Sequential Feminism

When it comes to comic books, you may think of them as being particularly male oriented reads. There are plenty of wonderful examples, though, of comics created by females that are more realistic and heartfelt than the rugged late 80s-early 90s norm which is, thankfully, going extinct. Women have been drawing comics for as long as there have been comics, but only comparatively recently has the market for these works been acknowledged, and it's much easier to find graphic novels drawn and/or written by women not just in the underground 'zine section but also on the mainstream shelves. This mainstreaming of feminine comics is a very good thing, bringing a broader range of perspectives to the comics world.

There are plenty of great artists you can look up, like Lynda Barry, Colleen Coover or Amanda Conner. But I wanted to write this post because of a surprising read from Eric Powell, known for his watercolored comics about thugs, zombies and women who look like 50s pinups. I've loved his characters and art for years, but never expected anything resembling feminism from his work. Taking a break from his main projects, though, he created a 3-part miniseries called Chimichanga, about a little bearded girl at the circus named Lula. Lula is a surprising character as far as Powell creations go- She has indomitable self esteem in the face of a society that finds her ugly.

The rising incidences of this kind of attitude in male-created comics shows that we've made progress, I feel. Please take the time to check out more comic works by female artists!