Danny Fingeroth, who has taught comics and graphic novel writing at mediabistro, was quoted in Peggy Orenstein's editorial in The New York Times Magazine this Sunday.

"Little girls these days have lots of real-life role models, lots of ways they can be in the world, but they still have precious few larger-than-life heroes, especially in the all-important realm of fantasy, where they spend so much of their free time. And that's a shame," writes Orenstein.

She goes on to quote Danny. "Superheroes, according to Danny Fingeroth, onetime editor of the Spider-Man comics and author of Superman on the Couch, give kids (read: boys) a way to feel in control in an arbitrary world, where adults appear to make on-the-spot rules that they're forced to obey."

"'And then they look at the larger picture,' he adds, 'and see war and plague and people abusing authority. The idea that there's this superhero who uses the means of evil -- violence -- in a restrained, smart way to do good: that's appealing.'"

Danny's new book, The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels, is out now.

--Lisa Fraser

RELATED: Upcoming Comic and Graphic Novel Writing courses at mediabistro