The subject of female involvement in the comics industry is a controversial one. There are many opinions on the number of women writers and artists, the treatment of female characters and female fans, and the exploitative sexualisation of women in the comic genre in general.
Some people believe that misogyny is rife in the comics industry, and it is easy to see why. A traditionally male dominated industry, such as comics, can be unwelcoming to women, though this is far from my experience of comic fandom. Female characters are often placed in the ‘damsel in distress’ role and more frequently meet grizzly ends or fall into insanity. However it is worth noting that this is not limited to the comics industry but is present across a wide range of art forms, and this where the debate becomes thorny. And while women are more often the victims in superhero stories, this may simply be because the heroes are usually men and it is common for their nearest and dearest (wives and girlfriends in particular) to be put in peril to drive a story and provide motivation.
That does, however, raise the issue of exactly where all the female superheroes are. We have Wonder Woman, Batgirl and Supergirl, but ask any average person to name ten female heroes and it’s a pretty safe bet that they’ll struggle. Thor, Captain America, Batman and Green Lantern all got summer blockbuster treatment, but a new Wonder Woman television series never made it past the pilot episode. It is a fact, however, the majority of comic fans are white males, and so the characters reflect this demographic with more male lead characters, and skimpy costumes and perfect figures for the women. Comic companies have said that there will be more prominent female characters when there is a substantial demand for it, but female fans will stay away from comics until they see an attractive representation of women on the shelves. And female writers and artists can present female characters in such a way that they aren’t simply victims or set dressing. So what can we do?
It is obvious that this is a complicated and nuanced subject that deserves a lot of careful thought and attention. But the consumer has a lot of power in these situations, and it is not just feminists who are fed up with the current status quo in the comics industry. While I believe that everyone should be given equal opportunities to shine, regardless of their gender, it is clear that sometimes female writers and artists need a little more help and support to be heard in the comic industry and to get their work out there.
So enter artist Renae de Liz and her Womanthology project. Womanthology is a new book which will showcase the work of women in comics and includes not only seasoned professionals, but newcomers as well. The funding for Womanthology came from the creative funding website, Kickstarter. This is a site where regular people, just like you and I, can contribute to the funding needed to produce an album or a book and get a little something in return, other that the warm feeling that comes with doing good. Each project offers rewards for contributing, from your name on the thank you page, to signed copies of the finished product. In the case of Womanthology, there are some super geeky rewards for the most generous contributors. It reached its $25,000 funding goal in 24 hours, which says a lot about how eager fans are for something new and fresh.
At the time of writing, the project was sitting at almost $68,000 – more than double the target. What’s more is that if the project collects over $70,000 in funding, de Liz will set up a foundation that helps new creators get their work out to publishers. With the publishing industry being as competitive as it is, this would be a great help to new talent. So, why not pop on over to the Womanthology Kickstarter page and donate – even if it’s only a dollar. There isn’t long left. The project will be officially funded and no more donations accepted on August 7th so be quick! All the profits from the sale of the book go to Global Giving Foundation which helps small charities all over the world.
So, it seems that more women in comics is a good thing, that has a lot of support. If only Marvel and DC would take notice.
