Wednesday, May 6, 2009

They're Not "Super Broads."

I'm not a fan of Marvel's Joe Queseda and even less so after reading his defense of sexism the new Marvel Divas where superheroines spend time talking about boys and shoes rather than kicking supervillain ass.

Says Queseda:


...The cold hard reality of publishing and trying to sell our books to as many people as possible, so here's an example of what happens more often than you may think here at Marvel. From time to time, we'll be launching a title that doesn't focus very heavily on the super heroic.

Look, I'm not going to bitch about female superheroes having bodacious ta-tas and being drawn like some combination of Aphrodite and Raquel Welch. Both male and female superheroes are drawn with unrealistic, biologically impossible features as part of the convention of comics. It would be nuts to complain that super humans are drawn, well, superhuman.

But portraying superheroines as somehow empty-headed ditzes is not cool for a variety of reasons. It sets a poor example for young female readers of comics, the numbers of which have grown legion of the last few years. It implies that superheroines are somehow less heroic because of their gender. It's just stupid.

If I wanted to expose myself to something featuring women talking about shoes I'd turn on the CW. Get your shit together Marvel.

-- Dean Wormer

8 comments:

Randal Graves said...

The only plausible target for this collection of scantily clad superbabes in unitards is horny teenage dude geeks (and angry feminists I guess - hey, you, buy back issues of Sandman, it rules!), and don't horny teenage dude geeks already buy 95% of all comics?

As a horny adult dude geek, I'm offended that my demographic isn't represented. Where is the issue of Spidey and Hulk hanging around talking about sports while belching before and after the next bag of chips?

ladybug said...

This is why indie comics are getting more readership. What Queseda doesn't get is that what he's peddling is BORING!

You want sexy crazy stuff? Check out Los Bros Hernandez...and Luba... tons more fun, thought-provoking stuff and ya still get yer boobage!

rob! said...

Why isn't there a quasi-romance line in comics from either DC or Marvel? Those friggin' Twilight books sold in the millions, almost exclusively from swooning teenage girls, who proved they will buy buy buy if the material is right.

Why isn't DC or Marvel trying to go after this audience, instead of yet again more comics featuring women with teeny tiny ankles and waists, and huge balloon boobs?

Cassy Q said...

Instead of repeatedly banging my head against hard things at the stupidity of the quoted statement, I'm going to focus on something happier. Namely, the fact that your commentary on the subject is freaking fantastic.

(thank you)

Arkonbey said...

Nice commentary. Shame is that someone like you has to say something like that every year or so...

Now, I love boobies as much as the next average straight guy, but I really hate the painted-on-leotard look. I mean, bodysuits just don't do that naturally.

In fact the 7-of-9 suit had to be made special so she would have separate boobs. It's really just sexist, unrealistic and lazy art.

realistically rendered body suits can be attractive and sexy. Just look at Alan Davis' She-Hulk in "The End". Yowza.

The Moody Minstrel said...

Crass commercialism at its bust.

Er, BEST! I meant BEST!

Don Snabulus said...

Quesada is a real failblazer in the field of comics.

To elaborate on Rob!'s point, a Twilight comic would sell a half-trillion copies and put a dent in the Manga/Anime sales. It would definitely be worth a try.

Writing a comic book emulating the advertisements in Seventeen magazine is just stupid.

Overdroid said...

I think the one on the left is the Samantha.