Via Jill Pantozzi’s [link]

“It’s official, DC has decided to reboot Oracle back to being Batgirl. This is a pretty crushing blow to disabled superhero comic fans, and those who support them.

It’s safe to say DC’s news of turning Barbara Gordon’s Oracle back into her previous persona of Batgirl has rattled a few cages. Mine for one. But the great thing coming out of this distressing turn of events is the visibility it’s giving to the physically challenged. Now one artist is calling you to arms to help keep that exposure going.

Much like the Adam Hughes commission above which shows Oracle in all her glory, artist Elena Barbarich, known as Yamino online, is suggesting any and all artists get their preferred tools out to illustrate Ms. Gordon in her chair. Yamino writes on her Tumblr, “I think we should do a big Oracle Draw-a-thon, to support visibility for disabled characters in mainstream comics, and comics in general. Heck, it doesn’t have to be just visual art. How about an Oracle Create-a-Thon? Whatever it is you do, fanart, fanfic, music, sculpture, cakes…. let’s do it!”

Yamino, creator of the webcomics Sister Claire and Nightingale, wants some help reaching out and organizing and since I know a few people who know a few people, I figured I could help out a bit. Feel free to send your creativity to me to post on my Tumblr (you can leave a link here or email me at nerdybirdcontest@gmail.com and spread the word to artists everywhere”

the idea of this particular re-boot doesn’t vibe with me at.all.

I don’t care when they want to change a characters origin, make them younger, make them “edgier”,give them a lame 90’s jacket with rolled up sleves… hell,give them an ass-ton of Liefeld pouches, I don’t really care…comics have always been an ever fluid,ever changing,often convoluted medium..

but to take this particular character,one who really does stand for something in the hearts of people with disabilities, (and frankly a character that doesn’t HAVE to be Bat-Girl in that same way that Bat-Man pretty much HAS to be Bat-Man or Steve Rogers HAs to be Captain America in the eyes of most fans)..to take that character and pretty much throw out what,at least in my mind, establishes and shaped the true hero shes become just for the sake of “shakin things up” is bullshit

I totally understand that D.C. isn’t setting out to be disrespectful or insensative, but I think that’s exactly what it is…

so yeah, I hope any of you fellow artists out there who come across this also contribute something