FORGOTTEN WOMEN OF GENRE Podcast Celebrates Women Who Influenced Everything We Love in Genre
March is Women’s History Month and to celebrate, SyFy launched the Forgotten Women of Genre series as part of the Syfy Wire Podcast.
Each day in March, a new episode will air and talk about a different woman who was instrumental to genre. For example, the second episode featured Marcia Lucas who is the one that we can all thank for our love of Star Wars.
After all, she is George Lucas’ ex-wife who edited Star Wars and won an Oscar for doing so in 1977. Here’s a better description of the podcast:
“Science fiction, fantasy, and all associated genres have finally evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream staple. But the women who have been instrumental in creating and shaping the nerdverse have largely gone unrecognized. Until today. Forgotten Women of Genre tells the stories of the women who helped some of the most famous fantasy worlds become a reality. New episodes of this series will be released each day in the month of March, in addition to regularly scheduled episodes of STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS.”
The series is hosted by Cher Martinetti from Syfy Fangrrls. If you want to check out the podcast, you can find it on several platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify. Here’s the full list of women who will be covered:
Melissa Mathison: “E.T.” screenwriter
Marcia Lucas: George Lucas’ ex-wife and creative partner. Edited original “Star Wars” trilogy and won an Oscar in 1977 for editing Star Wars.
Carol Clover: Coined the term “The Final Girl”.
Alma Reville: Alfred Hitchcock’s wife and creative partner, edited his films.
Helen Gibson: First stuntwoman in American cinema. Worked on “Bride of Frankenstein.”
Sally Menke: Quentin Tarantino’s editor. Worked on all his films until her death in 2010.
Mindy Newell: First woman credited with writing Wonder Woman comics as well as one of the first long running female comic book writers at DC.
Meiko Kaji: Japanese actress whose work heavily influenced and inspired Tarantino’s films, especially “Kill Bill.”
Pauline Hopkins: Sci-fi author whose early work very well may have created Afrofuturism. First Black Woman to write a novel.
Marie Severin: Eisner Hall of Fame Comic book artist, co-created Spider-Woman.
Hannah Beachler: Production designer who just won an Oscar for her work on“Black Panther.”
Shirley Walker: Composer. Was one of the first female composers to earn a solo score credit on a major Hollywood motion picture, wrote the music for “Batman: The Animated Series, Final Destination,” among others. Scored more major movies than any other American woman.
Nicole Perlman: Screenwriter “Guardians of the Galaxy,” co-wrote “Captain Marvel” screenplay.
Lotte Reiniger: Developed the camera Walt Disney is credited with having created.
Leigh Brackett: Wrote the first script draft of “Empire Strikes Back.”
Delia Derbyshire: Wrote the “Doctor Who” theme song.
Eiko Ishioka: Oscar winning costume designer, worked on Bram Stroker’s “Dracula, The Cell.”
Gertrude Barrows Bennet: Founder of Dark Fantasy Fiction, wrote under male pseudonym.
Lois Weber: One of the first women to direct a horror film in the silent era.
Victoria Alonso: Marvel producer has executive produced almost every movie in the Marvel Comic Universe.
Debra Hill: Producer & writer “Halloween” Hailed as the “godmother of indie filmmaking”.
Margaret Sixel: Editor “Mad Max Fury Road.”
Vera West: Costume designer, “Bride of Frankenstein.”
Margaret Cavandash 16th century fantasy author.
Sarah Halley Finn: Casting director for Marvel and chiefly responsible for reshaping what the modern blockbuster leading man looks like.
Tarpe Mills: First woman syndicated comic book writer and created the standalone first female superhero Miss Fury. Wrote under male pseudonym.
Dorothy Woolfolk: DC editor and creator of kryptonite.
Milicent Patrick: Creator of the actual creature from the “Black Lagoon.” Her work influenced others like Guillermo Del Toro.
Elisabeth Lutyens: Prolific horror composer. Considered the horror queen.
Ellen Beeman: Video game producer, named one of the most influential women in the gaming industry.
Jackie Ormes: First Black woman cartoonist.