In the book The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen, comics archivist Hope Nicholson explores comic book heroines of every decade beginning with the 1930s. Her pick for "Icon of the Decade" for the 1960s is Batgirl. When not fighting crime Batgirl spent her days as the head of the Gotham City Public library.
The character Batgirl first appeared in 1961 under the name Betty Kane. In 1967 Barbara Gordon, who became the iconic Batgirl we know today, replaced her. A few months after the comic premiered, Batgirl (played by Yvonne Craig) made an appearance on the Batman TV show.
Batgirl sparked debate about the portrayal of women and librarians in the media. Some think that making Batgirl a librarian (a job typically ascribed to females) was a way to give her a boring day job that made her long for exciting nights of crime fighting; but anyone who has visited WPL knows libraries are anything but boring. The American Library Association (ALA) has even used Batgirl (and LEGO Batgirl) in reading campaigns as a way to reach out to young readers. Although she has gone through many changes, including being a tech adviser to other superheroes (where can I get that job?), Batgirl has remained a strong heroine determined to make the world a better place.
Want to learn more?Continue readingThe Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen where heroines such as Ms. Marvel, Wonder Woman, & Friday Foster are analyzed along with lesser known heroines such as Nelvana of the Northern Lights.
Additional Reading:
-The many lives of Catwoman: the felonious history of a feline fatale by Tim Hanley
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