This post is Filed Under:
Home page Highlights,
Interviews and Columns
Snow beau Smith
by beau Smith
On a daily basis I’m engaged in some form of communication with everyone that’s a part of the business, creation, and selling of comic books. It’s been that way for over 25 years. For a while now, and even much more so in the last year, there’ve been complaints and uproar about why there aren’t much more women writing and creating comic books. The subject seems to be a high horse that everyone wants to ride. Not me.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that I want women eliminated from the creation of comic books. That would be wrong. I want lots of women to create and write comics, but only if they’re good writers.
Green Arrow written by Ann Nocenti
This request, or ought to I say demand, that women ought to be writing comics seems to be aimed at marvel and DC Comics for the most part. Superhero books still dominate the company of comics and superhero comics are still primarily purchased by the male gender. just a fact. It could change, but count on me, it’ll be a slow change. I’m talking about decades to change, not overnight. because the 1980s the number of women writing and drawing comic books has enhanced far beyond what we would’ve thought in the 1960s, but it has been slow.
For the most part, women don’t read superhero comic books as much as males do. maybe one day they will, but I doubt if it’ll be in my lifetime. (I plan to be around for a lot longer, so don’t get your hopes up.)
No one ought to be given the writing responsibilities of a comic book because of their gender, race, sexual preference, religious beliefs, or the way they comb their hair. They ought to be a good writer first and foremost.
Wonder woman written by Gail Simone.
The person that ought to be writing wonder woman doesn’t have to be a woman, it ought to be the writer who makes the character and the story compelling. Does the person writing The Black Panther need to be African-American? No. It ought to be the person who makes the character interesting to read for the widest audience.
Robin Spoiler special written by Chuck Dixon.
The editor or publisher that hires a developer based only on their race or gender ought to be shown the door. A terrific story has no race, gender, or political leanings on the computer screen. It ought to just be the best story possible. If the writer’s gender or race happens to match that of the character in this terrific story, then wonderful, but it shouldn’t come before the terrific story.
Terra written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray. Art by Amanda Conner.
The fact that superhero comics is still very much a male dominated company is just a fact. You want to change it? then much more women need to write as genderless as Gail Simone, Ann Nocenti, Chuck Dixon and Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray. They write terrific stories for all fictional characters, male and female.
In a “Beau Perfect” world, the only people writing superhero comics would be West Virginian males over the age of 50 with a beard, a ball cap grafted to their head, and a strong desire for Chili Cheese Fritos. We know that’s not gonna happen, but a man can dream.
You don’t have to show you’re a man or a woman to me, but you do have to show you’re a good writer. Do that and I’ll not only keep purchasing your comics, I’ll tell everyone else to purchase them as well.
Your amigo,
Beau Smith
The flying Fist Ranch
www.flyingfistranch.com