Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Feminism and Comic Books: Chocolate and Peanut Butter? Or Sauerkraut and Whipped Cream?

Ragnell made a moving post last night about the illusion of a "unified voice" of feminist comics crit. Her point? There is no unified voice. There's discussion, dissention, redundancy (especially lately), agreements, outrage, and praise. But it's not all the same.

That's nothing, however, to the people who go through the links and think that there's a swarm a drones following some Alien Amazon Queen in her outrage. The communities doesn't work that way, not on this scale.

Exactly.

One of the Feminism and Comics Bingo squares is "Don't like it? Create your own!"

The truth of the matter is, there are a LOT of women comics creators. More than you'd think. Some of them are very talented. Some of them aren't. Some have good narratives, some of them don't--just like any other community of creators.

But they exist, and I am tired of that fact being ignored.

Which brings me to another point.

Most of the most intelligent, bad ass, talented, feminist-minded, and awesome women I know read comics.

Another large portion of that number are involved in the industry.

Another portion of that work for DC or Marvel.

These women ARE there.

I'm kind of stunned that there seems to be such a "Bah, GIRLS don't read COMICS!" sentiment, when so many women work for the mainstream companies. And as Editors! And Writers! And Artists!

I challenge anyone to disregard Amanda Conner's work.

I challenge anyone to disregard the impact Gail Simone has had on the DCU.

I challenge anyone to disregard Devin Grayson's impact on the DCU.

Joan Hilty. Alison Bechdel. Liz Baillie. Miss Lasko-Gross. Ariel Schrag. Diane DiMassa. Lynn Johnston. Cathy Guisewite. Raina Telgemeier. Trina Robbins. Colleen Doran. Jill Thompson. Heidi McDonald. Karen Berger. And dozens and dozens of others.

THESE WOMEN ALL EXIST AND WORK AND CREATE COMICS.

They are here. And I'm not sure what needs to be done to show the "Comic Book Club Tree House" that we're here, dammit--and women are creating the stuff they seem to think we don't love, too.

It would also help, if even a little, if we redirected our energy from being angry at what women aren't doing in comics, to copious and visible appreciation of what we *are* doing.

5 comments:

T.A.B. said...

You forgot the President of D.C. during three decades: Janette Kahn.

Trisha Lynn said...

DC's VP of Marketing was a Big Sister Tart, too. I'm talking of the one, the only--Patty Jeras.

And then there's Maureen at Harris.

Rational Mad Man said...

But they dont buy them.
And at the end of the day thats why niether DC or Marvel care.
They simply dont buy in enough numbers to be significant.
And before you pillory me for saying this be honest wiht yourself, whats the ratio of women to men at your local comic store, 1 woman for every ten men? for every twenty?

You tell me, if somehting would appeal to 90% of your market, and only annoy 10% and noteven annoy them enough to stop buying, why would you care?

SallyP said...

Women are in the minority of people buying comics, and that's why neither DC nor Marvel care.

Why that makes it ok then! Gosh, I sure learned MY lesson!

Anonymous said...

Devin Grayson I felt, wrote a bad Nightwing, but that may have been editorial.

And Karen Berger. Let's not foget the creator of Vertigo.