Chainmail Bikini: The Anthology of Women Gamers

by Hazel Newlevant (editor)

"Like a well-designed game, Chainmail Bikini sets forth a straightforward premise and then challenges as it delights, capturing your imagination and before you know it, you’ll find yourself invested in it."—My Entertainment World

"Whether you’re a hardcore gamer who wants to see stories by others who share your passion [or] a comics lover who wants to see a wide variety of excellent comics from a wide variety of talented creators . . . this is a book that you’ll enjoy, treasure and be able to return to over and over again."—Autostraddle

Chainmail Bikini is an anthology of comics by and about female gamers! Forty cartoonists have contributed comics about the games they’re passionate about—from video games to tabletop role-playing to collectible card games. The comics in Chainmail Bikini explore the real-life impact of entering a fantasy world, and how games can connect us with each other and teach us about ourselves. Alliances are forged, dice get rolled, and dragons get slain! Chainmail Bikini shows that while women are not always the target market for gaming, they are a vital and thoroughly engaged part of it, and are eager to express their personal take as players, makers, and critics of games.

Chainmail Bikini is edited by Hazel Newlevant (If This Be Sin), and features a cover illustration by Hellen Jo and comics by established talents and rising stars including Annie Mok, Jane Mai, Molly Ostertag, MK Reed, and Sophie Yanow.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Feminism, Graphic Novels Comics, Anthologies, Gaming

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

Hazel Newlevant is a Portland-raised, Queens-residing cartoonist. Their comics include Tender-Hearted, Sugar Town, No Ivy League, and If This Be Sin. They are the editor and publisher of the anthologies Chainmail Bikini and Comics For Choice. Their work has been honored with the Ignatz Award, Xeric Grant and the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant.

Reviews

[Danika at The Lesbrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! Tons of queer and trans contributors, lots of different takes on gaming, a wide variety of art styles. Highly recommend.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chainmail Bikini, as the subtitle says, is an anthology of comics revolving around the theme of women in gaming. Pretty much all types of gaming are represented, board and card games, computer and video games, tabletop RPGs, LARPs … The overall tone of the book is empowering. “Gaming made me the success I am today” is a recurring theme.

Stories range from autobiography to more poetic and allegorical pieces. In all, it's an impressive array of talent. Probably the most memorable story for me was “Absolute Dominion” by Diana Nock, but that's largely due to Dominion being one of my favorite games. In general, I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but I’m a gamer, so I’m certainly biased.

All in all, this is a decent alt comics anthology. Recommended!

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content: Lots of good, some not as good.

On the plus side, everything's short, so the less good stuff is over quickly; on the minus side, everything's short, so the good stuff is over too quickly.

This is mostly interesting on merit, because it's women making comics about games, and that's (to my knowledge) not a project that has previously existed. There are voices in here that aren't heard in other places, and I think that's awesome.

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this collection of women's experiences with games and in different gaming communities. Not gonna lie, I even cried at some of the stories because they were so similar (and true) to my own experiences and thoughts. I also especially enjoyed the inclusion of trans women and non-binary femme storytellers in this gendered anthology, they need to be included more! :)

[Beth Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I supported the Kickstarter for this, and I was happy to have the final result arrive this week. It took me a little over an hour to read, and I found it thoughtful, engaging, and laugh-out-loud amusing at times. The focus is on women gamers, and there are also several strips that delve into gender identity; the universal theme is a sense of belonging through gaming, whether it's Pokemon, AD&D, or LARPing. Since it has over 40 contributors, there's a lot of variety and diversity; that meant that even if some artwork of subject matter didn't grab me, that would likely change with the next comic.

Some of my favorite sections were "She's the Backbone of This Facility" by Laura Lannes (a thoughtful analysis of Portal 2's feminist themes), "Achievement Unlocked" by Jade F. Lee, "Here Comes a New Challenger" by Kinoko Evans, and "Hermia" by Miranda Harmon (*sniff*). When you support a Kickstarter, you're never quite sure how the end product will turn out, but I think this is excellent. Sure, I wish some of my own influential games had been shown more (Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior/Quest series), but at the same time, I was charmed to see how games like Pokemon and Animal Crossing influenced this generation of artists.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars
Overall, I was not impressed with this. It was a jumble of very short stories (3-6 pages) focusing on girls and gaming. The stories aren't fulfilling. It was more a blog compilations of girls entries for there daily life, comic style. Very little substance
Yet I did like some of the references. This book touches on all times of games- Console, PC, arcade, board, card, LARPing, Tabletop RPG, etc. I got mentions of SNES Mario, Street Fighter, The Sims, Diablo 2 (with a reference to the cow level-that made me very happy), etc. So I did like all of that quite a bit.
The artwork was not to my style. A lot of it seemed rush and left me unimpressed. Other times it seems too much was being crammed in and others not enough. Not a bad read, being how quick it is, but I was hoping for a bit better.

*I was loaned a digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair, honest review.

[Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous and delightful collection of outsider gamer stories, edited by Hazel Newlevant (who now works as an editor at Lion Forge Comics). The authors explore profound or irreverent connections with games from Dominion, Dungeons and Dragons, LARPing and play by posting to Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, Diablo II, Portal, World of Warcraft, Guitar Hero and the Sims. Some go to games for solitude, some for companionship; some relish in their status as female gamers, some explore a female identity denied to them IRL while still others chaff at the forced binary of choosing a male or female avatar. The book as a whole is extremely strong, but a few stories that particularly stuck out to me were "Poppy the Gnome and Friends" by Katie Longue, "Gamer Grrrl" by K.A. Kelly-Colon and June Vigants, "Battle for Amtgard..." by Maggie Siegel-Berele, "Absolute Dominion" by Diana Nock, "The Natural" by Sarah Stern and "Hang in there Peach" by Aatmaja Pandya.

[Ben Mariner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm definitely not the target audience for this book, but it sounded interesting so I read it anyway. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting. For the most part, it's just women sharing memories of how gaming made them feel accepted or themselves. I thought it would be a bit more narrative driven. I'm giving it this high of a rating not because I really enjoyed the stories (again, I'm not really the target audience), but because I thought it was really cool to see how something as simple as a video game made someone feel ok with themselves. It's not easy to be a woman in...well, any day and age, really, but being a female gamer is a particularly tough path given the nature of most male gamers. These stories were sweet, and funny, and heartwarming, and while I didn't and can't quite connect on the same level with them as a female gamer could, it was still an enjoyable read.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of women-penned short stories about gaming, whether it be video games, tabletop gaming or even LARPing. Several stories also deal with gender identity. As with any anthology some stories are great, while other are found lacking.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is amazing. Girl geeks talk about their experience with videogames and other nerdery and their influences on their childhoods. I was moved to tears by this multiple times.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book to see Anna Anthropy's contribution ("Tales of the Crystal") as I loved her work Queers in Love at the End of the World . As I read the rest of the comics, I got the feeling I had read these comics before - they had left an emotional impact on me. I was alternately comforted and melancholic in the comics,
Some of these comics show women overcoming some form of misogyny, but many find some form of companionship, comfort or achievement in gaming; I was particularly moved - to tears, though I couldn't place why - by Caitlin Boyle Rose's "Connections". Great read. Pick it up and enjoy it for yourself.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked a lot of this but also not a fan of a lot of it. The comics are short so you get through the not so great ones quick but it still had a lasting effect. I also wasn't a fan of a lot of the art styles. Some were really hard to even get through. However, I loved the messages behind many of the comics in the anthology.

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anthologie de bandes-dessinées autour des femmes et du jeu (du jeu de table aux jeux vidéo en passant le GN et les RPG). Je dois avouer avoir été plutôt déçu de la qualité de l'ensemble des textes, il y avait pas mal juste une répétition de mêmes motifs, références ludiques et expériences (il n'y avait pas à mon souvenir une seule BD qui s'éloignait ou jouait un peu mieux avec l'idée de témoignage que des simples présentations) et le recueil en ressortait répétitif et peu original au final.

[Melissa Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was fun, definitely relate, and good. I would definitely recommend to other women gamers and others, too! It's a mixture of women gamers from young to adult, variety of races and ethnicity, trans and cis folks, and so much more!

[Emma (howlsmovinglibrary) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great anthology! All the artwork is lovely and the comics range from autobiographical experience to mini-critique essays.

There's lots and lots and lots of comics (although they are typical 2 double page spreads in length), so it's a substantial graphic novel to read.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Loved the broad definition of "gaming." Fun, inspiring stories, felt very intimate. Unfortunately, the quality was uneven.

[Hollowspine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great collection of comics about girls who game. So many stories that I could relate with, having been the sole girl at the gaming table for a long time myself. One of my favorites was about ‘GLaDOS’ from the Portal series of games. That comic alone was worth the library check out, I’d highly recommend it. I also loved the parental approval in the comic about the Sims computer game, it’s just like playing house, suitable for girls! I did the same thing with my Sims, I’ll never forget the first time I saw one of them get consumed by flies. Although most of the comics were related to table-top gaming/Larping there’s a good representation of video/computer gaming too.

Most of the comics deal with a discovery of identity narrative, which is something that isn’t well recognized in gaming at all, let alone as something that is important for girls in particular. Gaming gives everyone the chance to try out different identities and start forming ideas of who we are and what our goals in life are, even if it’s just the realization that we are awesome at figuring out the logistics of equipping a wagon train. There, of course, is an overarching feminist tone to the anthology, which is highly refreshing.

Another reason that this anthology really works is the diversity of the creators represented. Trans and non-binary voices are included as well as people from all walks of life, I would be seriously surprised if someone reading this couldn’t identify with at least one of the stories. I personally identified with many of them, some of them bringing up ideas and feelings that I’d never thought I’d see outside my own brain.

For all gamers out there, this is highly recommended.

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A top-notch collection of comics from a wide variety of creators. This anthology incorporates a whole world of styles, approaches to storytelling, and perspectives on gaming. What they all have in common, though, is that they're all created by female gamers who love both media: gaming and comics. But "gaming" here is handled broadly, not just video gaming. Another reason to love this book. I've recommended this to all my students, most of whom are in the ATEC program for some aspect of game studies.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a bigger focus on tabletop gaming and LARPing than I expected, but that's a neat side of gaming to explore as well. Easily my favorite of the bunch was "She's the Backbone of this Facility" by Laura Lannes - I'd never examined the Portal games as closely as she does, and it's utterly fascinating and cool reading her analysis. The rest are hit and miss, though I'd say more hit than miss. Provides a much-needed perspective on a pastime that I love.

... not a huge fan of the cover though. :|

[J.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a man with virtually no history of gaming (other than some arcade games and Atari 2600 as a kid), I am obviously not the target audience for this anthology. But, I always like learning about experiences different than my own.

Many of the stories centered around using gaming as a resource to build confidence or escape loneliness. The best stories (in my opinion) dealt with how these games affected the artists rather than specifics of the games themselves.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The whole gaming culture passed me by, but I can respect this anthology created by young women on what video, computer, and role-playing games mean to them. Many of these girls were outsiders amongst their peers as teenagers--something I can surely relate to--and found solace and community in the world of games.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

First adult graphic novel for me. This anthology helped me understand how younger women/girls are drawn into gaming and its positive impact.

[Mikko Saari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chainmail Bikini : An Anthology of Women Gamers kertoo nimessään jo melko paljon olennaista. Kun lisäksi vielä täydennetään, että kyseessä on sarjakuva-antologia, ollaan jo pitkällä. Pelaaminen on pitkään ollut miesten leikkikenttä, joten naisten näkökulmien esittämiselle on tilausta. Tähän noin parisataasivuiseen on koottu 38 pelaamista naisnäkökulmasta käsittelevää sarjakuvaa. Niissä pelaamista käsitellään laveasti; mukaan mahtuu niin videopelejä, roolipelejä, keräilykorttipelejä kuin lautapelejä.

Kun näin runsaasta antologiasta on kyse, on selvää, että tyyleissä on paljon vaihtelua, samoin laadussa. Joukkoon mahtuu hyvin monenlaista sarjakuvaa hyvin luonnosmaisesta ja sotkuisestakin tyylistä erittäin huoliteltuun jälkeen. Monet tarinat ovat luonteeltaan omaelämäkerrallisia, se lienee ollut tilaus antologiaa koottaessa. Esipuhe tiivistää varsin mainiosti sen, miksi tällaista antologiaa ylipäänsä tarvitaan (suomennos omani):

Sen, että naisilla on yhtä lailla sanansa sanottavana pelien pelaajina, tekijöinä ja kriitikoina, ei pitäisi olla kiistanalaista. Liian monet miehet näkevät pelit omana yksinoikeutenaan ja toteuttavat samaa vanhaa seksismiä, joka hallitsee pelien ulkopuolista maailmaa. Pelaamisen tarkoituksena on kohdata haasteita vapaaehtoisesti, huvin vuoksi. Kenenkään ei pitäisi kohdata lisähaasteita sukupuolensa vuoksi.

Antologiaan on mahtunut monia hyviä töitä. Rachel Ordwayn Choose Your Own Adventures kuvaa sisarusten itsekeksittyä roolipeliä, jonka parissa kesä meni kuin siivillä. Antologian toimittajan Hazel Newlevantin Better Together muistelee vanhemmilta salattuja yhteisiä hetkiä kavereiden kanssa Diablo II -nettipelin parissa. Kinoko Evansin Here Comes the New Challenger on todella sympaattinen kuvaus Street Fighterin ja Virtua Fighterin kaltaisten tappelupelien merkityksestä nuoren naisen elämässä. Megan Brennanin Dream Suite törmäyttää Pokémonin ja Animal Crossingin söpöllä tavalla.

K.A. Kelly-Colonin ja June Vigantsin Gamer Grrrl luotaa roolipelaamisen mahdollisuuksia sukupuoli-identiteetin luotaamiseen. Kori Michelen Boy or Girl? tarkastelee pelien binääristä sukupuolikäsitystä queer-näkökulmasta: miksi pitää aina valita, onko poika vai tyttö?

Häirintää käsitellään antologiassa varsin vähän. Maggie Siegel-Berelen Battle for Amtgard esittelee Texasissa 1980-luvulla käynnistynyttä liveroolipeliä naisnäkökulmasta. Amtgard on ollut Siegel-Berenille merkittävä harrastus kymmenen vuoden ajan, mutta siinä on myös ankeat seksistiset puolensa. Onneksi kehitystäkin on havaittavissa, sitäkin tämä sarjakuva dokumentoi. Jade F. Leen Achievement Unlocked dokumentoi naisten kohtaamaa vähättelyä videopelien maailmassa.

Kaikkiaan tämä on oikein antoisa antologia. On hyvä, että kokoelma ei vello vastoinkäymisissä ja vaikeuksissa, vaan keskittyy pelien ja pelaamisen voimaannuttavaan puoleen. Sen korostaminen on hyödyllisempää ja toivottavasti rohkaisee useampia tutustumaan pelien monipuolisiin mahdollisuuksiin. Olen myös tyytyväinen siihen, että kokoelmassa pelaamista käsitellään laajasti, eikä vain videopelien näkökulmasta. Vahva trans- ja queeredustuskin on varmasti monille mieleen.

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the benefits of anthologies done by multiple authors is that it gives you a taste of many different writers' styles. The downside is that, with any anthology, you're going to get a mixed bag -- some stories will be excellent, others okay or mediocre, and still others bad. "Chainmail Bikini," despite its noble intentions of showcasing women in gaming, is just such a mixed bag, with some stories faring much better than others... and while it's inspiring to see media that actually portrays gaming in a positive light, and shows how gaming has changed lives for the better, the art itself is lackluster, and some of the stories are just plain duds.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm glad to see women in gaming, and we've come a long way from the days when gamers were seen as exclusively male and misogynistic (yes, there still exists some sexism and exclusion in gaming, but not nearly to the degree of before). And there are many stories in here that are touching, hopeful, gut-wrenching, or otherwise touched me. But there are also a fair share of stories that were merely okay or even confusing, and even the good ones were so short that they were over way too soon. I would have loved to see fewer contributors and longer stories -- perhaps this could have been a multi-volume series.

The art itself is fairly underwhelming. Most of it looks pretty amateur, and even the more polished art seems rushed. The black-and-white-and-gray printing doesn't help, especially since some stories don't even bother with shading.

I did appreciate seeing attention devoted to many different aspects of gaming -- not just the myriad forms of video games out there, but Dungeons and Dragons, LARPing, post-by-post roleplay, Magic: The Gathering, etc. And there are some truly powerful stories in this collection, and some much-needed attention given to the LGBT gaming community (yes, one exists). I just wish some of the stories could have been longer, and that the art had been better.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was everything I was looking for when I first heard about it. Stories varied in subject immensely-from video games to LARPing to board games to D&D. My favorite stories were the ones that reminded me of my own coming into gaming as a child/teenager. Games such as The Sims and Return to Castle Wolfenstein kept me glued to the PC all through the summer months. I looked at Game Informer magazine any chance I got while in a bookstore. I played Nintendo and Sega with my brother. Nowadays, my love of gaming has expanded to owning over 100 board games, a huge Steam library, and a growing collection of every Nintendo system ever made.
Several of the stories of course deal with being a woman in the gaming community. I also (sadly) related to many of these stories as well. I actually don't play MMORPGs or other multi-player games because I don't want to deal with men once they figure out my gender (via microphone). I never go to board game nights because the men there refuse to even acknowledge me. I have often had doubtful looks cast my way when I mention anything about gaming to men.
All in all though this book was filled with feel-good stories of many women connecting with other women over their niche gaming loves. Hopefully these relationships can soon blossom with the men in this community too so we can all geek out together.

[Alic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally liked it. I have a soft spot for girls who like games, fantasy and adventure, being such a girl myself. I relate to feeling like I don't belong in those circles, but not on the same level that many game-loving girls seem to do. Gaming has generally either been a solo experience for me, or when not I've had the privilege of gaming with my female cousins. Boys were never a part of my gaming sphere as a kid and to this day I have not come across many "gurls zuck at gayms" types at all. I assume I'm an outlier. Nevertheless, I sympathize with the anger, sadness and self-doubt that can rise from such reception (I definitely have experienced this outside of the gaming sphere) and the need to band together, find your place & people and claim your right to... Enjoy a fricking hobby without inane gatekeeping.

All that being said, it doesn't strike a chord with me the way it probably does with a lot of other women. I also have complicated feelings towards modern feminism and its rhetoric I often find off-putting. So, it's a mixed bag for me overall.

I did get very warm feelings of nostalgia over some of these experiences even if they were not exactly about my childhood games - the feeling I can relate to, still. It's lovely to have people chronicle things like this.

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Play is witchcraft. ...What else is magic other than the rituals we use to remind ourselves of our identities? The power to reclaim our lives?" - anna anthropy

Gosh, this was really good. A lot of reviews complain of the focus on tabletop RPGs & LARPing (by my count, 16 of the 36 entries are about tabletop, LARPing or card games while the rest are about video games), but that really appealed to me! I have been looking for good writing about tabletop games and found a real dearth -- I would have been pleased with just the sillier dungeon-crawl comics in here, but the more personal stories about Monsterhearts and Vampire: The Masquerade were real highlights of the anthology for me.

Also, I usually don't take note or comment on the design of a book, but big ups to Hellen Jo (cover artist) and Jasmine Silver (layout), this is a beautiful object. I ordered it for my library but I'm thinking about getting my own copy because it's just nice to look at and hold!

[Meepelous · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really fast really fun read, it was actually a pretty painful reminder of some of the internalized misogyny that still lingers deep within my heart. Because F it, I'm as geeky and gamery as the next person >.< even if I don't see my games as REAL games.

As far as the art goes, 99% of it was on point although if you aren't already comfortable with some rougher web comic and memoir comic styles you may find some of it a bit hard on the eyes. It also helps that childhood is a bit of a recurring theme, and a lot of the styles do reflect that vibe. The fact that everything was black and white also helped to draw things together, although I might have ordered things a bit differently if it was up to me.

Each story in and of itself is pretty short, but there was a nice mixture of light and deep, personal and abstract. I do feel like this volume pushes us forward more than a little. I'm pretty excited about the even more different kinds of stories that are no doubt waiting for us just beyond the horizon ^^

[Alex E · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great anthology about people who love games.

The great thing about the book, is that when you read "games", everyone probably has one or a few types of games in mind. This book covers pretty much all of them. Even the ones you probably didn't think of. Videogames, Role playing games, D&D, etc... its all explored here.

The variety in this book in terms of both art and story allows for a full exploration of gaming as a whole. The nostalgia, the fun, the wonder, the obsession, almost all topics regarding gaming are explored. Its really a great a anthology that allows us to feel what we may have felt when we were once all gamers, or currently are gamers now. I think this anthology illustrates the love for gaming as an art form if not a movement.

I think that regardless of gender, race, or sexuality, we all share a love of imagination, competition, and fantasy to an extent. And this book shows us that from a viewpoint that is usually brushed aside or dismissed.

There really is something for everyone here. If you have or had a love of gaming, this book is for you.

[Vin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love anything that has to do with 1) the way we interact with virtual realities and 2) women and so I thought that this would be a win no matter how it played it out. While many of these didn't personally connect with me due to my inexperience in the world of DND and LARPing the general thesis was beautiful and heartfelt. A universal experience of womanhood is feeling trapped or contained to a vessel that is expected to perform and conform socially. Video games and fantasy role play give a chance for you to choose and practice autonomy away from those expectations/create a persona around them. There's a special relationship that women and queer people have with interactive media that personally touches me and I really enjoyed the general existence of this anthology. The standout piece in this for me was the comic about GLaDOS from Portal as a commentary on womanhood. It alone was five star piece and I would highly recommended it as a nuanced and outstanding feminist essay. 3 stars.