Tag: comic books

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Petition to Marvel for more superheroines

Petition to Marvel for more superheroines

E submitted:

I know this is a bit off-topic for your website, but I thought it would appeal to your fanbase. It is a petition to Marvel for more female-based comics, particularly asking for solo stories (preventing the inclusion of women by just giving male MC’s a girlfriend) and non-objectifying storylines. At submission, there were only 300 signatures, and I think there are way more fans out there who would like to see non-sexist superheroines.

I hesitated to publish this link for some time now (there are 4000+ signatures at the moment), because frankly, I don’t endorse this particular petition.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a noble cause, BUT since the topic (women in comics) is not only broad, but particularly delicate and controversial, the petition concerning it should be created with care, thought and meticulous research.
And what I see under this link is just general statements put haphazardly with the dreaded “strong female character” phrase and this fanart that, despite best intentions, conveys status quo of all superheroines sharing the same cartoonishly thin body and similar face.

The petition is poorly worded, full of generalizations and needlessly judgmental statements.
If I personally were to sign a petition for such big, broad feminist cause, I would expect much better execution out of it.

But in the end, I’ll let the readers decide whether or not they should sign it.

~~~

As we’re on the subject of petitioning mainstream comic publishers, I’d encourage readers to take a look at THIS ONE that asks DC to stop their distasteful ‘draw suicidal Harley Quinn’ art contest.
I wouldn’t go as far as to cry ‘sexualization!’ at the script they’re asking to be drawn, but neither did DC have to specifically ask for Harley to be naked in the infamous bathtub panel (many contestants would depict her as such either way), nor did the page need to be about suicide jokes at all.
The script provided is taken out of context, described poorly, doesn’t suit the character and sounds awfully triggering (and unfunny, if you asked me). Not to mention it came out during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
It’s not a good material for an open-for-everyone art contest, so let’s make DC know we don’t want it to continue.

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Which brings us to the question that inspired this piece — so f#$@ing what?! Do clothes make the hero? And the answer, honestly, is a resounding, ‘eh.’

Which is not to say a costume is irrelevant. There is the oft heard question, “Why would you fight crime in a bathing suit?” That question, by the way, is totally fair. On one hand, if you are an nearly indestructible Kryptonian, you could fight in your birthday suit and not have to worry about getting skinned alive if thrown into a building or bounced through the street. And hey, the less under your secret identity day clothes the more comfortable, right?

On the other hand, even Superman wears tights, so why can’t the women? The swimwear approach to costuming after all is routinely mocked, be the hero female or male. Just look at Aquaman and Robin. One suspects that they are mocked for the swimwear of justice because that kind of costuming is perceived as something only a super heroine should wear. Because female heroes are drawn with bare limbs and scantier uniforms not because they don’t need the physical protection but because it’s sexy.

Ah, male gaze. My old frenemy.

So that’s the solution, right? Just slap some dockers on them ladies and everything’s equal in female and male depictions, right?

Well, not really, no. Putting a female hero in pants does not mean she is somehow protected from an artist positioning her primarily for the male gaze. For example, Marvel Comics recently began a new ongoing called Fearless Defenders which stars Valkyrie and Misty Knight. Both of these characters wear pants and, yet, I lost count by about page five of how many times Misty’s ass took center stage in any given panel. Basically, where there’s a male gaze will, there’s a male gaze way — pants or no pants, tights or bared legs.

To Pants or Not to Pants – The Superhero Uniform and its Discontents – Dan Roth
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Princeless Lampoons Popular Female Armor

jedda-martele submitted:

Princeless is a great, fairly new comic book series aimed at kids.  The protagonist is Princess Adrienne, who has decided to rescue herself.  There are plenty of moments that mock standard comic book conventions.  Here’s one about ladies’ armor.image

Oh, good one!

I remember the subverted pin-up cover of this comic that was featured on Escher Girls that one time.

Considering it’s a kids comic, not young adult one, I’m starting to think that all those clever references in Princeless may fly over the heads of target audience.