gender in comic books

Gender in Comic Books• Traditional depictions

of women– Good

• Mary, the Mother of Christ

• Submissive passive women

– Evil• Eve and Lillith• Outspoken or ambitious

women

These depictions are reinforced through comic books, too.

• Traditional depictions of men– These tend to be harder to

categorize, as men are generally depicted by women and men as being more fully human with individual and eccentric traits

– Good• Masculine: Strong, smart,

independent, rebellious, and leaderly

– Evil• Feminine: heterosexuality in

question, weak, not authoritative• Environmentally or emotionally

corrupted• Like Good, above, but bad or

greedy, etc.

Gender in Comic Books

• Comic books tend to be read by men or adolescent males

• Comic books tend to be drawn by men

• This tends to add age, race, and sexual significance

Most images of women in current comics are sexualized; the women are portrayed as objects

Consider this lawyer from Spawn

The Images of Women in Comic Books tend to Correspond with Cultural Ideals, as well.

Consider these images of the popular character Jean Grey from The X-Men

Notice that the character’s dimensions change as the figure is rotated

1970s

1980s

Notice that Racial Stereotypes are Exploited also.

1970s Storm with obvious “African” heritage

1980s Storm

with a much more aerobicized punk look

Another image from The X-Men

The 1980s Asian Psylocke

Cyclops

1963

Wolverine

• The Male Body has become more idealized, more ‘masculine,” as well.

2004

1984

Wolverine’s Abilities

Consider these images from Ascension

This is the same character from different angles. Notice that her miniscule waist from the front is larger from the back.

Late 1990s

A couple more from Ascension

Some modern comics come with centerfolds

They idealize men, as well, and sexualize children

Sex is not just a titillation technique but a “necessary” part of the story line many times. Consider the 1990s Voodoo . . .

In Voodoo, the main character is a stripper who gets a “super” power when she strips. She mesmerizes men, communes with the Voodoo god, and learns her enemies’ secrets.

A couple more from Voodoo

Again notice racial and ageist stereotypes at work, and proportions changing as a character changes position—not to mention nudity

Of course, sometime sex is the only story line. Nudity is very prevalent in the late 1990s Fathom. In fact, it

was their initial marketing plan.

The Fathom marketing strategy was to interest male readers in the naked female character. This was successful enough to spawn a swimsuit issue. In it, many of the characters do not, of course, actually wear swimsuits.

Bringing us into the 2000s, we have a “feminist” twist, The Magdalena.

Here, medieval history meets fantasy and sexuality, as female warriors of the Christian God battle His enemies.

Cover Art

The Magdalena’s Worst Enemy,

Lillith

The Implications of These Images• Girls are being sexualized at younger and younger ages• Women are made to feel that their beauty is the most

important aspect of their existence– Women are more likely to be less satisfied with

themselves physically– Women are more likely to try to change to please others– Women are more likely to be discriminated against based

on these stereotypes– Women are more likely to be victims of violent crime

• Men are likely to see women only in terms of beauty• Men may become less satisfied with themselves, as well