Johanna Draper Carlson points to an article by Hudson Phillips about that oft-discussed nebulous subject, “women in comics”. Phillips talked to creators Rebekah Isaacs, Julia Wertz and Amy Reeder Hanley as well as Johanna and Comic Addiction’s Angela Paman about what the ways that women deal with the current industry. Here’s Wertz on the lack of a sizable female superhero market:
I think that women are just less interested in mainstream (superhero) subjects. Most women in comics do alternative narratives and I think it’s just a gender trait that can’t be blamed on societal standards or any sort of bias. Some feminists may laud at my saying this, but women are genetically more, er, sensitive? and tend to avoid the violent/superhero comics if only by default or disinterest. I read some of them, but honestly, they don’t hold my attention like alternative and autobio narratives do. I can’t speak for all women in comics, of course, but I know many who feel the same way.
Alternatively, here’s Johanna with another reason why women may be turned off by superhero comics:
Too many decision-makers rely on passed-down wisdom about how things are based on how they’ve been, without realizing that times, markets, and possibilities have changed. I’m reminded of the stupid comments the Supergirl editor made about how his book, featuring a badly drawn, anatomically exaggerated lead character wearing next to nothing, was aiming at girls by putting in a guy who showed some chest hair in his costume. He clearly knew nothing about what female readers wanted or considered important in their reading.
Go, read.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
“He clearly knew nothing about what female readers wanted or considered important in their reading.”
Right. Everyone knows chicks dig bulges.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
This is purely based on my friends but I know a lot of women who like superhero comics. I have friends who are just getting into them now, in their 20s and early 30s. I know women who went to Iron Man and came out asking for recommendations about what to read.
The art isn’t turning them off. The concept isn’t. They like what they see, much of the time. So the generalization that is being made here isn’t necessarily true.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Apparently all the girls and women I’ve known over my entire life who liked superhero comics were…unwomen, I guess, or man-women, or freakwomen or something. Power to you, freaksisters, for doing what science says you musn’t do!
May 19th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Phhhht! What could there possibly be that turns women off from superhero comics? Hot, hot, HOT men are wearing tight spandex! Sounds VERY appealing to me!
May 19th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Oh, women in comics! What does that exotic subspecies think? We must disucss it over and over!
As a woman in comics, all I have to say is that “laud” does not mean what Julia Wertz seems to think it does.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Most of the time, when I read articles like these, I feel like I need a dose of laudanum. Achachachachacha!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Yes, the use of “laud” was confusing. Obviously Ms. Wertz can read whatever she likes, but I’ve been reading superhero comics for thirty years, and last time I checked, I am still a woman.
I also like kicks to the head.