Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
After giving away a free comic from EMET Comics a few weeks ago, I got to talking with their founder about the value of diversity in media, specifically in the world of comics books. Both of us agreed: we need more. So, thanks to her team member, Marial Llorens, we have a helpful post today on that very topic. And as a refresher: You can download their free comic here.
It’s undeniable that comic book culture has exploded in the past decade. You can see its influence everywhere, though most notably in film and TV adaptations inspired by comics. It seems that every day a new comic book adaptation is announced, and that trend seems unlikely to wane anytime soon. Stories that already have a following are less of a financial risk for the mostly white, mostly male gatekeepers of pop culture.
These comic-based TV shows and films have, admittedly, been skewed toward men and male characters. The big names are all dudes: Captain America, Iron Man, Superman, Batman. Black Widow and Gamora are the token women in all-male teams.
As comic writer Mark Millar put it: “I do think it’s interesting we got a talking raccoon before we got a female lead in a comic-book movie.”
More infuriating than interesting, but you get the point. In 2014, only 12% of protagonists in films were women. Only 10% were non-white.
In Hollywood, it’s almost exclusively men that get to spearhead comic book adaptations, sci-fi, action, and fantasy films and TV shows. And movies by male filmmakers only have a female lead 4% of the time.
Movies and TV have yet to really catch up to comics, an industry that’s also mostly male (and white, and cis, and hetero) but shifting at a more rapid pace. Comics with strong female leads and female creators, at least, are frequenting bestseller lists more than ever before. The serialized format of comics and the frequent creation/cancellation of stories mean that the industry has had more flexibility as of late in responding to a growing and more diverse audience.
What does this all mean? It means comic books are the future.
Comics are a battleground where women, minorities, and people of varying gender and sexual identities can make a big impact on media. What starts in comics will end up on TV, in movies, on billboards, on kids’ lunchboxes, and in the popular imagination.
Representation in the comics industry remains far from perfect. Tim Hanley of Bleeding Cool reported that at both DC and Marvel, about 83% of credits on comics were men in August 2015. And that’s a “fantastic” month for women. Only 1 in 4 of Marvel’s titles launching in January are led by a female character. At other publishers, the numbers aren’t much better.
But there are signs that things in comics are improving. Thor is a woman and Captain America is black. Raina Telgemeier rules the bestseller lists with graphic novels aimed at middle school girls. In a recent issue of Batgirl, a smart and brave transgender female character helps rescue her fiancé—a woman—and marries her.
There’s still a long way to go to get equal representation. As consumers, we can make a difference in how media is created and who is included in the conversation. What’s the simplest, most powerful solution for effecting change?
Vote with your wallet.
You want to see more women and minorities creating and starring in comics, TV, and films? Seek out stories that feature them and are created by them and throw your hard-earned dollars at them as fast as you can. Get your butt to a comic book shop or a bookstore and be vocal online about what you want to see in your stories.
With your support, they may even make it to the big screen.
Emet Comics was founded in January 2015 by a community of female filmmakers to empower storytellers and artists who didn’t feel like they had a platform for their unique stories. It is widely known that media images can be incredibly powerful in influencing biases that marginalize young women, often making them feel like they aren’t smart enough, pretty enough, or brave enough. Emet Comics aims to empower young women to see themselves in the driver seat of their lives and to dare to dream the impossible! Through bold and diverse comics, Emet’s creators are proving that women are not afraid to take risks, dream, and lead adventurous lives. They hope to create a movement to empower female storytellers and in turn empower women all over the world. Learn more at emetcomics.com
We all love free things. And around here, we love things that promote female artists, creators, writers and makers. Imagine this: there are combinations of these things. And it’s happening on this here blog. Emet Comics was launched in January 2015 to empower female storytellers and artists. They partner with these women to release new comics online every week.
And this week, we get to offer you one of these comics for free! Woot.
The work being done at Emet Comics is really important for a lot of reasons, but here are some of the most prominent:
- Women are under-represented in comics, both on the art and story side.
- Comic readers don’t have many options for stories about ALL kinds of women.
- Financial support from comic publisher’s continues to dwindle, which means new female talent aren’t getting any new opportunities.
The free comic they are offering to Being Geek Chic readers is a new title from Cindy Tobisman and Lynne Yoshii called Inside the Loop. The story follows Tora Wellborne who stands at the center of two politically diverged cities,
The Collective and The Loop. When she falls victim to the Plague, she
finds her allegiances in question as she fights to survive.
DOWNLOAD INSIDE THE LOOP HERE.
You can learn more about Emet Comics on their website or on Twitter (@emetcomics) and we really encourage you to download their freebie here to get an idea of what kind of amazing content you’ll find on their publishing platform.
Picture this: you’re a young fashion designer with a background in engineering and a physicist for a best friend. Together, you create a time machine, allowing you to venture seasons ahead in time, seeing trends and looks well before they hit the runway. As a result, you find yourself on an adventure that may jeopardize New York’s most elite and change the future of fashion forever.
Sounds pretty amazing? Thank sisters Shawnelle and Shawnee Gibbs, the writers and creators of Fashion Forward. It’s a new webcomic that just debuted last month. You can download the first issue on Comixology, an online digital comics platform, here.
The Gibbs sisters are the definition of a dynamic duo. The award-winning writing team from the San Francisco Bay Area started their careers in indie animation when they began creating their own webtoons and animated shorts while in college. The Gibbs gals have a mission that we can totally get behind: telling contemporary and timeless tales with female protagonists.
Read on for their interview with BGC!
Q: How did you arrive at the premise for Fashion Forward?
Shawnelle: It was at least 5 years ago now that the idea came on a road trip on the California I-5 from our hometown in Oakland back to Los Angeles. Since the view of cows and dry grass gets pretty redundant after a while, there’s nothing much to do but talk or listen to music and we were in the talking phase of the 5.5 hour trip. I was telling Shawnee´ about a book I wanted to write about a Fashionista who time traveled for ideas. It started a discussion that started snowballing and became the webcomic that became the book. I still get excited thinking about it.
Shawnee: Shawnelle had me with the magic words “time travel” and “stilettos.” We’d been working on all sorts of out-there ideas about ghosts, an early 1900s circus performer and stuff about aliens, so a time traveling adventure was right up our alley. Shawnelle has a bit of a background in fashion–she’d produced on the show Project Runway and had briefly gone to school for fashion back in college, so it manages to spill out here and there. To start an idea, we first have to pitch it to each other (and we can be the toughest critics of a pitch). Sometimes we have to work extra hard to convince the other person of an idea before we write it, but I was immediately onboard with this one and I’ve gotta thank the long and monotonous California I-5 highway for it!
Q: How do you hope Fashion Forward will inspire readers?
Shawnee: At the core of the story is a tale of a young woman in a workplace environment that doesn’t value her very much. When you’re starting a job, particularly creative ones, (which we have a bit of experience with), wages are low and expectations are insane. Sometimes you’re treated terribly and you don’t know what to do. For those that don’t quit entirely, a lot of people grind it out and find themselves in a position where they can either be a part of the problem (the old horrible boss phenomenon) or rise above it all and create a new model.
We’re hoping our readers recognize the importance of staying true to yourself no matter how crazy the fill in the blank world is that you find yourself in–in our protagonist Sam’s case, it’s the incredibly unique and competitive world of haute couture. We hope our readers take away the idea of going against the grain and realizing you can take a stand no matter how much muslin you find yourself tied up in.
Shawnelle: My hope for Fashion Forward is that it encourages women to dream big in the STEAM world while making decisions along the way that they can live with.
Q: Talk about taking the story from script to comic book art.
Shawnee: Shawnelle and I come together to write the script where we plan the story, dialogue and early layout for the panels of a page but it’s our artists who really bring it to life. And we’re so, so lucky to have found two very talented young ladies: Linda Chung, our interior page artist and J.M. Tolman who’s our cover artist for the first half of the series and takes over sequential art for our later books, when Linda moved up North to do amazing things in the gaming world.
Our jaws dropped at these young women’s portfolios and they’re skill and work ethic is just phenomenal. These girls both have talent oozing out of their fingertips and we’ve been lucky enough to have them both on the team!
Q: When did you discover you were “geeky”?
Shawnee: I got the sneaking suspicion that I might have been a geek when Shawnelle and I were kids writing our own comic strips in grade school. But I think the big sign post geeky moments were being in high school opting to hang out late in our English Teacher Ms. Pyeatt’s room editing and drawing comics for the school newspaper while other kids were hanging out at football games and parties. I knew for certain that I was a geek at that point, and I was cool with it.
Q: If you could take any fictional character out for a drink, whom would you choose and what would you drink?
Shawnee: It would have to be Doro the Immortal from the Octavia Butler Patternmaster series. We’d probably drink Scotch—neat…as I try to pry the mysteries of the world out of his cold heart.
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
Shawnelle: Someone is going to offer you fried oysters in a few years, avoid them. And just go ahead and keep being your special brand of weird, you’ll end up totally fine.
Emma Bauer is a Being Geek Chic Contributor. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, dog lover, tea drinker, art appreciator, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. Follow her on Twitter: @emmalynnbauer
Comics are truly great. But they can be a little intimidating, there’s no denying. Issue numbers in the hundreds and beyond. Comic book stores with wall-to-wall selection staring down at you. What’s an average Joe or Jane to do? “Like This/Read That!” is your semi-recurring comic book breakdown here at Being Geek Chic, sending out fresh reading recommendations that are simple, sensible, and positively super.
Like Captain America himself, frozen away for years in cold, suspended animation, I’ve been missing-in-action from my comic recommending duties over these past few months. But there’s nothing like a new movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to wake me from my blogging slumber!
Captain America: The Winter Soldier hits theaters in just a matter of days, and in honor of that exciting occasion, I’m back in action with some comic book recommendations, focused squarely on the First Avenger’s return to the screen. Whether you’re building your excitement before heading to the cinema, or you want to dive deeper after the credits roll, these recommendations have got you covered.
You want to explore the original inspirations for the movie
Read This: Captain America: The Winter Soldier Vol. 1 (Digital, Print) and Vol. 2 (Digital, Print)
Captain America’s newest film doesn’t just borrow its name from this mid-2000s story arc; in the pages of these issues, you’ll find much of the direct inspiration for the story being told in the Captain America sequel. So it only makes sense to start your reading list here. Written by Ed Brubaker, this is amongst the most well regarded modern Captain America stories. Give it a look to explore the roots that inspired the filmmakers.
You’re searching for a topical, modern Captain America story
Read Captain America: The New Deal (2002-2004) (Digital, Print).
I’ve always found the “man out of time” hook to be the most compelling thing about Captain America. How does a soldier birthed in an era of national unity, when lines between ally and enemy were apparent and clear, adjust suddenly to a world of complex geo-political tensions, compromises and ever-present shades of gray? How does an icon of patriotism rally and reflect the people’s will in an age of cynicism, hyper-partisanship and bitter political divides? I’ve yet to find the story that completely satisfies on these fronts, but here’s one that scratches the surface. Imagining the actions of Steve Rogers in the wake of the September 11 attacks and the ensuing War on Terror, this series treads sensitive ground, but is filled with strong art and some thought-provoking moments.
You enjoy Black Widow’s increasing role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Read Black Widow (2014) (Digital, Print).
The marketing and promotion campaign leading up to the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier has put a large focus on the Black Widow and her relationship with Steve Rogers. If this and some recent rumors of a standalone Black Widow film are to your liking, you’ve got to check out the brand new Marvel NOW! series starring Black Widow. It just kicked off with issue #1 in January 2014, and early buzz is strong. Get in on the ground floor with these early issues to explore the life of Natasha Romanoff and her past as a KGB assassin.
You’d like to see more of Cap’s newest partner-in-heroics, the Falcon
Read Captain America and Falcon (Digital) and Ultimate Nightmare (Digital, Print)
While Captain America isn’t known for his sidekicks to the same extent that some other heroes are (cough, Batman, cough), he has definitely had a few. There’s been Bucky Barnes, Sub-Mariner and the Invaders, and perhaps most prominently, the Falcon. Falcon has been a mainstay in the pages of Captain America comics over the years (including a couple of the ones I’ve recommended above), and now he’s set to make his cinematic debut. Want an intro to the Falcon? I recommend these two comics as a start. The one-off Captain American and Falcon issue provides a more classic look at the character, while Ultimate Nightmare sees the character’s first appearance in the more contemporary Ultimate Marvel universe – where you can expect to see a Falcon that more closely reflects the film’s take on the character.
You’re pondering the possibilities for Captain America 3 and beyond
Read Winter Soldier (Digital, Print)
It has been unclear to me whether the identity and role of the Winter Soldier falls into movie spoiler territory for non-comic book readers, but ever mindful, I’m offering this final recommendation as something to be read only after seeing Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier may or may not have a further role to play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (a la our friend Loki), but in either case, this series bearing his name will give you an outlet to explore more of his background, and to join along in his continuing misadventures, whatever may come of his on-screen counterpart.
So there you have it friends, there are five fresh comic book recommendations that should pair quite nicely with the latest slice of Marvel cinematic goodness, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Enjoy the movie, enjoy the comics, and as always, be sure to share your own thoughts and recommendations in the comments below.
Guest post by Adam Giorgi, who also happens to be my brother. He’s a writer, gamer, reader and Potter head. He also makes cool comics from time to time. Check out his blog: Geek-Attack. Follow him on twitter: @adamgiorgi
Comics are truly great. But they can be a little intimidating, there’s no denying. Issue numbers in the hundreds and beyond. Comic book stores with wall-to-wall selection staring down at you. What’s an average Joe or Jane to do? “Like This/Read That!” is your semi-recurring comic book breakdown here at Being Geek Chic, sending out fresh reading recommendations that are simple, sensible, and positively super.
I’m going to start this round of comic book recommendations on a somewhat somber note. Since my last post, the comic book store in my neighborhood closed its doors. It was a humble little store, but it had personality (along with a truly epic Marvel Comics mural on one of its walls). For many years, it served as my main go-to for issues new and old. I hope you’ll join me in pouring one out for Twin City Comics in Minneapolis, and that you’ll make a point to grab a book or two from your local shop, if you’ve got one.
As a reflection of my sentimental, nostalgic mood, my recommendations this week are what I’d call my “comic book comfort food” – the titles that have shaped my love for comic books over the years, the ones that will always take me back to the time and place in which I read them. Some may be obvious, some a bit bizarre, and some may not even be all that great. But they mean a lot to me, and accordingly, I hope you’ll find something to like here too.
Read This: Ultimate Spider-Man (Digital, Print), Ultimate X-Men (Digital, Print) and The Ultimates (Digital, Print)
Truth be told, when I was a kid, I didn’t really read comic books. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that my love affair with them began. The first book I can remember buying – and being truly captivated by – was an early issue of Ultimate Spider-Man. Marvel Comics introduced their Ultimate label in 2000. It gave new origins to some of their iconic characters. It was a fresh start and it was perfect for me. I still remember hunting for a way to get the issues in my small town, reading issues of Ultimate X-Men at the library and finding old issues of Ultimate Spider-Man at the thrift store. To this day, the legacy of these lines can be felt. When I personally think of Spider-Man, I think of the Ultimate incarnation. And the Nick Fury you know so well today, played on the silver screen not by David Hasselhoff, but instead by Sam Jackson? You can thank the Ultimate Marvel Universe for that.
Read This: Superman for All Seasons (Digital, Print), Watchmen (Digital, Print)
Ponder this, what’s your favorite comic book of all time? That’s not a question I can answer easily. My answer is ever changing, but I know that these two titles will always be in contention. In many ways, they could not be more different. Watchmen is oppressively cold, dark and harsh. Conversely, Superman for All Seasons is filled with such warmth, humanity and heart. The thing they share in common? They represent the superhero genre at its finest. Watchmen features some of the most iconic lines and scenes in all of comics, while Superman for All Seasons is my preferred story featuring the original superhero, with gorgeous artwork and one line of dialogue in particular that will always be one of my all-time personal favorites.
Read This: Scott Pilgrim Series (Digital, Print)
When I picked up the first volume of Scott Pilgrim, I was a recent college graduate trying to piece life together. Searching fruitlessly for a full-time job, health insurance and some sense of purpose or direction, I found it easy to relate to this titular hero, who shambled through adult life in scattered, child-like fashion, viewing every challenge through the lens of 8-bit video games, anime and other nostalgia. It’s a goofy and lighthearted tale, full of nerdy references and in-jokes. But it’s also a heartfelt meditation on relationships and growing up, and both the comforts and dangers that can come from escapism and nostalgia. Whether you get the originals or the newly released hardcover color editions, you can’t go wrong.
Read This: Eyeshield 21
For many of my formative years, I was first and foremost a reader of Japanese comics, better known as manga, so I would be remiss if I did not recommend any of these comics from the other side of the globe. When I parted ways with my large collection of manga a number of years back, this was the one series I had to hold on to. As a lover of sports and anime in equal measure, I could not resist the unique charm of Eyeshield 21. It’s a classic sports underdog story crossed with the madcap craziness of Japanese action adventures – think the Mighty Ducks or Bad News Bears meets Dragon Ball or Naruto. Now tell me that doesn’t have your attention?!
Read This: The Muppet Show
Growing up, I adored the Muppets. I have these hazy memories from my earliest years of watching Muppet movies and old episodes of The Muppet Show. A number of months ago, I found some issues of this series in the ‘back issues’ drawers at the comic book shop. I had never heard of them and accordingly my expectations were low. In just a few pages though, those hazy memories from years ago came rushing back and I was a giddy young kid in front of the TV once more. These comics capture so perfectly the tone of the old Muppet Show, interspersing backstage studio stories with on-stage skits and bits. For just another day at the comic book store, talk about a lucky find and the best kind of surprise.
So tell me, what is your “comic book comfort food?” What are the all-time favorites you’ll never forget? Discuss them with me in the comments. And until next time, happy reading!
Guest post by Adam Giorgi, who also happens to be my brother. He’s a writer, gamer, reader and Potter head. He also makes cool comics from time to time. Check out his blog: Geek-Attack. Follow him on twitter: @adamgiorgi
