The opinions expressed in the Editor’s Rant! Are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily the opinions of the other members of the Original Comic Creator’s Club. Any questions or responses to this article please post in the club. Rants are bi-weekly-and are by Dwayne Ferguson and Don Lew. We’ve talked about how the comics industry is in a recession; how sales have dropped in the last few years. The peaks and the dips of the market have been largely influenced by the impact of “trendy” comics, and have left the industry in a worse state. True; the industry is not in what we could call “great” shape. But there’s been progress made nonetheless.
A greater variety of titles available in the last few years, a widening of genres beyond the superheroes that ruled the market for so long….
…And more female comics readers than there has ever been before.
If the “trendy” comics have shown us anything, it’s that comics shouldn’t be trying to follow trends. There will be more comics produced through genuine passion and a love for the medium, because creators willing to create & produce comics during this time are obviously dedicated; not in it for extraneous reasons like “chasing a quick buck” or a licensing/merchandising deal. We need to rely on something more solid, more lasting than trends.
Even with the depressed state of today’s market, there’s a better choice of subjects and genres available to the North American comics industry than there’s ever been before. Comics are no longer solely the area for telling super-hero related stories, and aren’t even limited to the action/adventure and humor genres as they have been in decades past.
I was in my local comics store last week, and I noticed there were quite a few women in the store; I’d say about 1 in every 3 people in there was female. Sure, maybe some of them were wives/girlfriends of male customers, but it really isn’t as unusual as it used to be to see women buying comics.
From my personal experience, my local comic store (the most successful one in the city) has made concerted efforts to attract more women customers to their store. They’ve become more receptive; trying to cater to the reading preferences of women comics fans. They listen to what you have to say! This seems like an obvious marketing tactic for running a good business; with approximately 52% of the population being female, women readers (and buyers) represent a market that can no longer be ignored.
This could be a great time to be a female comics reader. Or a creator.
Why? Because, never before has the industry been so receptive to the needs and desires of potential customers. They HAVE to get new readers to make the industry grow. Women readers, ALL fans have more influence on the industry now than ever.
Let your voices be heard. YOU will help shape the industry; YOUR buying habits will tell them what works and what doesn’t. There will always be the sexist, or “badgirl” titles out there, that probably won’t ever chance. It’s the same as any other industry. But as we’ve seen, those types of titles can’t propel the industry. We need substance. If you feel that certain titles have badly written female characters, or are missing out on important issues to women, let them know! Then they can move closer to bringing stories with more realistic and relevant portrayals of women to comics. Tell us what you like. Tell us what you don’t like. Only now is the comics industry starting to realize women BELONG here, as much as men do.
And this isn’t about gender. It’s about creating an industry that has as much to offer to people of all creeds, genders, walks of life as it possibly can.
This IS a great time to be a female comics reader. You’re going to help shape the future of this industry. I, for one, can’t wait!
Later
Don
