Gender Issues – Lumberjanes
Article by Mara Wood
Remember those long summer days? Spending time outside with your gang, causing trouble, and avoiding the mettlesome adults? Remember how anything is possible?
That’s what Lumberjanes from BOOM! Studios’ imprint, Boom! Box, is all about. Lumberjanes follows the misadventures that befall a group of five girls as they attend the Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for HARDCORE LADY TYPES. From the first episode, readers immediately know what they are in for. The girls – Ripley, Molly, Jo, Mal, and April – are caught in a scuffle with a pack of three-eyed foxes. Through sheer force of will and some ingenuity, the Lumberjanes outwit the foxes. From there, the best friends embark on a journey of fantasy, mystery, and danger.
Lumberjanes is a great story, but that’s not what matters most here. No, what matters most in this series is the delivery. Few stories manage to capture the diversity of female friendship. On the whole, female friendships are shown as flighty, shallow, and prone to backstabbing. Not so with the Lumberjanes. These girls, each with their own distinct personalities and strengths, have bonded together to form a friendship that we all dream of having. The series is nothing without the unconditional friendship these young girls have for each other. There are other things about this series that hit the mark, such as the well-time quips, the use of female role models, and the hilarious catch phrases (WHAT THE JUNK!?).
As far as comics go, Lumberjanes is a gem. Few series are appropriate for all ages, and Lumberjanes has some lessons to teach readers to boot. Like always sticking up for your friends, apologizing when you’ve wronged someone, and respect the great outdoors. Noelle Stevenson (of Nimona fame), Grace Ellis, Brooke Allen, and their talented female creator friends have created something special with Lumberjanes. This is the perfect series to hand to your favorite niece or nephew. Do yourself a favor and take friendship to the max with Lumberjanes.
