Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Comics, parody

Geek Girl On The Street Reports: The Internet is Really Really Great (for Comic Book Parodies)

Published Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:00:38 -0500

Last updated Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:14:43 -0500

Kate Kotler writes for Bleeding Cool;

There is an old adage about pop-culture which I find to be particularly true: "If you create it, the porn will come."*

Well, perhaps that isn't exactly an old adage, but it should be – as the tradition of pornography emulating and imitating that which is popular in art and entertainment can be documented all the way back to pre-historic cave paintings (though, according to that venerable research tool, Wikipedia, the modern understanding of pornography as something which is used to "titillate and arouse to sexual climax" did not exist until the Victorian era, when in particular, it was exhibited in the Impressionist work of Manet's painting Olympia…) And, in fact, visual art and filmmaking has progressed technology, so has pornography – so much to the extent that in Japan they are now "beta testing 3D pornographic films."

Which makes the "money shot," a scary thought to me, indeed: "Oh my god, it's headed right for my eye!!!"

Cough, blush, cough… as I was saying: Porn has a long standing tradition of emulating or parodying what is popular in fiction, film and television – so it makes complete and total sense to me that some voyeuristic genius somewhere eventually came up with the concept of "comic book parody porn." Having lived in San Francisco for nearly a decade, I know that there is a fetish for just about every thing under the sun (and beyond),** so it is of no surprise to me that there are people who want to get their rocks off to films such as Batman XXX and Superman XXX. While some people might grumble that porn parodies such as these, well, perverts the image of much beloved characters – isn't it true that porn parodies are really just another form of fan fiction?

Enthusiastic, naked fan fiction – but, fan fiction none the less.

And, let's be completely honest here: What geek hasn't had a sneaky, late night fantasy about his or her favorite geek character?

I know I have*** and I'm pretty sure you have, too.

But, I digress, as the question which inspired this column (posed to me by Bleeding Cool reader, Peter J. Pool,) was "how do geek girls feel about 'comic book parody porn?'"

I have to precede stating my opinion by making it very clear that a.) it is an opinion, b.) I am not speaking for all geek girls or women… that being said:

I am in favor of the creation of pornographic or erotic devices of any variety which please people sexually.

I actually think I cannot be considered a "feminist," as many currently define feminists as "anti-sex, anti-porn, anti-nakedness…" When, I – most absolutely – am very very much pro those things. In fact, if you've read the delightful Encyclopedia Dramatica article which written about me in 2007, you'll see that much of my own "online reputation" stems around the fact that I wrote an erotic story titled "Geek Girls Need Love, Too" (sadly no longer available online, but trust me when I say it was hot and funny… funny and hot… something like that.) And, from a young and tender age I have enjoyed reading the work of erotic authors like Anais Nin, Diane Di Prima and Judy Blume, who artistically depict teh secks in a literary way which is (and always has been) very appealing to me…

Not to mention: I happen to own the entire run of Howard Chaykin's Black Kiss (and, am eager to buy Black Kiss II when it is released,) lots of pinup art (an Alberto Varga hotrod lady from the cover of an early Cars album hangs in my bedroom) and more than one TJ bible with a sexy depiction of a woman on the cover is in my comic collection.

Some may argue that, as a woman, I should feel like pornography demeans or degrades woman – but, except for a very small subset of fetish porn (snuff, rape and abuse related porn, specifically) that's not really true. Most women involved in the sex industry will tell you that it empowers them to participate in the medium, and I happen to agree with this assessment. I have absolutely no problem with a woman using their sexuality to express themselves****, so long as it is consensual – and if that expression happens to end up becoming a film titled "The Fucktastic Four," so be it. I only ask that they do so with sincerity, intelligence and humor – as such is the case with many of the XXX comic porn parodies we've seen thus far from auteurs such as Axel Braun. And, truthfully, isn't part of the appeal of porn that it is cheesy and funny?

Although, many women may not be as interested in comic book porn parody FILMS as their male counterparts are. It has been illustrated pretty conclusively that men and women become aroused in much different ways – where as men are drawn to the visual and women are drawn to words and touch… so, a comic book parody porn film might be more successful in getting a geek guy hot and bothered than in revving up a geek girl. But, in general, I and most geeky women I know (not all, most – many – several – my friends, mostly) have absolutely no problem with comic books being parodied in either film or erotic fan-fiction format.

So much so that more than one of us will cop to having written an erotic story or two starring a cape or three if you ply us with enough adult libations at the bar following a con… Traded amongst a select few on the DL, geeky girl erotica is an art form in of itself, which may someday merit a whole column devoted to it. For now, I'll just say "hummable-hummadah" (or the British equivalent of "phowar!")

*Pun intended. And, yes the title of this column is a nod to Avenue Q.

**Clowns… people like to have teh secks with clowns. Do I need to say anything more?

***See my ongoing banter with Geek To Me's Elliott Serrano about having sex in a TARDIS.

****I also have no problem with men using their sexuality to express themselves. In fact, I really like it when they do…

Kate Kotler is the founding editor of Geek Girl on the Street .com and a freelance writer/editor/marketing hack and full time geek girl who lives in Chicago. She loves Doctor Who, Frank Miller, Wonder Woman, knitting, puppetry and she used to be a professional fire eater. See her full resume on katekotler .com. You can Tweet at her @adorkablegrrl on the Twitters.