much no reason not to read it all right now, and the only reason you'll want to stop reading is just so you can change your passwords.

Image by Marcos Martin/Panel Syndicate.

7. "Bitch Planet"

"Bitch Planet" is a science-fictional feminist riff on '70s exploitation movies, set in a dystopian future where "non-compliant" women are sent to an off-planet prison where they learn to be subservient — so, maybe not so different from the real world. The allegory is obvious, but the action and the characters are anything but. Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick never shies away from going there, wherever "there" might be. Think "Orange is the New Black" but in space. Or maybe Margaret Atwood meets "Inglorious Basterds." Either way, it's awesome. 

Image by Valentine DeLandro/Image Comics.

8. "Black Panther"

We've written before about why we're excited to see MacArthur-Award-winning author Ta-Nehisi Coates take over the new "Black Panther" comic book, but it still bears repeating. The leader of a highly-advanced African nation, T'Challa is a super-powered super-genius who has served as a member of The Avengers as well as the Fantastic Four. And, oh yeah, he has that movie coming out soon, after his upcoming debut in "Captain America: Civil War." Let's just say that it's about time he had his chance to shine. While Coates' comic doesn't debut until April, you can currently catch Black Panther in the Marvel comic "Ultimates." (Not to be confused with the aforementioned Ultimate universe continuity of ... oh, forget it. It's comics.)

Image by Brian Stelfreeze/Marvel.

9. "Virgil"

Like "Bitch Planet" above, "Virgil" is a twist on '70s exploitation films, only this time, it's a black, queer revenge story. Virgil is a Jamaican policeman who is forced to hide his sexuality from his fellow officers, especially when they use their authority to bully the brothels. But when his secret is exposed and his partner is kidnapped — well, to say the least, there aren't any funky "Shaft" guitar licks during Virgil's brutal, bloody odyssey to save the man he loves. Added bonus: "Virgil" is a complete graphic novel (as opposed to a collected series of comic book issues), which means you get the whole story in one book. But speaking from personal experience, I should warn you not to crack it open right before bedtime or you won't go to sleep.

Image by JD Faith/Image Comics.

10. "Batgirl"

Barbara Gordon is more than just a Batman knockoff in a purple suit. The current "Batgirl" comic makes her into her own force to be reckoned with, an incomparable computer hacker and crimefighter who's still dealing with the ramifications from a traumatic crippling at the hands of The Joker.

Also? Her roommate and friend Alysia Yeoh is the first transgender character in a mainstream superhero comic (which made her recent wedding the first transgender wedding in a mainstream superhero comic, too).

Image by Daniel Sampere and Vicente Cifuentes/DC Comics.

11. "Trees"

10 years ago, 10 strange alien monoliths — the titular "trees" — landed on Earth. And ever since, they've ... just kinda been there, as if these extraterrestrials had come to Earth in search of intelligent life but just gave up. "Trees" explores the personal lives of its international ensemble cast and the ways they've been affected — or not — by the presence of the Trees. From Slavic scientists to Brazilian drug-runners to Manhattan businessmen to queer artists in China's quarantined "cultural zone," it's a socio-political tapestry about the aftermath of the most disappointing alien invasion ever.

Image by Jason Howard/Image Comics.

These stories and characters might be fiction, but that doesn't mean they can't reflect the world we live in.

People are resistant to change, and we can't change that about them. But stories can help us empathize with other people and understand the way we live.

So while it is important to applaud the diverse casts in these and other books, what makes these comics great is the same thing that makes any comic great: a cast that we connect with, regardless of their gender, race, age, or sexuality. Even if you're a white dude like me, there's still a lot that you can learn from a super-powered Pakistani-American girl. (Which is only fair, since we've expected everyone to empathize with us for so long.)

From Your Site Articles
Science

A juice company dumped orange peels in a national park. Here's what it looks like now.

12,000 tons of food waste and 21 years later, this forest looks totally different.


In 1997, ecologists Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs approached an orange juice company in Costa Rica with an off-the-wall idea.

In exchange for donating a portion of unspoiled, forested land to the Área de Conservación Guanacaste — a nature preserve in the country's northwest — the park would allow the company to dump its discarded orange peels and pulp, free of charge, in a heavily grazed, largely deforested area nearby.

One year later, one thousand trucks poured into the national park, offloading over 12,000 metric tons of sticky, mealy, orange compost onto the worn-out plot.


The site was left untouched and largely unexamined for over a decade. A sign was placed to ensure future researchers could locate and study it.

16 years later, Janzen dispatched graduate student Timothy Treuer to look for the site where the food waste was dumped.

Treuer initially set out to locate the large placard that marked the plot — and failed.

The first deposit of orange peels in 1996.

Photo by Dan Janzen.

"It's a huge sign, bright yellow lettering. We should have been able to see it," Treuer says. After wandering around for half an hour with no luck, he consulted Janzen, who gave him more detailed instructions on how to find the plot.

When he returned a week later and confirmed he was in the right place, Treuer was floored. Compared to the adjacent barren former pastureland, the site of the food waste deposit was "like night and day."

The site of the orange peel deposit (L) and adjacent pastureland (R).

Photo by Leland Werden.

"It was just hard to believe that the only difference between the two areas was a bunch of orange peels. They look like completely different ecosystems," he explains.

The area was so thick with vegetation he still could not find the sign.

Treuer and a team of researchers from Princeton University studied the site over the course of the following three years.

The results, published in the journal "Restoration Ecology," highlight just how completely the discarded fruit parts assisted the area's turnaround.

The ecologists measured various qualities of the site against an area of former pastureland immediately across the access road used to dump the orange peels two decades prior. Compared to the adjacent plot, which was dominated by a single species of tree, the site of the orange peel deposit featured two dozen species of vegetation, most thriving.

Lab technician Erik Schilling explores the newly overgrown orange peel plot.

Photo by Tim Treuer.

In addition to greater biodiversity, richer soil, and a better-developed canopy, researchers discovered a tayra (a dog-sized weasel) and a giant fig tree three feet in diameter, on the plot.

"You could have had 20 people climbing in that tree at once and it would have supported the weight no problem," says Jon Choi, co-author of the paper, who conducted much of the soil analysis. "That thing was massive."

Recent evidence suggests that secondary tropical forests — those that grow after the original inhabitants are torn down — are essential to helping slow climate change.

In a 2016 study published in Nature, researchers found that such forests absorb and store atmospheric carbon at roughly 11 times the rate of old-growth forests.

Treuer believes better management of discarded produce — like orange peels — could be key to helping these forests regrow.

In many parts of the world, rates of deforestation are increasing dramatically, sapping local soil of much-needed nutrients and, with them, the ability of ecosystems to restore themselves.

Meanwhile, much of the world is awash in nutrient-rich food waste. In the United States, up to half of all produce in the United States is discarded. Most currently ends up in landfills.

The site after a deposit of orange peels in 1998.

Photo by Dan Janzen.

"We don't want companies to go out there will-nilly just dumping their waste all over the place, but if it's scientifically driven and restorationists are involved in addition to companies, this is something I think has really high potential," Treuer says.

The next step, he believes, is to examine whether other ecosystems — dry forests, cloud forests, tropical savannas — react the same way to similar deposits.

Two years after his initial survey, Treuer returned to once again try to locate the sign marking the site.

Since his first scouting mission in 2013, Treuer had visited the plot more than 15 times. Choi had visited more than 50. Neither had spotted the original sign.

In 2015, when Treuer, with the help of the paper's senior author, David Wilcove, and Princeton Professor Rob Pringle, finally found it under a thicket of vines, the scope of the area's transformation became truly clear.

The sign after clearing away the vines.

Photo by Tim Treuer.

"It's a big honking sign," Choi emphasizes.

19 years of waiting with crossed fingers had buried it, thanks to two scientists, a flash of inspiration, and the rind of an unassuming fruit.


This article originally appeared on 08.23.17

From Your Site Articles
Family

Quick-thinking mom finds her lost toddler in a Kmart thanks to TikTok hack

Every parent should learn this.

via Jess Martini / Tik Tok

There are few things as frightening to a parent than losing your child in a crowded place like a shopping mall, zoo, or stadium. The moment you realize your child is missing, it's impossible not to consider the terrifying idea they may have been kidnapped.

A woman in New Zealand recently lost her son in a Kmart but was able to locate him because of a potentially life-saving parenting hack she saw on TikTok a few months ago.

The woman was shopping at the retailer when she realized her two-year-old son Nathan was missing. She immediately told a friend to alert the staff to ensure he didn't leave through the store's front exit.


"Another friend searched the area he was last seen," the mom wrote in a Facebook post.

The mother began looking for him by rummaging through clothes racks and running through the aisles.

It was the "scariest 10 minutes of my life" she later wrote.

assets.rebelmouse.io


But then she remembered a parenting hack she saw on TikTok by blogger Jess Martini. "If your child goes missing, screw the stares and start calling out their description," the mother recalled.

"I'm missing a little boy, he's wearing a yellow shirt and has brown hair. He's two years old and his name is Nathan!" she called out to the rest of the store while reminding herself not to "break down" in tears.

"You need people to understand you loud and clear," she said.

The mother's calls immediately deputized everyone who heard them to begin looking for the child. It was like multiplying the search by a factor of 10. "I turned an aisle and heard 'He's here!'" she wrote. "I turned back the way I came and there he was. A man had walked past him after hearing me calling out."

She immediately thanked the man, realizing that if she hadn't called out he may have never known the child was missing. "Nate would have walked past him and he wouldn't have blinked," she said.

In November, parenting blogger Jess Martini posted a video sharing the best way for parents to locate a missing child. It's great advice because the knee-jerk response is usually to just call out their name or silently run around looking.

@jesmartini PSA that I feel can save kids and I’ve used- if your child goes missing in public #momsoftiktok #PSA #nojudgement #fyp #4up #besafe #parentsoftiktok ♬ original sound - Jess martini

"To all parents out there, if your child goes missing, do not search in silence or just call out their name,' Martini says in the video. "Shout out loud and clear. Say they're missing, give a description and repeat, repeat, repeat!"

"Everyone will be on alert, and if someone is trying to take off with your kid, it will decrease the chances of them getting away," she added.


The advice is a great reminder to make a mental note of what your child is wearing when you go out, so if they go missing, you can easily provide a description. It also proof that when a parent needs help, most people are more than willing to lend a hand.


This article originally appeared on 01.27.21

From Your Site Articles
life hacks
Pop Culture

Parents who grew up in the '70s and '80s remember the experiences that blow their kids' minds

Kids were tougher then for a reason.

via Wikimedia Commons

Island School Class, circa 1970s.

Parents, do you think your child would be able to survive if they were transported back to the '70s or '80s? Could they live at a time before the digital revolution put a huge chunk of our lives online?

These days, everyone has a phone in their pocket, but before then, if you were in public and needed to call someone, you used a pay phone. Can you remember the last time you stuck 50 cents into one and grabbed the grubby handset?

According to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, roughly 100,000 pay phones remain in the U.S., down from 2 million in 1999.

Do you think a 10-year-old kid would have any idea how to use a payphone in 2022? Would they be able to use a Thomas Guide map to find out how to get somewhere? If they stepped into a time warp and wound up in 1975, could they throw a Led Zeppelin album on the record player at a party?

Another big difference between now and life in the '70s and '80s has been public attitudes toward smoking cigarettes. In 1965, 42.4% of Americans smoked and now, it’s just 12.5%. This sea change in public opinion about smoking means there are fewer places where smoking is deemed acceptable.

But in the early '80s, you could smoke on a bus, on a plane, in a movie theater, in restaurants, in the classroom and even in hospitals. How would a child of today react if their third grade teacher lit up a heater in the middle of math class?

Dan Wuori, senior director of early learning at the Hunt Institute, tweeted that his high school had a smoking area “for the kids.” He then asked his followers to share “something you experienced as a kid that would blow your children’s minds.”


A lot of folks responded with stories of how ubiquitous smoking was when they were in school. While others explained that life was perilous for a kid, whether it was the school playground equipment or questionable car seats.

Here are a few responses that’ll show today’s kids just how crazy life used to be in the '70s and '80s.

First of all, let’s talk about smoking.

Want to call someone? Need to get picked up from baseball practice? You can’t text mom or dad, you’ll have to grab a quarter and use a pay phone.

People had little regard for their kids’ safety or health.

You could buy a soda in school.

Things were a lot different before the internet.

Remember pen pals?

A lot of people bemoan the fact that the children of today aren’t as tough as they were a few decades back. But that’s probably because the parents of today are better attuned to their kids’ needs so they don't have to cheat death to make it through the day.

But just imagine how easy parenting would be if all you had to do was throw your kids a bag of Doritos and a Coke for lunch and you never worried about strapping them into a car seat?


This article originally appeared on 06.08.22

From Your Site Articles
parenting
Joy

Lyft driver's hilarious menu of 10 different types of ride options is pure genius

All Uber and Lyft drivers should have a ride options menu.

Eric Alper/Facebook

Cameron the creative Lyft driver offers a variety of ride options to his passengers.

Have you ever ridden in an Uber or a Lyft and had the driver talk a lot when you felt like being quiet? Or not say a word when you tried to make conversation? Or play music you found annoying?

When you hop into a driver's car, it's a crapshoot what kind of ride you're going to have. But at least one Lyft driver is removing the mystery a bit by letting passengers choose.

Facebook user Eric Alper shared a post that showed a photo of a piece of paper stuck on the back of a car's headrest that read:

"Welcome to Cameron's car!!!"


"To ensure the best ride possible for you, I have prepared a menu of the various types of rides I offer. Just choose one (or don't, that's an option too) then sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. :)"

Then it listed the 10 ride options Cameron offers:

1. The Awkward Ride - You ignore this menu completely, then we will sit in silence for the remainder of the ride.

2. The Funny Ride - I tell you jokes or entertaining stories from my life.

3. The Silent Ride -

4. The Creepy Ride - I don't say anything but I keep staring at you in the rearview mirror.

5. The Karaoke Ride - We rock out to hits from the 80s, early 2000s or literally whatever you want.

6. The Bubbles Ride - We blow bubbles the whole time.

7. The Small Talk Ride - We talk about how crazy the weather's been lately and I ask if you caught the game last night.

8. The Therapy Ride - You vent to me about your problems and I listen.

9. The Drunk Ride - You throw up in my car.

10. The Cliche Ride - You ask me how long I've been driving for Lyft."

OK, the Bubbles Ride sounds fun, but also maybe a little dangerous. And the Drunk Ride is the main reason I've never wanted to be a Lyft or Uber driver. I may have unintentionally taken a both a Therapy Ride and a Creepy Ride before.

But seriously, the concept is fabulous. People often want something different in a ride depending on their mood, so the idea of having options to choose from is brilliant. The list also directly addresses the awkwardness that is often present when you're getting a ride from someone, so it makes a natural icebreaker and conversation starter—particularly helpful for folks who struggle with social anxiety.

People in the comments loved it.

"I'm sure this wasn't the intention but this is a great example of disability accommodations that everyone can enjoy," wrote one person. "Being able to choose how much energy I expend is so helpful."

"There should be a feature on both Uber and Lyft indicating what type of ride a rider wants or expects," wrote another. "I usually don't talk, but sometimes the driver keeps persisting and I feel awkward at times."

"It clears the air, takes the awkwardness out of it, and establishes expectations for the ride, on both sides," wrote another. "Great idea."


There are some more options I'd love to see added, though:

The Pep Talk Ride - You need encouragement? I'll give you everything I've got to pump you up.

The Tour Guide Ride - I share interesting details about places we pass and offer advice on cool things to do around the area.

The Life Story Ride - We estimate how long your ride will be, set a timer, and each of us shares our life story for half the ride. (No questions, unless the ride goes longer.)

The Deep Questions Ride - We skip the small talk and get right to the big stuff—meaning of life, existence of God, our place in the universe, etc.

The High School Debate Ride - We pick a controversy, flip a coin to decide who will take which side, and debate regardless of our own personal views.

The Pretend Persona Ride - We each make up totally fake names and personas and converse as them so we can chat without actually getting personal at all.

So many possibilities. What kind of ride would you want to take?


This article originally appeared on 04.21.22

From Your Site Articles
Education

It's not COVID, it’s culture: Teacher who has worked overseas shares the problem with U.S. kids

"The problem is cultural."

via LisaConselatore/TikTok and Hunter Johnson/Unsplash

Teacher Lisa Conselatore isn't holding back.

A recent study by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 87% of public schools say the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted students' socio-emotional development. Respondents have also said there has been a significant increase in student misconduct.

However, a teacher with 24 years of experience in the U.S. and abroad believes we are misplacing blame for this rise in misconduct. In a viral TikTok video with over 480,000 views, Lisa Conselatore claims that the big problem isn’t the pandemic but modern parenting.

“The problem is cultural," Conselatore says. "We have raised children to think that they are absolutely the most important person in any room. They are so special that whatever they want to do, or whatever they think, or whatever they say is the most important thing in that moment.”

@lisaconselatore

#tiredteacher #enough #raisingkids #timetolisten #supportteachers #culturetalk #culturecheck #teachersoftiktok #teachersontiktok #teaching2023belike

“I know your children are special to you. I know that my children are special to me,” she continues. “But none of them are the most special person ever in the room at any time. They're not. Nobody is because we live in a society and we all have to get along and we all have to respect one another and part of respecting one another is recognizing when you have a contribution to make and when you need to sit there and open your ears. … We don't have that down. We've missed it.”

In the video, Conselatore lays some pretty big blame on America’s parents, but she also offers some simple solutions to improve the situation.

“Teach them when to listen, taking a turn to speak. Speak when it's appropriate. When you have something to say and. It's your turn,” she says. “Let's reevaluate our family cultures, our community cultures, and our larger society cultures. Because of this is not working, not working.”


This article originally appeared on 11.7.23

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