Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation
Description
Physical appearance is a key marker in social power and control; our looks are often a preconception of strength or ability, among other qualities. Power can be transformative, but can simultaneously impact communities negatively, enforcing social control. Authoritative use of power by governments controls both resources and citizens, making them ‘dependent upon the influencing agent for the satisfaction of their needs or reaching their goals' (Turner, 2005). Ariel Slamet Ries’ comic Witchy equates magical power to hair length. In the kingdom of Hyalin, this is heavily policed by the ominous ruler, with military conscription, or witch-burning for ‘those with hair judged too long’ (Ries, 2020: 1). Through Witchy’s main characters, this paper examines the structures of Hyalin’s social control, and how this is defied.
Period
2 May 2025
Event title
On the Margins: Comics, Gender, Identity and Subversion