Obsessed with this concept, ngl.
We need to change the narrative around periods.
Yes, they can be painful, but they’re not something to ashamed of. Yes, they can ruin our clothes, but they’re not something to hide. Yes, they are frustrating, but they’re something half the population is likely to experience at some point in their lives, and they should be represented as such.
And what better way to do that than releasing a comic book superhero mini-series where the protagonist gets her strongest power from her period? Delightful.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQRiDvcDtjJ/
M.O.M: Mother of Madness is a new series created by Clarke, comic book writer Marguerite Bennett, and a team of women-only designers and producers.
The story follows the funny and flawed Maya, a chemical engineer and single mother who gets her power directly from her period, her changing moods, and all of those other lovely things that come with being a woman.
“Her powers stem directly from her feelings,” says the team. “When she’s scared she’s invisible – when she’s angry she’s as strong as a god – when she’s happy she’s as flexible as a stretch doll, and some other surprises….
“At first, Maya hates her powers, until she realises that they make her not only unique but powerful, and powerful enough to fight the baddies.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CN7WGzIB3we/
Clarke, best known for her role on Game of Thrones, announced the news earlier this year. Sharing a photo to her Instagram, she said that she had been working on the concept for some time, and that she was so excited to finally share it with the world.
Of main character Maya, she said: “She’s funny, she’s fierce and she is just a regular woman trying to figure her shit out. But with the addition of some helpful lady powers… it couldn’t be more feminine, it couldn’t be more fabulous. I wrote this one from the heart and designed it with nothing but love.”
Maya gains her powers from all the things that are traditionally seen as female weaknesses in the comic world – menstruation, fear, and not smiling on demand.
“One of the biggest bugbears that I think a lot of women have is if you’re not smiling and a man asks you to crack a smile,” said Clarke. “But we’re also not allowed to be angry.
“Whilst this is an inherently female comic, part of it is talking about shame, emotions, and all the stuff we hate, so we can try to loosen our grip on them and see them as something that shouldn’t be shamed. They’re something to be celebrated.”
M.O.M: Mother of Madness launches in July, 2021 and is available for pre-order from select comic book stores now.
