I’m having a heck of a time finding published female graphic novelists! I’ve been asked by two different sites to submit reviews of graphic works by women. Both sites are female-centric groups who recognize the sad truth: there aren’t enough women in the comics industry!
Think about it. How many of your Sunday paper comics are written by women? How many by men? Go into any Borders, go the Manga/Graphic Novel section and try to find an American or European graphic novel that is written or drawn by a female. I did this the other day. I found two. Two out of an entire front-and-back shelf of graphic novels (I didn’t check the Marvel stuff, though).
I found Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Berry and Robot Dreams by Sarah Varon. There’s a graphic novel called Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi that I am just dying to read–it was listed in Newsweek a few weeks ago as one of the top 50 books to read to “understand our times,” whatever that means. I think it just means Persepolis is a really good book.
Looks like me and my graphic novel are among the pioneers. All you drawing ladies out there, let’s get to work and break into the public sphere!
But enough of that. I’ve been absent from this blog for awhile, because of business and laziness. I’ve been working on ideas for my web site, reading, and working on critiques of the two female graphic novelists I found. I’ve been trying to keep house, which isn’t working so well, and I joined a new group of ladies for Tuesday night Bible study. Oh yeah, and I was in an amateur music video for a Rock Band competition. More details on that to follow.
Today is going to be work, followed by going to the pharmacy, followed by going to the vet (my little rat Krycek is sick), followed by going to the hometown to see friends. Maybe eating and exercising in there somewhere.
RHDavis
Rachel (the one married to me) and I have seen the movie version of Persepolis. It is just like an animated graphic novel itself. I’m sure the print version is great too.
I haven’t read Persepolis, but it was made into a film a couple years ago, drawn and animated in the graphic novel style. We saw it when it was shown at Cornerstone 2008. Marjane Satrapi was very involved with the production, being both a director and a writer.
All that to say, I’ve heard people say the graphic novel is better than the movie, and the movie was nothing short of spectacular. It is probably one of the best films I’ve ever seen, every film analysis category considered. I highly recommend it.
So I wouldn’t hesitate to believe that the novel is amazing, and I can’t wait to read it either.
By the way, Chad and I posted our respective comments at the exact same second, and neither of us knew what the other was going to say.
Your blog also gave me a message that said, “You are posting comments too quickly. Slow down.” 🙂
My friend Debby does American style comics. If you want to meet women in the comic industry you should have gone to Comic Con. They are out there. Debby is there drumming up work right now actually. There are also independent book stores in Chicago that sell 1,000 times more graphic novels than a typical Borders. That would be a better representation of women artists.
Also, American women seem more interested in publishing manga rather than comics anyway. In Japan there are tons of women artists so if you are a woman in the USA those are your mentors and you are not a minority. Most of the artists I see at artist ally at anime cons are local women. It is actually quite big these days.
Bekah and I read the novel, its pretty great. I think “to understand our times” comment is about the fact that it helps understand the rise of fundamental Islam, particularly Iran, and secularist reactions to it. Women even today are still unrepresented in the arts generally. Sad, but true.
I’m glad to hear so many people telling me Persepolis is good, because I’m really looking forward to it.