American Psychologist William Moulton Marston penned the first Wonder Woman comic in 1941 as an alternative to what he called the “blood-curdling masculinity” of comic books. (Joyce, 2008)
Rather than physical brute, Wonder Woman wielded a golden lasso that required anyone in its grips to obey and tell the truth. Her weapon of choice was a creative extension of Marston’s research on deception, which also informed the modern polygraph.
For the next 70 years, Wonder Woman inspired countless young girls and boys to embrace a kinder, more compassionate type of power. She became an enduring icon of the U.S. women’s movement and remains one of the longest running comic characters ever published.
The WONDER WOMEN! documentary will bring the superheroine home to revisit her psychological origins when the film screens at the APA Convention in August. If you plan on attending the Convention, join us for the screening Sunday, August 10th at 9:10am to discuss the effects of mainstream gender representations on our collective psyche.
We’ll be with our fellow filmmakers from New Day Films in the APA Convention Exhibit Hall at Booth #144 where you can enter to win free DVDs. And of course, you can always order educational copies of the DVD here.
