Wonder Woman was first brought to life by Dr. William Moulton Marston in 1940, and her creation was inspired by the two women in his life, his wife Elizabeth and their “friend” Olive Byrne, who lived with the couple in a polyamorous relationship!
Hard to believe she was created by a horny academic, right?
Yes, the man whose research led to the creation of the lie detector, lived with two women in a intimate relationship and was very much into bondage and even peppered early Wonder Woman stories with bondage themes, which he believed would lead to world peace! In his own words..
The only hope for peace is to teach people who are full of pep and unbound force to enjoy being bound … Only when the control of self by others is more pleasant than the unbound assertion of self in human relationships can we hope for a stable, peaceful human society. … Giving to others, being controlled by them, submitting to other people cannot possibly be enjoyable without a strong erotic element”.
As for his creation’s effect on boys, he later wrote: “Give them an alluring woman stronger than themselves to submit to, and they’ll be proud to become her willing slaves!” For obvious reasons Marston’s creation was toned down over the years, though she didn’t necessarily have it any easier.
In 1974 the ABC network gave the world a Wonder Woman tv movie featuring a blond heroine with no powers, no familiar costume or even a secret identity or Amazonian history!
Image via Wikipedia
In other words, ABC bitch-slapped their audience in much the same way they would decades later with LOST.
Nonetheless the character was re-tooled and a short pilot was created – “Who’s Afraid of Diana Prince?” a comedy starring a plain, dull, single gal who lives with her mother until she changes into a familiar costume and becomes a beautiful, empowered woman! Fortunately, it died before it could pollute the airwaves. Believe it or not, the Amazon Princess’ next appearance was an animated series starring the Brady Bunch kids!
Yep, Wonder Woman’s rep took a beating before Lynda Carter came along in The New Original Wonder Woman pilot. The title sucked, but they got everything else right this time.
At least enough for the time period.
Now our friends at NBC are going to take a shot at Wonder Woman, (CBS scooped up the series after ABC dragged their feet in the renewal process) and they’ve even cast their heroine. Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights) will star and here’s the official description straight from WW’s DC Comics blog, The Source:
The series pilot is a reinvention of the iconic DC Comics title in which Wonder Woman – a/k/a Diana Prince, is a vigilante crime fighter in Los Angeles but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life. Kelley and Bill D’Elia (“Boston Legal,” “The Practice”) are the executive producers.
Sounds sketchy at best, but honestly, what else could they possibly do to Wonder Woman that hasn’t already been done?
Look, Up In The Sky, It’s….. A Fashion-forward Man Of Steel?
Quality control has always been Superman’s real kryptonite.
A integral component of DC Comics‘ realunch campaign for September appears to be updated looks for their iconic characters. Case in point, a streamlined look for the Last Son of Krypton.
There will be a lot of print and cyber space devoted to the examination of this decision prior to the launch, but personally, only one phrase comes to mind.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
A gripping story and dynamic artwork is all a comic book needs, never mind flashy threads for your hero. A guy in a suit can be just as interesting as someone right off the catwalk.
In the right hands.
The Second Half Of Supes' New Look. What Do YOU Think?
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