What I find so intriguing in the Witchcraft comics is the all powerful woman goddess rebels against some stereotypes and society-derived attributes of women, and some they claim to inhabit. At one point the three who are one appear in a building or home that seems to be their’s. Whether imagined or not, the room they appear in is a kitchen. They are their coven are of medicines and foods and beauty. While there may be an argument for medicine, as long ago herbalists and naturalist feminine doctors were seen as mystical and powerful, and therefore evil and dangerous. The field itself considered risky. While now, medicine interpreted as doctors and scientists is widely dominated and controlled by men, has no negative connotation whatsoever. However, all three of these, medicine, food making, and beauty are not so naturally feminine icons, as much as they are things expected of women. I found it interesting that the goddess embodied and embraced these realistic attributes and no others. I say realistic attributes because the goddess embodies one other attribute- magic. This goes back to the title and consequences of being a witch being thrusted upon all women who dared to educate, speak out, or otherwise defend themselves. It served as an excuse for men to oppress women for nearly anything they chose to do that was deemed unsatisfactory or even merely suspicious, or no reason at all. The goddess seems to embody these 4 things thrust upon women and use them to women’s general advantage- and at the same time to repel other expectations of them. For example, they assume that women in general listen and obey naturally more than men. Throughout Ursula’s time as a man, they repeat this- and once he dies they say they never expected a man to be able to do what they said and still they say he was a true member and forgave him. They seem to excuse every instance of Ursula’s faults by claiming them ideals of the time- even when she is not a man- and yet the fault of Couth is that he is always the same person no matter what time he is in, that he is at fault entirely for his barbarous sexism and Ursula is at no fault of her own. Something else that I found to be strange is that in every sex scene the artists render to women fully and the men stay in shadow or blurred- and in the scene with only men- it is entirely blurred- or rendered as little is possible. Somehow it seems the artist felt it was too graphic to depict and yet for women it is normal enough to draw.
Though I may have suspicions, in all it was an extremely interesting piece about held out and not forgotten revenge on the crimes against women. I really enjoyed it and would read it again.
-Bridgette Olavage
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