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DC Comics says they need more women writers
By Jessica GentileJuly 31st, 2011, 3:00 pmComments (14)
The dearth of female artists, writers, and characters in mainstream comics is nothing new. However due to recent criticism, DC Comics' co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee are finally responding to rising complaints about the lack of gender balance in their work. According to a statement from the duo:
"Over the past week we've heard from fans about a need for more women writers, artists and characters. We want you to know, first and foremost, that we hear you and take your concerns very seriously... We'll have exciting news about new projects with women creators in the coming months and will be making those announcements closer to publication. Many [previously mentioned female] creators will be working on new projects as we continue to tell the ongoing adventures of our characters... We know there are dozens of other women creators and we welcome the opportunity to work with them."
DiDio and Lee also cited several female collaborators including Gail Simone, Fiona Staples and Nicola Scott, among others that they've worked with in the past, though these women have mostly stood as exceptions than the rule. Also I'd like to believe there are more than just "dozens" of women writers and artists out there who'd love a chance to share their work with one of the largest comic publishers around. Ladies, here's your chance to make yourself known. Send them your best work today!
Commentarium (14 Comments)
Undoubtedly to appeal to all those female comic book junkies.
I like comic books now, and I'm a girl. But I didn't like them when I was a kid...why? Because there were no female characters in any of the comics that I could relate to. Boys could pick up a comic book and find a hero to relate to--an ordinary, quiet guy (like them!) who turns into a hero (that could be me!). But when we picked up comic books, we only found idiots and chicks who constantly got themselves in crappy situations and had to get rescued. Turns out, I never saw myself that way, and neither did most of the girls I grew up with. That's why I ended up getting into Adventure/RPG PC games instead--more female heroes and more sculpted female characters overall. Characters like Celes from FFIII hooked me in. And needless to say, when Resident Evil came out and you could be the chick--that blew my mind.
I'm all for there being more women in the comics world. But what they actually need is more writers who can write believably authentic (non-cookie-cutter) female characters.
This! The gender of the writer doesn't matter if the character is shallow and stereotypical.
They need good writers in general.
Agreed!
This is never happen in America where women in general, liberated as they are, will NOT gravitate to such material.
+1
I disagree. Perhaps the stories or content haven't been directed in the right way to a female market...everything is on the extremes...either historical, misogynistic tropes or fluffy, soap opera, romance-esque genres.
Maybe it just takes a well rounded character, with flaws and strengths and different sized breasts, to attract female readers. Or any readers at all. DC may be struggling, perhaps, but online comics and other forms of graphic media (and I won't even go into anime's popularity) attract females by the droves.
Exactly. I'm a female and I enjoy comics, but it's difficult to relate. Not that everything has to be all grrrrl-power and shit, but come on. I was a long-time subscriber to Heavy Metal, in fact, until the rape ratio crested 2/issue.
Another female here agreeing with HipHop Hippo and thinkywritey. As another female who enjoys comics, I've been looking at my favorite heroes and villains and... I just don't see the strong female figures there. Look at Batman. Who's there? Every major female villain is either someone's squeeze, romantically involved with Batman, or their power is sex appeal. Do women have no place in comics when they're not somehow related to men? I do appreciate new strong female characters such as Jane Doe and Cassandra Cain, but honestly, I find myself prefering original female characters made in the fandom to actual DC characters right now.
Totally agree with HipHop Hippo, thinkywritey, and anon. The argument here is the chicken or the egg. Would girls have still never read comics if they'd been presented with female characters that weren't plot devices and jerkoff fodder? Like I said above, when I was a kid I was presented with my brothers' comic books or their PC and console adv/RPG games. I played Metroid, FFIII, and Res Evil so many times that I broke them. If the comic books had strong, relatable females, too, I bet you anything I'd have a bookshelf full of comic books instead of a bunch of preserved consoles and games.
I say they hire Barbara Kesel!
Maybe Amy Winehouse can write for DC comics.