July 9, 2009

Marvel: With Great Power Comes Great…Lip Gloss?

Marvel News

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Disney isn’t the only company that thinks all girls want is some sparkly lip gloss. Since Hasbro has the edge at the box office, Marvel recently hawked costumes as summer-wear on its blog’s “Summer Style Guide.” Frankly, no self-respecting geek would think of showing up to (as they suggest) a comic con in one, but that isn’t Marvel’s only problem when it comes to understanding their fanbase:

For the young ladies out there, Marvel has partnered with Lotta Luv to create some awesome lip glosses and lip balms.

So guys get to be superheroes, and girls get to be…”perfectly pouty?” According to Lotta Luv‘s licensing coordinator, yes:

With a branded line of make-up from Marvel, girls will be able to feel as if they are going from ordinary to extraordinary just like the superhero characters in the stories.

I don’t know about you, but a mask and some Lycra makes me feel way more extraordinary than fruity lipgloss. Unfortunately, the Marvel store’s only girl superhero offering is a costume called Spider-Girl Sassy Deluxe. In the Marvel world, deluxe means shiny. I’m not quite sure how a halter-top helps you fight crime.

Granted, there aren’t many major Marvel female superheroines to choose from, but there are female members of both the Fantastic Four and X-Men. Where are those role model costume offerings?

This round might have to go to DC Comics. After all, Wonder Woman, Batwoman, and Batgirl are all running for D.C. mayor.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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