The Future of Comics Belongs to Women

[Photography by Charles “Teenie” Harris] When you read the guest list of a comic convention, what do you see? Usually I notice the big names first, maybe a few iconic, and then a spatter of new faces whose work drew my attention in the past year. I skim the headshots and begin to add unrecognizable faces to their recognizable names, and as I browse through the photos and my eyes begin to blur, something strange happens: it begins to look like a Magic Eye puzzle we used to play with in 3rd grade. The pictures merge to show a single representation. That’s when I look away, shake it off, and start looking for my favorite women. And lately, that’s becoming easier to find.

It’s no secret the comics industry has long been a boys’ club, but oh, is that trend steadily changing. While challenges still remain for women growing into prominence in comics – especially gender queer and women of color – many are doing just that with remarkable artwork, fantastic storytelling, and diverse characters whose dynamism wins out against over-muscled, more homogenous characters of the past. Comics only stand to benefit from broadening the diversity of its writers, and leading that charge are women, both famous and lesser known. In the more famous category we have Kelly Sue DeConnick, whose Bitch Planet is as much entertainment as it is a statement. She’s also the writer of Captain Marvel, who at the time of DeConnick’s start was Marvel’s only solo series starring a woman protagonist. Bitch Planet …