No Girls Allowed Awards

Wonder why we need Friends of Lulu awards specifically for girls? Because the “regular” awards wind up ignoring them.

Here’s the announcement of voting starting for the CBG Fan Awards. Now, bearing in mind the magazine’s likely audience, this is coming from a bunch of older white males, and it’s almost exclusively DC/Marvel, but still… out of 5 nominations each in 7 creator categories, there are 2 women total listed, both as colorists. (Girls get to use the crayons, but only after the boys have done the rest of the work.)

Also interesting:
The list of creative categories starts with Editor. Mmm-hmmm.

Villains United is up for Favorite Story of the year, but the creators, Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham, are nowhere on the creator nominee lists. I guess it magically came into being through the work of those superior Editors.

They must have had very few suggestions for the Favorite Graphic Novel category for The Fountain to show up on it. I’m not saying it’s a bad book — I haven’t read it — but since it was a $40 hardcover that I haven’t heard anyone mention at all, I don’t believe that the people voting to make it a nomination all read it.

Bravo to Alex Robinson and Top Shelf for breaking the DC/Marvel monopoly by getting Tricked into the Favorite Graphic Novel category.

Ah, fan awards… where after you finish considering the contributions of artists and their works, you get to vote for whether Batman or Spider-Man is the cooler character.



7 comments

  • David Oakes

    We don’t need “awards for girls”. We just need “awards for people who are not Marvel/DC”.

    Two out of 35 is 5.7%. As per your own Chick Check of years past, females make up a little over 10% of the Big Two credits. (And that’s with the large number of female Assistant Editors, which are not represented with their own category. Now *that* is a crime.) A little low, perhaps, but those numbers also come from when Christina Weir was still (being given) writing (assignments) an the fans weren’t praying for Devin Greyson to go away. I have a feeling that 6-7% may be right in line with the current talent pool.

    That being said, how VU gets nominated but not Gail Simone, I have no idea. It’s not like it’s a one shot or a fill-in, or her only work for the year. She should at least be competative with Vaughn, and at least for the last year, ahead of Brubaker and David.

    But the fact that Fables got Best Story and Favorite Book, and yet Willingham is nowhere to be seen, it’s not sexism. It’s just more of the same old “Award by Popularity”. No one is voting for Johns because he is a not a girl.

  • I have a theory (hope, really) that manga is popular with so many women of all ages is at least partly because so much of it is written, drawn, or both by women. Obviously, stories, characters, and the whole aesthetic are the biggest attractions, but the playing field sure does seem a lot more level than in corporate American comics. I mean, two of the biggest blockbusters in the category (shojo Fruits Basket and and shonen Fullmetal Alchemist) were created by women.

  • Alan Coil

    I was a CBG subscriber for over 15 years, but not any more. As a weekly newszine, it was a must read. As a monthly, I seldom opened it within 5 or 6 weeks of receiving it. I think CBG is an out-of-touch-with-reality dinosaur. R.I.P.

  • Lea

    Read nothing into this except that it’s the truth: Gail has deserved at least a nom for her writing for four years.

    And, while females comprise 10%-ish of credits, they do NOT comprise 10% of noms. Female nominations in awards typically go to editors and colorists, or women as teams headed by men. I’m not saying being an editor or colorist is lesser (I’ve done both), just that it seems to me those are the “girl” noms because those are seen as “girl’s jobs.”

    Or to sum up: Poop. Poop. Poop.

  • Hi there Johanna,

    My name is Eva Hopkins. I color on the “Dawn” comic, & I also self-publish some B & W indie stuff ont he side. I read your writing often; I even have you linked on my site. Usually I am very appreciative of your combination of insight & occasionally bitter wit.

    I am honored to be nopminated for this year’s CBG Fan Awards. The other folks up for Best Colorist are fantastically talented. I am in good company.

    You say, in mentioning that the only 2 nominations for women in the CBG Fan Awards are women, & colorists – “(Girls get to use the crayons, but only after the boys have done the rest of the work.)”

    Although I agree that there should be more women in comics, & feel that I do my bit to support that, I object to the patronizing tone with which you dismiss my job. Would it be possible to make your point without that condescending, head-patting tone to the two women who *did* get nominated? That’s not very down with the sisterhood.

    The Fan Awards are just that – by the fans. I wish there was more comics work by women connecting with fans out there. I’ll keep writing & drawing with that goal in mind – which I also do, when I’m not too busy with the crayons.

    Sinecrely,

    Eva Hopkins
    colorist
    writer
    artist
    http://www.lunamusestudios.com

  • I’m very sorry my tone came across as patronizing. I was attempting to satirize the attitude I perceived — it’s not my personal opinion. Thank you for the reminder of the goal we’re all working for.

  • OK, noted. & I did come across your posting before I’d had coffee – hence typos & high irratibility factor. Right, humor, I get it..

    You & I want the same thing – more women making, reading, & getting awards for, their comics.

    Keep fighting the good fight! I will. & feel free to drop me a line anytime, I am always up for talking about comics.

    — Eva

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