Women in Comics
As a follow-up to my recent post about nudity in comic books, I'd like to talk more about women in comics. Specifically, those who write or draw them, review and critique them as journalists -- or just love them as devoted fans.
I've been reading comic books since I was 8 or 9 years old and enjoy a wide variety of them. Mostly horror comics, followed by the classic superheroes such as Batman (all-time fav), Superman and Spiderman. I was never really into the goofy/funny stuff, like Archie. I like my comics dark and heavy, with lots of action and intrigue. The Dark Knight, Spawn and Witchblade top that list.
I've been a writer for over 20 years, only the last year of which has been as a comic book writer, and in that time I have received much praise from regular comic book fans as well as a few famous industry pros, who've not only wished me best of luck with The Black Tower but have asked to be a part of my writing team for both the webcomic and TV series (which is still in development for network television).
But in addition to that praise I've also experienced some really irritating, contemptuous and condescending attitudes among regular comic book readers and a handful of pros (all of them men) who think that my work is too thoughtful and introspective, too much attention paid to relationships and communication amongst the characters. Not enough action, killing and destruction. They dismiss me and my work as "Chick-Lit" which I really, really hate because I don't like movies geared to women, such as Beaches, Terms of Endearment or Fried Green Tomatoes. I love kick-ass action movies! But I want to see action movies with full-fleshed characters, rich with emotional turmoil and human weaknesses. Stuff like Batman, Spiderman -- even Iron Man. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?
For the most part, people who've read the first issue of The Black Tower, love it and email me asking to buy a print version, whenever I decide to get around to doing that. Then, occasionally, I get emails from people saying my work is touchy-feely drivel geared strictly to women -- or raunchy smut, like the last few pages were just something I threw in to appease my male readers.
Huh? You mean women don't like sex? We're too pure and delicate for that, are we?
Look, I like porn just as much as the next guy. I can fix my own car, take my own trash out to the curb, and chug a beer down the hatch just like one of the guys. So, don't peg-hole, categorize or dismiss me as an insignificant female comic book writer. I've got 50,000+ fans around the world (some of them Eisner and Emmy award winning writers) who think my work is equal to, if not better than, some of the stuff written by the world's best male comic book writers over the past 30 years!
KJC
I've been reading comic books since I was 8 or 9 years old and enjoy a wide variety of them. Mostly horror comics, followed by the classic superheroes such as Batman (all-time fav), Superman and Spiderman. I was never really into the goofy/funny stuff, like Archie. I like my comics dark and heavy, with lots of action and intrigue. The Dark Knight, Spawn and Witchblade top that list.
I've been a writer for over 20 years, only the last year of which has been as a comic book writer, and in that time I have received much praise from regular comic book fans as well as a few famous industry pros, who've not only wished me best of luck with The Black Tower but have asked to be a part of my writing team for both the webcomic and TV series (which is still in development for network television).
But in addition to that praise I've also experienced some really irritating, contemptuous and condescending attitudes among regular comic book readers and a handful of pros (all of them men) who think that my work is too thoughtful and introspective, too much attention paid to relationships and communication amongst the characters. Not enough action, killing and destruction. They dismiss me and my work as "Chick-Lit" which I really, really hate because I don't like movies geared to women, such as Beaches, Terms of Endearment or Fried Green Tomatoes. I love kick-ass action movies! But I want to see action movies with full-fleshed characters, rich with emotional turmoil and human weaknesses. Stuff like Batman, Spiderman -- even Iron Man. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?
For the most part, people who've read the first issue of The Black Tower, love it and email me asking to buy a print version, whenever I decide to get around to doing that. Then, occasionally, I get emails from people saying my work is touchy-feely drivel geared strictly to women -- or raunchy smut, like the last few pages were just something I threw in to appease my male readers.
Huh? You mean women don't like sex? We're too pure and delicate for that, are we?
Look, I like porn just as much as the next guy. I can fix my own car, take my own trash out to the curb, and chug a beer down the hatch just like one of the guys. So, don't peg-hole, categorize or dismiss me as an insignificant female comic book writer. I've got 50,000+ fans around the world (some of them Eisner and Emmy award winning writers) who think my work is equal to, if not better than, some of the stuff written by the world's best male comic book writers over the past 30 years!
KJC
posted by Kelly J. Compeau at 10:33 AM
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