Top 10 Reasons I’m Changing My Name.
1) I have a new Batwoman t-shirt. When my kids saw it, they cheered. They shouted, “It’s Batmom!” They cheered some more. I liked it and doubt I’d get the same reaction if I put on a “VIRGIN” t-shirt.
2) Speaking of VIRGIN, I want my kids to read my blog. Neither is ready skill-wise, but I want to show it to them, the images and the posts in which I write about them.
I’m prepared for the big sex education talk (prepared for the big sex education talk = purchased “It’s Not The Stork”), but I’d rather not have them thinking of me in terms of virginity or lack thereof. It seems hard to avoid with the word right there on the site. Plus, their presence is proof I’m not one.
3) Speaking of VIRGIN, I’ve been reading comic books for nearly a year. I attended Boston Comic Con last month and am attending New York Comic Con in October. (I'd like to attend Coast City Comic Con in November - go help them at Kickstarter!) Virgin no longer applies.
4) Harrison’s Comics recently gave me a frequent buyer card. Virgin no longer applies.
5) Virgin no longer applies. But neither does virtuoso.
This comic book universe is filled with amazing reader-writers who have been reading and writing about comics for years and years and years, and who spend hours upon hours a week immersed in pop-art. I read some of them (including Jennifer Stuller, Tim Hanley, and Gail Simone, who writes for DC); so should you.
These folks are part of an established, die-hard community that quibbles about, quips about, and celebrates comic books at such a high level of discourse, I can’t hope to partake. Time-wise, I can’t catch up and I’ve realized I’m not really writing for their audience.
They’re akin to academics writing for other academics; I’m a happy amateur writing for a general audience. I think the name The Batmom keeps me in the comic book universe but also describes where I’m coming from. I.e., my kitchen. Sometimes, my bedroom. And on rare, desperate occasion, my bathroom.
6) I conceived of this idea not only to find respectable superheroines with whom to wow and woo my daughter, but also as a writing exercise. While I don’t foresee myself catching up on any of my comic book goals in the foreseeable future, I’d like the freedom to veer off into other topics. Especially as I move back into the “getting paid for writing” realm.
Shoving the name “mom” in my title frees me up, somehow. If only in my own mind.
7) Frees me up, but not to write a mommy blog. Some amazing wordy women have survived motherhood by writing about motherhood (including Squirrel Circus, Alice Bradley, Maria Melee, Heather Armstrong). I will survive motherhood by writing.
8) The Batgirl is awesome. The Batwoman is awesome. The Batman is awesome. The Me wants to be awesome, too.
9) Yeah, that’s all I got. I picked Top 10 because it’s A Thing. But I only have 8.
10) Yep. Still 8.
New Twitter feed: @thebatmom. New e-mail: thebatmom1@gmail.com
Also: Please do not fail to notice the Batmom's purse above. I mean - every good crime-fighting ass-kicker needs a purse.
