So my friend Paris has a blog. You remember me talking about Paris. He has this cool indy comic called After, and runs a comic label called Memetic Press. Paris and I have known each other since college, and though I love the guy to pieces, we argue a lot. A lot. We've been arguing, quite literally, since the first day we met face-to-face, and we haven't stopped since. Not all-out fights mind you, but the kind of testy bickering only friends who have known each other a long time and who will never change their minds about certain things can have. He's a smart guy, but we are sort of on opposite ends when it comes to a good many things. And I'll admit it, sometimes I like to push his buttons when I'm bored. I'm sure he'll admit to doing the same with me. If he doesn't admit it, he's a great big liar. Don't believe him.
Paris has gone and written a post in his blog about women in comics. As usual, I agree with some things, but feel the need to argue over some details. Now, go read the post. I'll wait. Read it? Good. Here's what I think.
"This can be seen reflected in the nature of virtually every female comic book character conceived prior to about the late Silver Age, with the notable exception of the good Dr. Marston’s original “girl-on-girl bondage action” treatment of Wonder Woman. Not entirely progressive in everyone’s eyes perhaps, but Princess Diana certainly wasn’t in the kitchen chilling anyones martini in time for them to get off work."
How about coffee? Don't forget, the Amazon princess who could kick the asses of probably anyone on the JSA at the time was also their secretary. There's nothing wrong with being a secretary. I used to be a secretary. But she was, perhaps, a smidge overqualified for the job, yes? Sure it was a sign of the times, but that sign stinks.
"Secondly, this is a reality that is CHANGING, like every other depiction of females in popular entertainment that I can think of. It just seems to be happening in mainstream comic books at a much slower rate, but so are a lot of progressions quite frankly, and analyzing THAT particular stagnation could fill a fucking book, let alone another blog entry."
This reality is changing. Well done American Society. Do you know why it's changing? Because nitpicky, uppity females are hollering about it on a daily basis. Yeah, fangirls can be pretty annoying, but sometimes we make good points. And sometimes extreme hollering is the only hollering anyone will take notice of.
"Ladies, you want treatments of women in comic books that are insightful, respectful, interesting and realistic? Create some. Oh, and buy the ones that already are."
A fantastic idea, and you are not the first to point it out. More women are, in fact, writing and creating comics. You know a few of them, myself included. (*Shameless plug, shameless plug.* ) However, sometimes a woman has already bought a she knows and loves, with a character she can truly identify with, and all of a sudden for no good reason other than the writer was too lazy to come up with a better storyline, that character gets jammed head first into a refrigerator? That still happens more often than I'd like, and I feel we still need to point it out when it does. (Some will point it out more loudly than others perhaps, but it still should be pointed out.)
"Quick quiz: Other than Foxy Brown, Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, and Geena Davis in The Long Kiss Goodnight, name ONE female lead in an action movie prior to about the late 1990s. Seriously, take your time with it. Now, just for shits and giggles, think about the trend Tarantino started with the Kill Bill films."
Kill Bill? Kill Bill?!? You're going to give Tarantino credit for something that is a direct result of the women's movement in the 60's and 70's? No way buddy. I'd give credit to the current surge of female action heroes to Second Wave and Third Wave feminists (however you feel about the labels) more than I would Tarantino for goodness sakes. The commercial success of movies like Alien and Star Wars, not to mention television shows like Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, and Charlie's Angels have more to do with why Mila Jovavich is kicking zombie ass on screen than Tarantino. This "current trend" as you call it started way before Kill Bill. Don't get me wrong, I like Kill Bill, but pop culture changed because society changed, and society changed because, whether you agree with their politics or not, feminists changed it. That was a collective voice arguing for a long, long time. I agree it takes awhile, but come on. Credit where it's due, yeah?
In any case, I know Paris and I will probably discuss this topic more in depth sometime later on, as is often the case with topics like these. In the meantime, I'm going to get to work on my own comic, and let him work on his. And for those of you who haven't read After yet, you should. For those who have and are patiently waiting for another issue, I'm promised a second issue very soon. (Right Paris? *Glares*) In it, you'll get to read a pretty damn cool character by the name of Tempest that definitely meets my "cool female comic character" standard. That is, if he hasn't beheaded her and dumped her in a major appliance already.
Wing ("
