July Theme: The She-Ra Expanded Universe
Guest curated by: Jacqueline Ristola
Deadline: June 20th, 2020
A DreamWorks Animation’s reboot of the Filmation classic, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018-2020) just ended its run on Netflix, and it feels like the landscape of animation has changed. With Eisner winner showrunner Noelle Stevenson at the helm, the series has received critical acclaim for its deft hand in drama and queer representation. The series is a generative text for exploring a variety of key topics in animation studies, including industry studies of the streaming animation, queer representation in children’s media, and more. For the month of July, we thus invite contributors to submit critical analysis of this series.
Topics may include but are not limited to:
- Adaptation changes between the source material and this recent iteration;
- Queer Representation, including #Catradora, Non-Binary Double Trouble, Bow’s dads, and more:
- How She-Ra fits into the corporate elements of DreamWorks Animation’s partnership with Netflix;
- Connections between Noelle Stevenson’s comic work to her animation work;
- Merchandise, books, and other forms of licensing;
- Use of backgrounds and character designs;
- The animation of magic;
- The series’ examination of trauma and psychological manipulation.
Posts of between 600 and 900 words, which discuss any aspect of the above topic are welcome. Contributors are encouraged to include clips and at least one image to support their posts. Please also include a short bio and 3 keywords. All permissions are the responsibility of the contributor. Please contact the managing editor Cristina Formenti (cristina.formenti@unimi.it) and the guest curator Jacqueline Ristola (jacqueline.ristola@concordia.ca) with submissions or questions.