Jim C. Hines Strikes a Pose for Charity and Ropes Me In
Posted on December 3, 2012 Posted by John Scalzi 30 Comments
Some of you may remember a few months ago, when author Jim C. Hines took the Internet by storm by using his own body to point out the absurdity of women’s poses on fantasy book covers. Stunned by the popularity of his post, Jim is now using his posing abilities for good, with a charity drive to raise money for the Aicardi Syndrome Foundation, which works to research this debilitating disease, which nearly always affects young women.
Basically, what he’s doing is asking people to donate money to the Aicardi Syndrome Foundation, and when he hits specific donation markers, he’ll do a new pose. And here’s the kicker for Whatever readers: At both the $1,000 and $2,500 markers, Jim will do a pose-off with me. That’s right, if you’ve ever had a dream of seeing me attempt the contortions of women on fantasy covers, this is your (almost certainly only) chance.
Here are all the details. I’m not going to lie to you, folks: If we don’t hit at least that $1,000 marker by the end of the day, I’m going to be severely disappointed. I’m already doing stretches.
Update: 2:09pm: $1,000 goal reached! Who dares to go for $2,500?
I am tempted to try and find your books and do the poses on he covers. I’m even wearing a Red Shirt today, making that one a total shoe-in. :-)
Donated $25 bucks. If it comes to a pose off, maybe Baen books could provide most of the inspiration.
How much to make sure that neither of you guys pose? Ever?
I think it would be money well spent, personally.
You will put that buttercream down John. Put it down, and just walk away.
Shredding your own clothes off with swords, while hovering in mid-air… doing a… vertical Missionary? An interesting approach to combat.
Not sure my eyes are ready for a pose-off. (I can sense the impending blindness
One of your earlier tweets is making more sense, I hope.
I want to see a gallery of women striking poses to match those of men on the covers of urban fantasy novels.
Oh, this isn’t one of those “waaaaa, men are depicted just as badly as women” posts. No, here’s the thing: I expect the results to be *awesome*, and I want publishers to notice. I want some evidence we can hold up and say “See? See? You could sell this!”
I may be Just Another Idiot On John Scalzi’s Blog but I’m paying it forward.
Just back from sending $30 their way.
To be fair, in the picture, the woman appears to be floating/flying. Note: That only eliminates the complaint of leg cramps, the rest is still purely ridiculous.
I do believe this might be relevant to the discussion in general: The Hawkeye Initiative, about putting Hawkeye in female comics poses. http://www.themarysue.com/introducing-the-hawkeye-initiative/
I’ve done my part. I’d vote for a recreation of the latest Bujold novel, which is thankfully on the back of my book rather than the front.
Metachaos beat me to it but yeah, for pointing out just how rediculous the poses that women are subjected to in comics, Hawkeye Initiative is it.
@cythraulybryd: You might enjoy this (I believe the link is correct. I can’t confirm it, as I’m at work, but I checked it this morning from home) http://genrereviews.livejournal.com/371367.html. The conclusion was that a woman doing a male pose could be both badass and sexy and a woman doing the female pose would first need extensive spinal surgery.
To readers of this blog, this probably qualifies as the least surprising thing ever.
Did my part to make this happen. I’m not sure why because it’s going to be so bad that it circles back onto itself as interesting.
@vorlord Which book is that? ‘Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance’ has a very generic standard-SF city with standard-SF aircar on its cover.
@vorlord: Never mind, I found the back cover. Forget the pose, I want to know how she’s not sliding off the couch. Maybe it’s a very hot day and she’s stuck to the leather?
Thank you. This means a lot to us and the other Aicardi families.
Certainly there are absurd book covers. On the other hand, this particular Ringo cover actually fairly accurately depicts a no kidding scene in the book. A really important scene that occurs at a Con.
Nice Charity.
You’re never going to get on the cover of a Marvel comic if you don’t improve your brokeback pose.
Oh, man! Scalzi embarrassment porn? AND I get to donate to a good cause! Count me in!
One of the photographers at a Kyle Freaking Cassidy workshop was talking with me about doing a photo series of me attempting to do poses from comic covers.
However, Scalzi sweatpants posing is 1000% more hilarious.
I can’t see Ringo’s name without thinking OH JOHN RINGO NO.
@cythraulybryd: Amazing idea! The same feeling’s been floating in my head unarticulated for a little under a decade now!
As a writer who prefers to write non-sexualized female protagonists, I always worried a company would get a hold of my manuscript and need to “sexy up” the leading lady. A bit nerve-wracking considering pretty much every female protagonist I’ve written prefers full body covering too.
I’d certainly still buy books if the inaccurate anatomy were dropped. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of a single book I’ve bought in the last three years that has featured inaccurate anatomy cover art.
PUBLISHERS: You can do this! And you should!
There’s Wrong, Wronger, Wronger-er, and then there’s this stuff…
Congratulations, even if you and Jim H. didn’t raise a dime(I know you will do MUCH better) you have raised awareness. I had never heard of Aicardi Syndrome until now. Thank you for that.
I find your willingness to sacrifice your dignity for the sake of a good cause oddly… well, dignified. Well played, sir.
Also, I wonder if this is in any way connected with your recent resolution to “deflabinate”. Just how much Scazli should we expect to see? I’m, uh, asking for a friend.
Public Service Announcement: Jim Hines’ most recent book, Libiromancer, is flipping awesome. Do yourself a favor, and pick it up.
His miming of romance novel fan service reminds me why I stopped reading bodice rippers.
That said, I want to see him strike this cover:
http://www.amazon.com/Ascendant-Sun-Skolian-Empire-ebook/dp/B003G83U0K/ref=tmm_kin_title_0
So I’m donating 10 bucks in the purely selfish pursuit of encouraging Jim C. Hines to flaunt it!
I think John would make an excellent Lady Tarquine to Jim’s dashing Kelric. Just sayin’…