UPDATE 2/6/15:  The poll for voting for favorite story is now up and available for registered users.  Click HERE to vote.

This week, we had the deadline to the 2015 Winter Writing Workshop, and are pleased to present the four entries to everyone.  The theme of the contest was trying to write a story based off the artwork submissions from the previous Graphical Workshop, "I Wish I Was Kryptonian" which basically was imbuing a non-powered female character from animation or comics with the powers of Supergirl or Superman.

We had some very nice entries this time around which should make excellent additions to our library.  Please help me congratulate all the participants on their entries:

	Lara Croft And The Torch of Rao	Geekseven
	Tink, Tink, Boom! -- Part 1	Larafan
	One Cold Night in Gotham...	Castor
	Ultra-Punzel	Argonaut

We'll be posting a poll in the next few days for everyone to vote on their favorites, but in the meantime, please check them all out and leave comments at the end of the story if you liked them!

Well, it's now official -- we have our Girl of Steel! If you had seen it on our forums from earlier, it should come as no surprise that Melissa Benoist (Glee, Whiplash) has been cast as Kara in the upcoming Supergirl TV series on CBS.  Still, the final word from the studios makes it ever so sweeter and moves it from speculated rumor (though their wasn't any doubt in my mind :P) to confirmed news!

While not what a lot of us would initially imagine physically as our ideal Girl of Steel (mainly due to the hair color), she seems to have that perfect blend of "beautiful face" combined with that "wholesome, every woman look" that CBS CEO Nina Tassler seemed to be looking for.  And, if you watch clips of her performing on Glee and on the talk shows, she has this incredible likability factor that fits perfectly with the Supergirl that seem to be casting for.  As an "added bonus", she seems to have some decent acting chops as well! :)

David Rappaport and his casting crew really deserve kudos for this one, IMO.  And if their past successes -- especially with Glee alumni in superhero roles -- are any indication, they've hit another homerun with Melissa Benoist!  Now, hopefully they won't screw up the costume with something like Melissa's first foray into the superheroine genre):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZj7CT-WlFo

For those that might have not seen the postings on our forum, there is an exciting new force in our "girl power" community, Maiden Comics Studios.  Maiden Comics Studios (MCS) has recently launched a new streaming channel called the Maiden Network which is also available as a channel on Roku.  The Maiden Network focuses on female-led production content and their studio tagline is "Be Sexy.  Be Strong." which is something that our audience can definitely understand (though I guess ours would be "Be Sexy, Be SUPERstrong" ;) ).  We reached out to Patrick Desmarattes, the architect behind Maiden Comics Studios, and he was gracious enough to answer some questions about the Maiden Network.

SWM:  Firstly, congratulations on the successful launch of the Maiden Network!  Over at SWM, we've been waiting for a "girl power" channel like this to come along.  Can you tell us how long you've been planning this and how you got the idea?

MCS:  We've had the idea for the network for a little over a year now. Shortly after Inara, the Jungle Girl was completed we always dreamed about debuting it on a network that focused on female characters. With companies like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon leading the charge with familiarizing the masses with a streaming network it became feasible and seemed to be the right time.

SWM:  You seem to wear many hats at Maiden -- writer, director, producer, etc.  Can you give us a little background on your previous work and film experiences?

MCS:  I've been filming for over 12 years but would honestly only say that I've completed two full length feature films. Its a work in progress and you get better each time around. But I have had the luxury of shooting on just about every camera and every type of lens in any type of setting that featured amazing female talents.

SWM:  Maiden's tagline is "Be Strong. Be Sexy" which seems to be a mantra our audience understands!  Is it a significant challenge to find programming content that matches your catch phrase? 

MCS:  I don't think so. If someone truly understands the meaning of the tagline. I'll post an excerpt from my personal facebook page that helps to clarify it:

With that said, being sexy isn't inversely correlated with your strength. The above post was in response to a critic that said that our female roles were "overly sexual" and didn't portray "strong women". As if to say being comfortable with your sexuality makes you weak. When you spell it out like that it's clear to see how little sense a critique like that could make.

SWM:  So are your current plans to both produce your own original shows as well as syndicate or license third-party content to the viewers?  If so, what kind of things is Maiden looking for (e.g. films, web series, scripts, actresses)?

MCS:  Yes that is correct. We are looking for all things female led. Films, TV Series, Books, Comics. With it being a network there will be a variety of content genre and style. The idea is not to be close minded or cater to only a niche audience. We are primarily focusing on action adventure but there will be all kinds of content on the network.

SWM: Getting back to your productions, The Athena movie was very well produced. How long does it take to make such a quality movie and are you planning any followups to Athena soon?

MCS:  Athena from start to finish took nearly two years but only because of some technical hurdles which involved getting up to speed on certain equipment and software that allowed us to achieve what we did. If our studio were to produce that same movie we could get it done in months today. As far as Athena goes we do in fact have plans for a sequel.

SWM: I see that Victoria Vesce, who plays Athena, is a former Miss Charlotte and an NBA Dancer.  Is she planning on returning to future productions?

MCS:  Actually she is a current NBA Dancer (when did we stop calling them cheerleaders? Cheerleaders sounds so much hotter...) and the reigning Miss Charlotte USA 2015 as she still wears the crown today. She wears a lot of hats. She is a true Maiden which is why she is our Maiden of the Year. But to answer your question she is an amazing person and actress and we will definitely be working with her again.

SWM: And the girl that plays Artemis in the movie near the end of the film.  Is she the actress that will assume the mantle of Artemis in your upcoming series?  Can you talk more about that production?

MCS:  (laughs) You're casting all my films and shows out to 2016... :) we don't assume anyone is playing any role. We have an extensive casting process that we go through to choose who will be the right person for each role. As far as the Artemis project I wish I could say more but I can say that the series itself will closely follow the amazing comic book that is currently available on the Maiden Network.

SWM:  what about other plans or original shows in production?  You care to give us a brief idea of original projects in production?

MCS:  I wish I could but then I'd have to take you out... and not like take you out to dinner like Kim Jung Un in the interview. I mean like REALLY take you out...

SWM: Fair enough!  Moving along then, in addition to the live-action content, you also have content areas for comic books, including a lot of old Golden Age books.  How many new creators of comics do you have lined up and are you looking for "girl power" comics to syndicate on your network?

MCS:  Over the course of time we plan to feature tons of original comics produced by our studio and produced by other studios across the world.

SWM: OK, so doing a quick rundown of your lineup, I see content featuring vigilantes, mythological goddesses, jungle girls, vampires, and spies.  Hmm, there seems to be a void in the superheroine category!  Any chances we might see women flying around and saving the day on the Maiden Network soon?

MCS:  Abso-freaking-lutely!!

This is something that I think our community has been looking for and, in my opinion, we should try and support their channel as much as possible to help it succeed and flourish which hopefully would mean more original content and programming for all of us.  Finally, please note that we have established a dedicated forum for the Maiden Network where you can post comments and ask questions. 

From our good friends over at Wicked City Girls comes an EXCLUSIVE sneak peek of their newest release, Silencer, set to be released on their site soon.  This extended five minute clip is set to be on their YouTube channel shortly, but you can be the one of the first to see WCG's latest uber bad girl, Charlie, in action by button below (NOTE: Zip format; 250 MB):

{phocadownload view=file|id=21|target=s}

 SYNOPSIS:  "Charlie is the world's most lethal assassin; offering her one-of-a-kind services to the highest bidder. When she receives superhuman abilities, Charlie's employers quickly realize that she can no longer be contained.

According to Deadline, it appears that the Girl of Steel has received a series committment from CBS.  The show has been developed by Greg Berlanti ("Arrow", "The Flash") and Ali Adler ("No Ordinary Family") and will usher CBS into the comic and superhero genre which they have been reluctant to venture into since Wonder Woman (aside from a failed Ultra pilot a while ago).  

It's still early so there is no info on casting or even what direction the are going to take with the character, but hopefully it'll be a successful property for many years to come.  What do y'all think?

After several teases on their Judgment Girl YouTube channel, it appears as the team at Wicked City Girls are nearing the completion of their post-production and ready to unleash their own brand of uberness to the masses.  As their production team name suggests, I wouldn't expect their girls to be rescuing too many cats out of trees, but I might be wrong.  But I doubt it.....

Anyways, WCG was kind enough to provide SuperWomenMania with some exclusive peeks as to what is coming in the VERY near future.  I don't know when the exact release date is set for (oh, I asked), but I would highly anticipate it being sometime in September.  And even better, we can expect not one, but THREE initial releases from them which will not only star Jess but also a few other superpowered beauties.  So, here is a brief synopsis on two of their planned releases  along with a few sneak peeks (click images for larger view):

Simulacrum
Charlotte, a down-on-her-luck college freshman, sees her world turned upside down when she begins developing superhuman abilities. Charlotte's new-found powers are then put to the test when her evil doppelganger Charlie shows up. 

Unbound: Nemesis
On the day before her 18th birthday, Callie is told by a mysterious warrior that she has been chosen to fight an ancient war between good and evil.  Of course, Callie has other plans in mind...

I sincerely hope you all support them and buy their videos when they launch, as this high-quality type of uberness doesn't grow on trees in our little corner of the internet.  And remember to stay tuned here for the latest updates from Wicked City Girls as well as all your other favorite "girl power" producers.

UPDATE 9/4/14

Trailer for Nemesis now released:

;

 It's been a while since I posted about anything in the genre video space, but this time I have a real doozy!  Seems like the earlier semi-cryptic post hinting of AZ Powergirl teaming up with Project: SuperWomen were true!  Today they posted a new video titled "Ultima - Power of Evil", and it stars none other than the voluptuous and ubercool AZ Powergirl (Cara Nicole)!  In this latest video, AZPG portrays Dr. Cara Nicholson, a criminal scientific genius who has been sprung from jail for the sole purpose of unlocking the secrets of PowerWoman for Tony Meola, the local crime boss.  Well, having the need to lookout for Number 1, Dr. Nicholson decides to pull the old double-cross on her employer and keep the powers all to herself.  And why wouldn't she?  She already apparently had a "Dark Powergirl" costume already made for the occasion, which I must say is worn spectacularly by AZ Powergirl!

As for the video itself, it is pretty self-contained which makes it a great purchase and jump on point for old and new subscribers.  The action is brisk and features some great superhuman gaffes, although Random has seemed to take a well-deserved break from the complex VFX this go around, settling more for physical effects and props which make for some great "up close" action.  AZ Powergirl is great in the role andreally seemed to enjoy the filming and while no one will mistake her for Meryl Streep (Meryl is not as well-endowed), she does a great job of selling the character, both before and after her transformation.

I don't know if this is a one time gig for AZ Powergirl or if there is now a new alliance with her and PSW, but if so, it is quite a coup for Random and his site, especially if she assumes the mantle of the heroine PowerWoman as is alluded to in the video short.  I personally loved this video and look forward to more adventures with AZPG and PSW in the near future!

Calling all artists!

We'd like to announce a new and exciting project here at SuperWomenMania.com that we are currently sponsoring. In an effort to try and provide new and original content to our site followers, we are conducting a themed art contest with CASH PRIZES to the top entries based on a vote from our users.

The art contest will be based on the theme of "I Wish I Was Kryptonian" in which the entries will portray a non-powered female character from comics or animation acquiring, demonstrating, or showing off powers akin to Superman (or Supergirl!). For example, Mary Jane Watson now exhibiting superstrength or Jasmine from Aladdin stopping an army by blowing a sandstorm with her superbreath or Lois Lane shrugging off bullets with her newfound invulnerability. Basically, the sky's the limit with the creative options and characters you have available.

Pique your interest? Well, if the subject matter isn't fun enough already, we're throwing in CASH PRIZES (via Paypal) to the top three entries voted on by our users (via an online poll). The prizes will be as follows: 1st Place = $200, 2nd Place = $125, 3rd Place= $75.   Another intangible benefit to the artists will be promotion on our website which could easily result in followup works and commissions by our user community, many of which might already be customers of yours.


CONTEST RULES AND GUIDELINES
===============================
1) All entries must be submitted in digital form (jpg, gif, png) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the contest deadline at midnight EST, October 15th, 2014.  All artwork should be submitted in a size no smaller than A4/letter at a resolution of 300 dpi.
2) All work must be new and original. No re-circulating old works that might fit the profile of the contest, please.
3) For this contest, all submissions must be drawn, either by hand or digitally. No 3D modelling submissions or photoshopped images will be accepted.
4) Entries may be as simple as pinups or be an elaborate action panel. The more detailed display of power is probably gonna go over better though. No nudity or sexually graphic scenes are permitted.
5) Entries must feature a FEMALE comic or animation character discovering or displaying the powers of a Kryptonian (e.g. superspeed, invulnerability, heat vision, superstregth, flight, super-breath, etc). The character may already have powers (e.g. Zatanna, Black Canary) but should not have had any of the powers of Superman (e.g. She-Hulk). If you have any questions or need clarification, email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
6) Entries may be in B&W or colored. Colored (well, good coloring), again, will probably be more popular in the voting.
7) Artists may collaborate and split the prize money if they choose (and if they win). For example, a penciler and a colorist might work together. Any prize money will be paid solely to the submitting artist however.
8) Members of SWM are permitted to "sponsor" an artist (via a commissioned piece) for the contest. Any prize money will be paid solely to the submitting artist however.
9) SWM requires that any submitted artwork not be posted on other sites (e.g. DeviantArt) until AFTER all entries are posted on the site (probably a few days following the Oct 15th deadline). Any submitted artwork discovered in the public domain prior to this will be ineligible for prize winnings.
10) Winners will be decided by a vote of SuperWomenMania's users via an online poll, with each registered user of the site getting one vote. Our site does not allow "robot" registrations so there is little liklihood of autmatically stuffing the ballot box.
11) In the event of a tie, the tying entries will have the option of splitting the combined prize monies (if BOTH artists agree) or having the webmaster break the tie.
12) All winning cash prizes will be paid via Paypal only to the submitting artist's account
13) Any questions/clarifications about the contest or what is allowed can be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Questions can also be submitted via YIM at "larafan22".
14) Artists may submit up to 3 entries if they wish.  All posted artwork with credit the artist(s) and also provide a homepage link, if they wish.
15) SWM reserves the right to disqualify any entry that it views as graphic or in poor taste. If you think there might be an issue, please ask first.


SAMPLE CHEAT SHEET OF POSSIBLE CHARACTERS TO USE (not comprehensive)
==============================================================
Lois Lane
Lana Lang
Mary Jane Watson
Gwen Stacy
Catwoman
Lara Croft
Red Monika
Ariel
Belle
Jasmine
Pocahantas
Cinderella
Rapunzel
Anna from Frozen
Tinkerbell
Wendy from Peter Pan
Oracle
Ravager
Batgirl (any of them)
Huntress
Jane Foster
Alicia from Fantastic Four
Betty Rubble
Wilma Flintstone
Betty Cooper
Veronica Lodge
Zatanna
Black Canary
Invisible Woman
Tigra
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Mockingbird
Poison Ivy
Harley Quinn
Danger Girls
Etta Candy
Daphne
Velma
Judy Jetson
Jessica Rabbit
Lucy from Fairy Tale (Anime)
Roxanna Ritchie from MegaMind
And so on......


SOME OLD EXAMPLES:
===================

Super Zee & Mighty MJ
by Justin Long

Super Lois and Lana
by Joe Singleton


Kryptonian Lara Croft
by Tom Burgos

If we get more donations in, I'm considering creating consolation prizes for sub-catagories as well (e.g. best cartoon character, best comic character, best use of superstrength, etc....) which I hope will lure in even more artists, resulting in our best themed gallery ever!  PLEASE help me spread the word to your artist friends and anyone that you've commissioned to try and get them to join.  I think it should be a fun contest and cannot wait to see what we receive.

ElF