On Body Image, Diversity, and Comics’ Outdated Standard of Beauty

ESPN made a “Body Issue” based on Marvel superheroes, and it’s glorious. But before we get to that, let’s go through some fascinating history first. The first Body Issue was published in 2009 in response to a significant decline in ESPN magazine’s revenue during the financial crisis. Not only that, because it was also a response for that pesky high-selling publication from their competitor, Sports Illustrated’s annual Swimsuit Issue. ESPN photographers took shots of athletes — some more famous, others less know — nearly or completely naked, bearing it all with a soccer ball, or a baseball bat, or the snowboard they ride on. Where the Swimsuit Issue focused on homogenous models showcasing bikinis and pandering to the typical standard of Hollywood beauty however, the Body Issue saw an opportunity: ESPN the Magazine would focus on the diversity of the human form by centering on the athletes themselves. And focusing on diversity proved to be an amazingly successful strategy. Who knew? Since the Body Issue began in 2009 it’s been a sensational hit, highlighting the beauty of the human form, with the single common bond that those bodies are athletic. And by that common bond, ESPN: The Magazine shattered the perception at-large of what it means to be “athletic,” and what we think of when we imagine such a build. Serena Williams – the first Body Issue cover – had her body featured alongside surfer Claire Bevilacqua, Olympic shot put competitor Michelle Carter, and the first amputee…