Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · 6d

Come join me and Alaina Ewins chat about all things Archie at the Philly Comics Expo (PCX ) tomorrow [email protected]

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Reposted by Whit Taylor

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 15d

Anti-vax groups are angry at their primary misinformation vector, RFK Jr., for blaming Tylenol for autism instead of vaccines (both claims are incorrect).

Anti-vaccine groups melt down over RFK Jr. linking autism to Tylenol

“THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY TYLENOL” Kennedy’s anti-vaccine group retweeted.

arstechnica.com

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · 28d

What are you talking about?! He was a white supremacist who encouraged violence against minority groups! Why are you characterizing debating people’s right to exist as “practicing politics the right way?” Shame on you.

Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · 29d

Thank you @panelpatter.bsky.social!

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Reposted by Whit Taylor

Panel Patter (is back!) @panelpatter.bsky.social · 29d

Our first @spxco.bsky.social SPX Spotlight is on debut books from familiar faces @colleenfrakes.bsky.social @plasticfarm.bsky.social @whittaylor.bsky.social @redgoldsparks.bsky.social www.panelpatter.com/2025/09/spx-...

SPX Spotlight 2025: Debut Books by Old Friends

Comic Reviews and commentary

www.panelpatter.com

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Reposted by Whit Taylor

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · Aug 30

Bernie Sanders: “Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of health and human services, is endangering the health of the American people now and into the future. He must resign.”

Opinion | Bernie Sanders: Kennedy Must Resign

www.nytimes.com

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Aug 30

Thank you social media for threatening us with a good time today. Can’t come soon enough.

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Reposted by Whit Taylor

Radiator Comics @radiatorcomics.bsky.social · Aug 26

Get excited! In 2.5 weeks, we'll be at @smallpressexpo.bsky.social table i8 with @btrcp.bsky.social @whittaylor.bsky.social @lilliejharris.bsky.social & @neilbrideau.bsky.social! www.radiatorcomics.com/event/#event...

Colorful drawing of several large-eyed faces

self-portrait of cartoonist Neil Brideau

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Aug 24

Thank you!

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Aug 15

😂

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Aug 14

This is what men do after catching a big fish, right?

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Aug 14

Congrats to the nominees!

Small Press Expo @smallpressexpo.bsky.social · Aug 14

NEW IGNATZ AWARD NOMINEES JUST DROPPED!!!

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NOMINATIONS!!!

The Ignatz Awards – Small Press Expo

www.smallpressexpo.com

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Aug 3

After living in CA for a little I was like, oh yeah, that feels familiar…

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Aug 3

Did we just have an earthquake in NJ?

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Aug 1

Thank you!

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Aug 1

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Aug 1

July Garden 🐝

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Reposted by Whit Taylor

Steenz! @oheysteenz.bsky.social · Aug 1

Happy Birthday Jackie! Jackie Ormes is my #1 inspiration. I had her portrait tattooed on my arm BEFORE I even joined the ranks as a syndicated cartoonist! Check out this comic I wrote and drew for @blackjoseipress.bsky.social's Gladiolus Magazine!

Panel 1: Toon Steenz gestures towards a portrait of Jackie of Ormes
Jackie Ormes is known as the first black woman nationally syndicated cartoonist. And she is also known for her fashion sense! And I'm Steenz! I'm here to tell you all about it!

Panel 2: Jackie works at her desk
From Patty Jo and Ginger to Candy, Jackie made fashion an important aspect of all her comics.

Panel 3: Torchy Togs Paper Dolls Example
Her most stylish star was Torchy Brown

Panel 4: Toon Steenz holds up a newspaper
Torchy Brown had an original comic strip run in the Pittsburgh Courier. In her strip, Torchy was determined to leave her small town Dixie for the big city Harlem

Panel 5: a closeup of one of the Torchy Brown comics
Jackie even took Torchy shopping in a dream before he trip to the big city by drawing her in dressing rooms trying on the latest styles.

Panel 6: Toon Steenz pulled back a curtain to reveal a private party attended by Jackie and guests.
Jackie took another step into the world of fashion in the early 1940s when she started writing and reporting for the Chicago Defender. She had a column called "social whirl" where she recounted the lives of fashionable people and promoted community programming like dinner parties and fashion shows.

Panel 1: Candy and Patty Jo are dressed to the nines
In the mid 1940s, Jackie went on to draw comics "Candy" about a curvy and outspoken maid. She also drew the well-known "Patty-Jo and Ginger" which has the same flavor as Torchy Brown in that Patty Jo was usually dressed to the nines

Panel 2: Ginger reclines on a chair while reading
Ginger was created in the age of the pinup. And at the time, drawing cheesecake* was largely for the white audience. So to have Ginger in poses that straddled the line between pinup and chastity was a welcome change in the landscape of cartooning.
*Cheesecake is slang for photographic display of shapely and scantily clad clothed female figures

Panel 3: Toon Steenz asks a Newspaper seller for a copy of the paper.
Torchy made her comeback in 1950 with "Torchy in Heartbeats". Torchy was older and wiser and was in the market for adventure and romance.
"Papers! Getcha papers!" - seller
"One Please!" - Steenz

Panel 4: paper dolls that Jackie Ormes designed
Jackie had really leaned into her love of fashion with this series by promoting it with paper dolls in a series called Torchy Togs. Every week Torchy would speak to the reader about the must haves of the time, like what color and fabrics one should wear to which events.

Panel 5: a family (mom and children) sit in a living room looking at the newspaper
Adults could order the clothing by mail, and children when cut out the paper clothes to dress Torchy up. It wa a great way to get people excited to read the full color romance pulp comic.

Panel 6: Toon Steenz hold a sheet of paper up for readers
Esteemed Readers, Torchy is making another comeback! In this issue of Gladiolus Magazine, you can dress up Torchy Brown in some of the fashions of today!

Jackie Ormes: Fashion Icon by Steenz

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Reposted by Whit Taylor

Gabrielle A. Perry, MPH @geauxgabrielle.bsky.social · Jul 4

What we are living through is the PEAK of "drained pool politics"

Drained pool politics is the termination or defunding of public resources due to the will of one group, whether they also use the resource or not.

Think the end of public pools nationwide b/c white people refused to integrate

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Jul 3

Wearing black tomorrow for America’s funeral.

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Reposted by Whit Taylor

Mike Dawson @mikedawson.bsky.social · Jul 2

Seems obvious, but it’s true, a lot of problems in the comics industry would be fixed by having more comics readers. IMO not enough current adults read comics to sustain the kind of industry we’d like to exist. However I’m more optimistic about the numbers of *future* adults who’ll be comics readers

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Jul 2

Much love to you, Kathryn, and your family as well!

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Jul 2

Yeah, it’s so hard to watch this unfolding and feel like all guardrails have been removed. Trying to stay connected to the ppl in my life that matter and “build community,” but it’s exhausting.

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Jul 2

I struggle with agoraphobia too (even though my kids force me to be out in the world.) You’re not alone! And I hope things get easier for you.

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Whit Taylor @whittaylor.bsky.social · Jul 2

Having young kids now, as we head back into the 1800s is terrifying. Same for aging parents. Hard to feel hopeful these days. 😞

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