As DC commemorates the 75th anniversary of the creation of Wonder Woman with a new book, the profile of the character has been raised by a U.N. ambassadorship and a new stamp in the run-up to the movie.
Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman in the adored television series, and Gal Gadot, who is starring in next year’s feature film, Diane Nelson, president of DC Entertainment, and Wonder Woman film director Patty Jenkins were on hand for the ceremony. With DC’s support, the UN plans to use Wonder Woman in its campaign to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women around the globe. The campaign will include a special multi-language comic book, a PSA starring Gadot, and messaging across DC’s various platforms.
The appointment was not without controversy, as “Concerned United Nations Staff Members” initiated an online petition that said in part, “The reality is that the character’s current iteration is that of a large breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit with an American flag motif and knee high boots –the epitome of a “pin-up” girl.” It suggests a real-world woman would have been a better choice for the role, rather than a character “owned by DC Comics, a for-profit entertainment corporation.” The protest comes in the wake of the inability of the body to agree on a woman to take the role of Secretary General.
DC recently released a hardcover retrospective, Wonder Woman: A Celebration of 75 Years, and a collection of Wonder Woman’s Golden Age tales, Wonder Woman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 (see “An Avalanche From the Amazonian Archives”). A 75th Anniversary box set collecting some of Diana’s most beloved stories will be on shelves in November.
