The Women Highlighting Women's History in Feminist Travel Guides

Comics fans without super body-heating powers recently braved a frosty night in Philadelphia to attend a book club meeting at Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse. The topic, “The Life of Captain Marvel,” was timely. “Captain Marvel” was swooping into movie theaters on March 8, the same date as International Women’s Day in the same month as Women’s History Month.

The lone white guy in the predominantly female group interrupted the discussion to share an observation. “I am going to assume that I am the only heterosexual white male sitting in this room,” he said.

A quick scan of the shelves, couches and cafe proved HWM correct. In addition to Wonder Woman, America, Molly Danger, Perdy, Harriet Tubman (the dragon-slaying one) and Doctor Aphra, the store’s owner, Ariell Johnson, was also in the house. The former accounting student at Temple University is the only African American woman to own and run a comics business on the East Coast.

To quote Captain Marvel: “In that moment, every little girl flies.”

Amalgam is one of a dozen stops featured in “A Feminist City Guide to Philadelphia,” part of a new series produced by Unearth Women. Nikki Vargas, Elise Fitzsimmons and Kelly Lewis founded the media company last year to fill a void in the travel industry. According to Vargas, women represent 70 percent of the travel consumer base and make 85 percent of trip-purchasing decisions. And yet, men dominate the travel publication field.