Hayley Garden 
In early 2021, after a year of no major releases, Walt Disney Studios released Raya and the Last Dragon. On paper, Raya looked like a really cool movie, and an interesting departure from Disney’s usual musical, princess-focused fare. Raya is an action-adventure film starring a badass woman of color who was not dragged down by […]Read Post ›
The question, “are video games a form of art?” is a commonly debated topic amongst members of both the entertainment and art world, and it has been for a few decades now. Even though video games have been acknowledged as creative works by the Supreme Court, the philosophical aspects of this conversation still continue today. […]Read Post ›
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the movie Luca
Written by Hayley Garden, edited by Kathryn Cooperman In an article posted earlier this year, I talked about how Brave, despite being a flawed movie with a messy production history, still manages to be compelling and emotionally satisfying. Though it is easy to point out the holes in its narrative structure, the emotional beats land […]Read Post ›
Written by Hayley Garden; edited by Kathryn Cooperman. All images per Disney. In 1937, Walt Disney Animation Studios released its first feature length animated picture, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Regarded as a critical and commercial triumph, Snow White allowed Disney to act as a pioneer in shaping the future of animation, and dictated […]Read Post ›
Written by Hayley Garden; edited by Morgan Moore and Kathryn Cooperman. Cover image per stltoday.com. Pixar Animation Studios, which opened its doors in 1995 with the first ever feature length 3D Animated film, revolutionized the medium and completely changed the course of animation’s future. Their movies are nothing short of incredible, with compelling characters driving […]Read Post ›
Written by guest contributor Hayley Garden, this post is the fifth in a series that discusses the role of female characters in the Final Fantasy franchise. Check out our artist interview with Hayley! Written by Hayley Garden; edited by Kathryn Cooperman. The year was 1998. Final Fantasy VII was a cultural reset. Squaresoft had unlimited resources and the unadulterated […]Read Post ›
Written by guest contributor Hayley Garden, this post is the fourth in a series that discusses the role of female characters in the Final Fantasy franchise. Check out our recent artist interview with Hayley! Written by Hayley Garden; edited by Kathryn Cooperman. Cover image per Wikimedia Commons. CW: Mention of death. Please note that this post contains spoilers for […]Read Post ›
Written by guest contributor Hayley Garden, this post is the third in a series that discusses the role of female characters in the Final Fantasy franchise. Check out our recent artist interview with Hayley! Written by Hayley Garden; edited by Kathryn Cooperman and Catherine Harlow. Cover image per Real Women of Gaming. CW: Suicide mention Both Final Fantasy V […]Read Post ›
Written by guest contributor Hayley Garden, this post is the second in a series that discusses the role of female characters in the Final Fantasy franchise. Check out our recent artist interview with Hayley! Written by Hayley Garden; edited by Kathryn Cooperman and Catherine Harlow. Final Fantasy IV was an incredible triumph for video game […]Read Post ›
The Female Gaze 