Princess Di Comic “Under Attack” in UK
Nov 15, 2009 at 09:13 pm by Ashley

Princes Diana Female Force Comic Cover Pictures Photos

Oh, dear. According to the LA Times‘ “Hero Complex” blog, an especially sensitive clan of Diana fans are downright disgusted by Bluewater Productions’ graphic novelization of the life of the Princess of Wales, titled “The Female Force: Princess Diana.” (“The Female Force” is the name of Bluewater’s series of biographical comics about ”strong women,” such as Michelle Obama, and  — love her or hate her — Stephenie Meyer.)

The upset devotees at hand are known as Diana Circle UK, and though they arrived a little late to the party — the Princess Di graphic novel was published in August – one of them certainly made her voice heard in a November 9 Daily Express article:

“It’s disgusting,” [Diana] Funnell [co-founder of DCUK] told the London tabloid. “Their feeble excuse is that they wanted to show the young people of America her life. They could have done it with lovely stories. They didn’t need to stoop to this.”

All “this” seems to be, however, is your typical biographical graphic novel written for young adults. “Yes, the divorce from Prince Charles and Diana’s death are part of the narrative, but how could you not mention them?” I have not seen the book myself, but apparently both the death and funeral are handled tastefully. Based on the following quote, I’m going to go with the Times here and say the basis of Ms. Funnell’s rage seems to be a simple misunderstanding of the medium.
“Comic means something to laugh at. I don’t find it at all comical and I wish they hadn’t done it. “
We’ve been telling very serious, very moving stories in this way for decades now — I’ve been moved to weep by almost as many comics as I have fingers. According to the author of the Times blog post, the “Female Force” series ”are well-done books that I would (and have) let my 11-year-old daughter read. Bluewater now sells these books through the Jo-Ann national chain of fabric and craft stores — hardly a merchant of the prurient.”
If “The Female Force: Princess Diana” doesn’t live up to Funnell’s standards for class, perhaps she ought to look in the mirror:
[DCUK members] routinely refer to the second wife of Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles, as “Cowmilla,” and at a Kensington Palace protest of the 2005 marriage of Charles and Parker Bowles, they made the classy decision to mock the bride with a photo of her face superimposed on a horse’s body. Ah, yes, well done, Diana Circle.