Dear Marvel, or I Need an Outraged Icon
May. 7th, 2009 12:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
clodia_risaI understand that you'd like to write a story about women who kick ass and then are friends as well. This sounds like a grand idea. I like it when my kickass female characters that I love and adore do some asskicking and then bonding over tea. In their comfy shoes, because running after the bad guys is tough work. And not over drinks, because they need to be alert for any villains that might come running along. And not really talk about boys, because, well, they have so many other more interesting things to discuss. Also, I like it when you write these things and have some respect for me as a person and as a fan.
Here are some female characters from other comic book series, America and Japanese both, who I love and adore, who kick ass, have friends, have canonically sat around and had drinks with them, and don't make me want to shoot their authors. And by kick ass, I mean literally kick bad guys ass in ways which are somewhat reminiscent of superheroes. Because boy do I love superheroes. They're so much fun!
Riza Hawkeye, Fullmetal Alchemist
Olivia Armstrong, Fullmetal Alchemist
Every female character from FMA ever.
Agatha Heterodyne, Girl Genius
Zeetha, Girl Genius
Haley, Order of the Stick
Varsuvius (maybe?), Order of the Stick
Margaret, College Roomies from Hell!
Ahiru, Princess Tutu
Rue, Princess Tutu (it's EPIC ballet kickassery)
Casca, Berserk (I sometimes want to shoot the authors, but not all the time)
Every female character in Saiyuki
Every female character in Schlock Mercenary
Anne, The Wotch
Cassie, The Wotch
I can go on, but you get my point. You can have women who have either supernatural powers or have worked out a lot doing things like vanquishing enemies and having friends and talking to them. It makes for good stories! You know what all of these comics have in common? They have kickass men too! And sometimes the men are more powerful than the women, and sometimes the women more powerful than the men. And that's okay! And sometimes we get the girls talking about pretty parties and boys and shoes, and sometimes we get strips like this.
All I want you to do is this. Realize that women want to read your comic books. We do! We like Spider-Man and Magneto and Rogue and Deadpool andCable and Iron Man and Mr. Sinister and Baron Mordo and everyone! Who do you think is seeing your movies? At least fifty percent of every audience I've been in has been female. Please, take us seriously as people and as fans. Just - stop being so damn misogynistic. Stop belittling us. Stop belittling your female characters. You can probably find at least one person with a Ph.D. in popular American media and women's studies who would be happy to talk to you about your comics and why you might be having issues getting more of that particular 50% of the population to read it.
You're always going to have girls who won't want to read it. You'll always have guys who won't want to read it. If you were simply welcoming and not dismissive of me, I might even read some more comics. Even if you didn't change anything in the comics, but welcomed me. But you aren't. So I'm going to go read my webcomics and my manga. And maybe I'll read one of your books in the store, because I love me some Deadpool. And Magneto. But I'm currently very glad that I didn't give you any money for your Wolverine movie.
Here are some female characters from other comic book series, America and Japanese both, who I love and adore, who kick ass, have friends, have canonically sat around and had drinks with them, and don't make me want to shoot their authors. And by kick ass, I mean literally kick bad guys ass in ways which are somewhat reminiscent of superheroes. Because boy do I love superheroes. They're so much fun!
Riza Hawkeye, Fullmetal Alchemist
Olivia Armstrong, Fullmetal Alchemist
Every female character from FMA ever.
Agatha Heterodyne, Girl Genius
Zeetha, Girl Genius
Haley, Order of the Stick
Varsuvius (maybe?), Order of the Stick
Margaret, College Roomies from Hell!
Ahiru, Princess Tutu
Rue, Princess Tutu (it's EPIC ballet kickassery)
Casca, Berserk (I sometimes want to shoot the authors, but not all the time)
Every female character in Saiyuki
Every female character in Schlock Mercenary
Anne, The Wotch
Cassie, The Wotch
I can go on, but you get my point. You can have women who have either supernatural powers or have worked out a lot doing things like vanquishing enemies and having friends and talking to them. It makes for good stories! You know what all of these comics have in common? They have kickass men too! And sometimes the men are more powerful than the women, and sometimes the women more powerful than the men. And that's okay! And sometimes we get the girls talking about pretty parties and boys and shoes, and sometimes we get strips like this.
All I want you to do is this. Realize that women want to read your comic books. We do! We like Spider-Man and Magneto and Rogue and Deadpool and
You're always going to have girls who won't want to read it. You'll always have guys who won't want to read it. If you were simply welcoming and not dismissive of me, I might even read some more comics. Even if you didn't change anything in the comics, but welcomed me. But you aren't. So I'm going to go read my webcomics and my manga. And maybe I'll read one of your books in the store, because I love me some Deadpool. And Magneto. But I'm currently very glad that I didn't give you any money for your Wolverine movie.
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no subject
on 2009-05-07 05:12 pm (UTC)Ah, Hawkeye. So outraged. So badass. So feminine. So adored by me, a female willing to spend disposable income on the things I like.