Journalista is one of the comic sites that I take time to actually read each day, and while the roundup of news is good, I really enjoy it when Dirk gets on his soap box to tackle a subject that is sure to get some rotten fruit thrown at him.
The topic today? How women are portrayed in comics, those that hate it, and making comics safe for children.
Don’t believe the hype. If the Girl Wonder crowd were really concerned with making superhero comics safe for 13-year-old girls, they’d be arguing over far, far more than statues, Playboy, or Stephanie Brown. They’d be arguing that their favorite comics should again be written exclusively for children. They’d demand a return to (and stricter enforcement of) the Comics Code Authority, that a sharper line of demarcation be drawn between kiddie comics and those for the existing fanbase, and that virtually all of Marvel and DC’s main line of product be placed firmly on the children’s side of the line. They’d demand an end to decades of continuity, so as to allow new readers every opportunity to jump onboard. They’d demand more female comics creators and more women in management, and assurances that women have a voice on the board of directors for the CCA. In other words, if “think of the children” really were at the core of this argument, an authentic feminist agenda would be centered around actually thinking of the children, and not their own tastes and inclinations. What adherents of such an agenda wouldn’t waste their time over is anything involving statues, Playboy or Stephanie Brown. They’d have bigger fish to fry.
While this excerpt sums up the argument, the entire article is worth the read, and should stir up quite a few comments.
