TIF: Wonder Woman was the product of a polyamorous relationship

Sarah Elizabeth Marston was a psychologist and attorney, originally from the Isle of Man. Amongst her accolades, she’s co-credited, with her husband William Moulton Marston, with a device seen as a predecessor to the polygraph and as the muse for Wonder Woman, whom her husband created. But the inspiration doesn’t end there as Wonder Woman was also based on their polyamorous life partner, Olive Byrne (affectionately named “Dots”):

William was hired as a psych consultant for what would become DC Comics to help guide comics into mainstream America. Charlie Gaines, credited with inventing the modern comic book, semi-jokingly suggested to my grandfather that he write a comic. William went home and spoke to my grandmother, Elizabeth, about it that evening. She told him that it was fine to write a comic, but that the hero must be a woman.

Elizabeth became the role model for Wonder Woman’s character. Illustrator Harry Peter developed Wonder Woman’s appearance, a medley of Dots’ height and Gram’s [Elizabeth’s] curves, wearing bracelets like those which had adorned Dots’ wrists for many years. Editor Shelly Mayer suggested that “Suprema the Wonder Woman” be shortened to “Wonder Woman,” and the rest is comic book history.

via Christie Marston, the granddaughter of William Moulton Marston and Elizabeth Holloway Marston, for The Hollywood Reporter

Now, decades later, we have a new Wonder Woman in the form of Diana Prince’s daughter named Elizabeth Marston Prince or “Lizzie” for short (see the connection?)

Related: Stephanie Williams on Granny Goodness’s Blaxploitation villain traits and Calafia: the Black warrior queen

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