“If the Comic industry seems like a boys club, it is because women are generally not interested in the type of subjects that are written”

Thank you
Comic fan

First, I want to say thanks to Gail and you all for opening a thread like this.
It is very refreshing for a long time comic book fan to get the female perspective on the industry. I have been a collector for over 25 years.
Some of the comments here are very justified, and understandable.

There were some things that I didn’t agree with that were written after Gails post.

” an aspiring woman writer says that it’s not a good economic decision. With limited time and energy, she’d rather dedicate her efforts to a different field”

I am a guy,that would like to get into the field too. It is the economic aspect of it, that has prevented me from doing so. IF I do anything with Comics, there is no expectation of making a living from it, it is only for Love. Self publising perhaps.

“she doesn’t have to fight an offensive atmosphere, can more easily get work”

“That bit about how the men talk about the women behind their back, how it’s always made out to be the woman’s fault”

I think that this type of situation can be found in all types of workplaces, not just comics. As for talking about people behind their back, women do this to, to men and worst…to their own gender.

“I think the guys who work in superhero comics, because they were fans first, are used to feeling picked on, so when they get the chance to blame someone else, they take it. It’s never their fault.”

Not every fan of superhero comments has that experience. Why is it assumed that someone who likes Superhero comics is only a Nerd. If one is athletic, like sports and music, and comics, does that make one a nerd as well? That is a stereotype.

If the Comic industry seems like a boys club, it is because women are generally interested in the type of subjects that are written. This has been changing the last few years–Thank god! It is a good thing because it is allowing Comics to grow and explore other avenues.
Comics have always been about escapism, which is why it has never been taken as seriously as Film. It has only been in the last 30 years that people have taken it more seriously as a literary art form.
So much of this escapism has contributed to that relaxed “Boys club”, that has been decribed. Men don’t take themselves that seriously in general. We are always mocking each other. Women are not like this.
On a person note, I have worked in an environment where the women outnumbered me, ten to one. And even though, we were friendly and their were no issues, I felt like an outsider. Just because they had their own group, which excluded Men.
I don’t think this is a purposely made thing. I believe there are just some issues Women don’t prefer discussing with a man present. Mind you not all women are like this, just so you don’t think I am generalizing.

I will be the first to admit, I am really ashamed of some of the behaviour that men have done in the Comic industry and fandom. It gives us normal comic fans a bad reputation. Which sometimes makes me not want to discuss this with people who are non-fans.

For that to change, Women who want to be a part of this, just have to stick with it. It is going to take a long time for people to change, perceptions to change, and for the work environment to be more friendly for Women.
And just maybe, The Comicbook industry and its fans will no longer be viewed as that adolescent boys club. It will finally have respect.

Comic Fan

[...] know too much about what it’s like to intern at Marvel, but this blog post entitled Why Women Don’t Work at Marvel is a cause for some concern. You shouldn’t write off Marvel just because of one [...]

[...] Places to Work lists any time soon. We don’t know this for sure, but this blog post about Why Women Don’t Work at Marvel is enlightening. We don’t think that you should write off Marvel just yet (that blog post is [...]

Fanboys always want to blame the victims, because they hate thinking about sexism, because it may cause them discomfort about their own attitudes and behavior.

I was a stock broker a few years ago, so I was prepared to work in a male dominated industry thanks to that. Sounds like male stock brokers and male comic book creators like those at Marvel are not that different. They both have a deep-rooted “boy’s club” mentality that is hard to completely get rid of. Any woman who comes around threatens their sense of security and machismo. Now, this isn’t all stock brokers or comic book guys, but it seems like, in any industry that’s been largely a men’s playground for years can be generally unwelcoming to us ladies. And until more women become end-product consumers, it will be tough to crack that nut (no pun intended). One of my goals is to get more women to read comics, as well as to get more PEOPLE to read non-superhero comics. Hopefully as diversity increases, it will become easier for women to get involved in creating comics for a living.

I think it’s just as wrong to paint all publishers with the same brush as it is to pretend that sexism no longer exists in the industry.

Gail

It is absolutely inexcuseable that this industry should be so bad that any creator be they gay or straight, male or female, should ever feel that it’s “not a good economic decision” to work in comics. Grrrrrrrr…. reading stuff like this just makes me want to go down to my lcs and start beating fanboys with their own Jim Balent posters. If the comics industry continues to alienate over half of its potential fan and creator base, I predict that it will eventually take up residence in some remote mountainous area and start eating random groups of lost tourists.

Gail

Gail, keep making great comics. Your presence inspires more than you could know. You’re like the uber rock chick inspiring girls to pick up a guitar. Your comics are damn fun.
Craig

There’s more than one bandwagon.

Gail