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Today's featured creator, Marc Andreyko, takes on in today's comic a fascinating character in queer literary history: Peter Pan. Since its earliest appearances on stage, the character has been played by a woman, including the very first stage performance in 1904. I'm not 100% certain what to make of a character who refuses to grow up who is always played on stage by a woman (though not in film?) - I can see the choice being a logistical one, in that a woman has the maturity to play the role and the voice to carry off a pre-pubescent boy. But there's also something to be said for a character that has been so significant in English literature, and in English Children's Literature, a specifically-male character, having such strong ties to women. Optimistically, I think it offers a way of parsing, in a century vehemently opposed to any kind of questioning of the gender binary, the breakdown of traditional gender roles. Even the fact of the character being a "role" that a woman inhabits offers a place to start an interesting conversation about gender roles.
All that said, the Peter Pan that we encounter in today's story, a sneak peek at a longer series, does not seem particularly happy with the actress playing him on stage. Indeed, he becomes quite murderous about it, it's hinted in the final few panels, even screaming out his fury over girls playing him on stage. Is this Peter the toxically masculine, come to take what he thinks is revenge for his emasculation? Sadly, I've no idea. I may well see about tracking the series down, especially if Jill Thompson, who illustrates today's short story, continues to be involved.
More to follow.
Caliber is such an interesting publisher. Generally pretty high quality stuff.
