Women in comics

[Emp]

Can I just head this one off at the pass.
This conversation ends now.
Women in comics = yes.
Women comics = no.

So much for heading it off at the pass....just a detour

[Richmond Clements]

Okay, To get this back on track...

Richmond or Bolt-01 can likely inform us better here, but I got the impression there were plenty of female contributors to MangaQuake compared to books like Zarjaz or FutureQuake.

Correct. It's a damned shame, but it's correct.
Apart from Liz (Lady Festina) I cannot think of any other female writers on our books - that's not to say there aren't, it just means I can't remember any in my drunken state.
And as I can't be bothered typing long posts and the vodka takes hold, here's a link to a thing a wrote a while ago: http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2012/guest-post-richmond-clements-on-women-in-comics-again/

[Silent_Bomber]

Just thought I'd add-

In my experience the depiction of women in 2000ad is waay better than just about any comic from a mainstream US company (especially Marvel), I've been getting back into popular US comics recently and its just really standing out how completely one dimensional female characters are, and they've pretty much always got huge boobs and skimpy outfits too, they barely even speak most of the time!

[qtwerk]

Most stand-up comedy is pish; I don't see why female stand-up comedy should be any different.

There aren't any good female standups. Which seems rather definitive in the fact department.

Louis CK. Bill Hicks. Stewart Lee. Doug Stanhope. Brendan Burns. Jim Jeffries. Dylan Moran. Chris Rock. Ed Byrne. ..........Sarah Milican.

There's no difference between female or male writers; there's some great authors of the female persuasion (Gail Simone has done some great work in comics and long may she continue with her forthcoming take on Red Sonja) as well as the bad (Karen Travis; an "author" that doesn't enjoy reading).

I think more women should write comics, especially for female characters, it makes them ring true and might do a lot of good improving women's viewpoints on comics as being something other than adolescent funny books or "shite" as the wife calls them. More than a few times I've had dismissive opinions thrown back at me when I've suggested someone read the original Walking Dead volumes alongside the TV show, but aparently those are just "dumb comics" where as the series is on TV so is legit for entertainment, reading Spider-Man at aged 30 is dumb but paying £10 to watch a 30 year old pretend to be a teenage Spider-Man swing about onscreen for 90mins is a great way to spend a Friday night, but I digress; that's a whole other subject entirely. Sorry for that. 

My wife has never and will never read a comic, but she does like Walking Dead on telly. Will she ever read the GNs on the bookshelf? As if. Most comics are read and created by blokes.

Why is that?

[Richmond Clements]

Gosh this is a ridiculous conversation

Step the fuck away from it then.
That wasn't a suggestion.

Why? Have I been abusive or rude or said anything contentious? Why don't you calm down dear?

Crikey

You haven't, which is why I'm trying to head it off at the pass - I can see this getting ugly, and would rather not have this happen.

[Frank]

There's a real sharp drop off after Bill Hicks on that list, and I would have mentioned Richard Pryor and Billy Connolly long before I got round to Jim Jeffries. I rate Lee, and Chris Rock is great, but even people as personable and occasionally brilliant as Ed Byrne and Dylan Moran are as comfortable and safe as Victoria Wood and Lucy Porter.

It's a matter of personal taste, of course.

[Goaty]

Oh hardest topic to answering!

I never thought about that, as been enjoy many 2000AD stories for years, and never think about male/female writers, but sorry as can't recall if there is any female writers of Sci-Fi books?

[qtwerk]

Just thought I'd add-

In my experience the depiction of women in 2000ad is waay better than just about any comic from a mainstream US company (especially Marvel), I've been getting back into popular US comics recently and its just really standing out how completely one dimensional female characters are, and they've pretty much always got huge boobs and skimpy outfits too, they barely even speak most of the time!

Well, I mentioned Hellblazer and Sandman. Also British. Tomb Raider's Lara Croft. British. Joanna Dark. British.

[Frank]

Oops, sorry Rich.

[sheldipez]

Just thought I'd add-

In my experience the depiction of women in 2000ad is waay better than just about any comic from a mainstream US company (especially Marvel), I've been getting back into popular US comics recently and its just really standing out how completely one dimensional female characters are, and they've pretty much always got huge boobs and skimpy outfits too, they barely even speak most of the time!

The worst thing is that when the writing is good but the artists insist on constantly drawing the women's behinds facing the reader whilst the men they're talking to get to face the reader. You get so used to it that I bet it's easy to miss how often this happens yet you'd soon notice it if it was the other way around.

[TordelBack]

Most comics are read and created by blokes.

Why is that?

Well that's the fucking question being asked isn't it.

If you seriously believe women don't read and create great comics, can we talk about Claire Bretecher? Alison Bechdel?  Jill Thomson?  Posey Simmonds? Amanda Conner?  Marijane Satrapi?  The incredibly funny Trudy Cooper?  Linda Medly?  Fiona Staples?  Jan Duursemer?  And that's only accessible gaijin stuff, I haven't got a clue about manga and untranslated material.

If you mean just superhero comics, well just read a cross-section of the bloody things.

[Charlie boy]

Alan Moore's old essay on the subject can be found on this person's blog
http://boredrigged.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/alan-moores-essay-sexism-in-comics.html
I used it as source material for an essay I wrote in my Sexual Revolutions module at uni, my chosen subject being women in comics.

[qtwerk]

There's a real sharp drop off after Bill Hicks on that list, and I would have mentioned Richard Pryor and Billy Connolly long before I got round to Jim Jeffries. I rate Lee, and Chris Rock is great, but even people as personable and occasionally brilliant as Ed Byrne and Dylan Moran are as comfortable and safe as Victoria Wood and Lucy Porter.

It's a matter of personal taste, of course.

Yeah of course. I agree most stand-up is awful. But only Sarah Silverman, Tina Fey and Julia Davis buck the trend. And I really hate Victoria wood.

After the first three largest armies? Realllllll fucking big drop off. Nice.

[Goaty]

If you seriously believe women don't read and create great comics, can we talk about Claire Bretecher? Alison Bechdel?  Jill Thomson?  Posey Simmonds? Amanda Conner?  Marijane Satrapi?  The incredibly funny Trudy Cooper?  Linda Medly?  Fiona Staples?  Jan Ostrander?

Thanks, I better digging biggest hole for myself... 

[qtwerk]

Gosh this is a ridiculous conversation

Step the fuck away from it then.
That wasn't a suggestion.

Why? Have I been abusive or rude or said anything contentious? Why don't you calm down dear?

Crikey

You haven't, which is why I'm trying to head it off at the pass - I can see this getting ugly, and would rather not have this happen.

No honestly. I'm not doing that. In many ways I think lots of male-dominated pursuits are really fucking nerdy, which is why blokes like them, and women realise they're possibly a bit silly