Comic books are sometimes seen as a boy's club, and sometimes it kind of is.

However, there are plenty of great female comics creators out there. I thought we could all take a second to name some of our favorite female comics creators and why we dig their stuff.

Being the guy who started this topic, I'll go first.

Becky Cloonan - Her work on DEMO really knocked my socks off. She can shift her illustrative technique to suit the tone of each story without compromising her core style. That's something else in and of itself. I also very much enjoyed her work on the woefully overlooked American Virgin.

Marie Severin - She's one of the finest artists to ever work at Marvel if you ask me. My favorite thing about her impressive body of work is her stint on Dr. Strange. I also like her carttony stuff in Not Brand Ecch! as well as her sword-and-sorcery stuff. A good recent example of her cartooning can be found in Batman: Black and White II. (The one with Mike Mignola cover art. Steal a friend's copy if you don't have it yet)

Gail Simone - To be perfectly honest, I thought her long run with Birds of Prey was kind of so so. I loved her stint with Deadpool though, and her all-too-brief run on The Atom was great fun too. I should probably check out more of her writing. (My sister has tons of it, so I can just take hers)

Louise Simonson - If only for her gig on X-Factor with her husband Walt. Those stories could've aged better, but Archangel is one of my favorite X-Men and I have a lot of sentimental attachment to that material.

Sarah Dyer - I love anthology books, and Action Girl was one of the best. Sarah Dyer's fine coloring work is also quite underrated.

There's a lot of good webcomics put out by some very talented and entertaining women, some of whom aren't afraid to revel in raunchy humor or irreverent situations.

A sampling:

Danielle Corsetto (Girls With Slingshots)
Meredith Gran (Octopus Pie)
Kelly Ferdinando (Rule Of Three)
C. Spike Trotman (Templar, AZ)
Denise Guinn (Of Snakes & Apples, Stupidity In The Right Ear)
And we can't forget Team Salt from Austin, Amanda & Jessica... or Meg from Last Call! :)

I'm suprised at how many great female artists are here on DD. The ratio of men to women seems to be pretty even actually.

I don't think it matters either way, especially with webcomics. Whatever the sex it's the work that counts.

Giving a shout out to the ladies?
Last time I checked, Charby is done by a woman and it is never out of the top two!
If anything, I think its the men who need help to catch up!

pros
Lynn Varley-Hands down the best colorist ever, female or male, to ever work on comics. Ronin, Dark Knight Returns, 300, Elektra Lives Again, DK2....her track record speaks for itself. a coloring legend.

Amanda Conner-She drew great humor in MAD magazine, and then jumped on to sexy ladies with Power Girl. Only complaint? that she doesnt work on more comics.

Gail Simone-YABS is the greatest web column ever.

Rachel Dodson-Terry Dodsons other half, she kills it on his work.

Warpedwenger
I'm suprised at how many great female artists are here on DD.

True enough! Art-wise Skullbie, Hyena Hell, Kristen Gudsnuk and Pit-Face can kick my narrow ass around the block. I'm not so sure that I'd call comics a boys club though. There's quite a few great comics out there that were done by women. Comics by Sarah Oleksyk, Hope Larson, Chynna Clugston, Jen Wang, Erika Moen, Dylan Meconis, Clio Chiang. By the way Air Raid, good call on Becky Cloonan as well, she is awesome!

Yeah, I've noticed the lack of female (non-web) comic artists out there, also. (We ladies to to represent!) Unfortunately, I don't read enough American print comics to be very familiar with them. (That's another difference between American and Japanese comics, now that I think about it.

Ya I think it woulda been best to leave this thread in the dark ages. Gender doesn't really play into artistic ability.

Warpedwenger
Ya I think it woulda been best to leave this thread in the dark ages. Gender doesn't really play into artistic ability.

This is a valid point. However, there still is something of a stigma attached to women who do comics. (There's a stigma attached to people who do comics in general, but we can discuss that elsewhere) A lot of my fanboy associates think that all comics drawn by women are inevitiably these poorly rendered autobio type of stuff. Or, they sometimes think that all female comics artists draw in some kind of manga style.

I thought it might serve a purpose if we rattled off a couple of our favorites each. And, in doing so, there'd be a pretty solid picture of the range and breadth of the female presence in comicdom.

I think the ratio of men-to-women in webcomics is different than it is in traditional comics. The "boy's club" thing is pretty much ignored in webcomics, as literally anyone can start a webcomic, so any women who want to start one, do.

The amount of females working on big-name printed comic projects is growing, though not as even as it is in webcomics.

And one half of me always feels icky being labeled "Female Comic Artist", as if I am being held to a different standard than the men comic artists, like the NBA and WNBA. I don't want to be "Pretty good... for a chick". I want to be "Pretty good". Period. My gender + my job shouldn't be held to a different standard.

But at the same time, recognizing that there are women in this field encourages other women to join in, women who don't necessarily want to be the Susan B. Anthony of comics, who just want to draw for a living and be left alone. Showing them that they won't be the only gal in the office.



That being said, I'm surprised no one has mentioned Pia Guerra. Her work on "Y: The Last Man" was amazing, and she is one of my heroes.

Alison Bechdel, Eisner-Winner, is one of my heroes as well, both for being a Chick Who Draws Comics (TM) and a Dyke Who Draws Comics (TM).

ozoneocean
I don't think it matters either way, especially with webcomics. Whatever the sex it's the work that counts.

Quoted for the truth.

Doctor shadow and ozone, I agree. I think we should really be beyond the point of going "Wow, this comic is great, can you believe a GIRL made it?" as if some how a female with ability is special or out of the ordinary.
Should a woman doing as well as a man be marked out for special praise for over coming some sort of gender handicap?
Of course not, the concept is ridiculous.

Besides, women don't read comics, they stay home and make babies and do ironing and fetch slippers for their husbands! And I wont hear any different!

As far as mainstream print comics are concerned (Marvel, DC, Image) there's a danger of assuming that - because the majority of creators are male - there must be a "boys' club" mentality that keeps female creators out. I don't think that's necessarily true these days. I think the scarcity probably has more to do with the limited subject matter (predominantly superheroes) in mainstream comics, and the simple fact that there are always more male than female writers and artists trying to break into that area.

As far as webcomics and independent print comics are concerned, the question of the creator's sex is even less relevant. Female creators are all over them (and doing a damn fine job, too!) Two of my favourite comics here at DD are by women (Simply Sarah and The Dreamer). Others have creative teams where at least one party is female (e.g. The Chronicles of Wyrden). Persepolis, one of the most successful independent graphic novels published in recent years, is by a woman. I read them because they're good, not because the person who created them isn't male.

Giving a shout out to someone just because they happen to be female actually seems a little patronising these days. It's like saying: "Hey, this is great and that's really surprising when you consider the writer/artist is a woman!"

i think a few of you guys are taking this thread a little to offensivly, i havent heard anyone say anything off color. it's true, there arent many women making comics in the off-web comic world. and i'd actually like to check some of the work these ladies have done now. i think it's intruiging.
and thanks for the shout-out Pat! ;)

Pit face it is not offensive, it just feels but weirdly dated.
Like something that would have been note worthy about 20 years ago.
But if we are going to do shout outs, my wife is (brace yourself for this) female and she colours my comic, so hooray for her!

how is it dated?
also,very good for your wife, i've always liked the colored work on your comics.

It is dated because going "lets give a special mention to women who do comics" seem unnecessary.
Why does a comic being made by a female deserve special praise?
I don't think it is any more note worthy then a male working on one.

I don't think it's offensive, just a bit dated as Hark says and a bit weird.
When I look at comics it doesn't matter to me what sex the author is.

Though there is this point:

megan_rose
But at the same time, recognizing that there are women in this field encourages other women to join in, women who don't necessarily want to be the Susan B. Anthony of comics, who just want to draw for a living and be left alone. Showing them that they won't be the only gal in the office.

If it encourages more gals to comic, that's good. :)

I found it to be pointless as I stated earlier I don't think gender matters into artistic ability but Pit seems to enjoy it so I guess where the validity of this thread is concerned her opinion is more relevent than ours.

mentioning women who've worked in comics doesnt not mean they're more noteworthy, as you assumed was being said in your last post. no one's saying they're MORE noteworthy. no one's saying READ what these aurthors or artists are making just becuase they're women.

i do agree whole heartdly that if someone's good at what they do, they shouldnt be held to a different standard just becuase of their gender. but i do think it's interesting that there arent many women in regular comics, cuase it makes me wonder, how did the ones that DID get into it, make the choice to do so? it makes me beleive they could be very interesting people that i'd like to know more about,and there's nothing wrong with that. should they be held to a different standard, no. is it still strange? yes.

From this Wikipedia article [en.wikipedia.org] :

American comic books


Golden Age/Silver Age
Nina Albright : Artist for comics packager Bernard Baily Studio
Ruth Atkinson a.k.a. Ruth Atkinson Ford, R. Atkinson: Artist, Fiction House, Timely Comics, Lev Gleason Publications
Violet Barclay: Timely/Atlas Comics inker
Toni Blum: Writer, Eisner & Iger studio
Linda Fite: Writer, The Cat (Marvel Comics)
Ramona Fradon: Artist, Aquaman and Metamorpho (DC Comics); also, Brenda Starr comic strip (1980-1996)
Ray Herman: 1940s editor at Holyoke Publishing and elsewhere.
Patricia Highsmith; Nedor/Standard/Better Comics and others
Fran Hopper: Fiction House artist
Virginia Hubbell: Charles Biro's ghost writer, Lev Gleason Publications' Crime Does Not Pay
Pauline Loth: Timely/Atlas artist
Lee Marrs: Artist-writer for Star Reach, elsewhere (1970s)
Elizabeth Holloway Marston: involved in the creation of DC Comics character, Wonder Woman
Ruth McCully: Fiction House letterer
Marion McDermott: St. John Publications editor
Tarpe Mills, pseudonym of June Mills: Cat-Man (Holyoke Comics), Miss Fury
Ramona Patenaude a.k.a. Pat: artist, Blue Beetle (Fox Comics)
Lily Renée a.k.a. Reney (Lily Renée Wilhelms Peters and Lily Renée Phlllips): Fiction House and St. John Publications artist
Ruth Roche: generally credited writer of Phantom Lady (Fox Comics)
Marie Severin: Prolific EC and Marvel Comics artist
Marcia Snyder: Fiction House artist
Daisy Swayze: Fawcett Comics letterer; sister of artist Marc Swayze
Janice Valleau: Quality Comics artist
Tatjana Wood: Shazam Award-winning colorist
Dorothy Woolfolk a.k.a. Dorothy Roubicek: DC Comics' first woman editor


Modern Age
Laura Allred
Fiona Avery
Samm Barnes: Marvel Comics writer
Donna Barstow: Writer and cartoonist, The New Yorker, and: What Do Women Really Want? Chocolate! (2004, NBM Publishing) ISBN 1-56163-383-6, and Love Me or Go to Hell: True Love Cartoons (2005, Andrews McMeel Universal) ISBN 0-7407-5698-2
Anina Bennett: Writer, editor at First Comics and Dark Horse Comics. Co-creator of Heartbreakers
Amber Benson: Writer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Dark Horse Comics)
Karen Berger: Editor, DC Comics' Vertigo imprint
Maddie Blaustein: Writer, Milestone Comics' Hardware
Nicole Boose: Editor, Cable & Deadpool (Marvel Comics)
June Brigman: Artist and co-creator, Power Pack (Marvel Comics); Artist Brenda Starr comic strip (1996-)
Sarah Byam: Writer, Black Canary (DC Comics), Mode Extreme (Marvel/Razorline)
Kat Cahill, Writer and creator, I Hate Gallant Girl (Image Comics/ShadowLine)
Meloney Crawford Chadwick: Harris Comics editor
Bobbie Chase: Marvel Comics editor
Nancy A. Collins: Writer, DC/Vertigo's Swamp Thing
Amanda Conner: Artist, The Pro (Image Comics), Disney's Gargoyles (Marvel Comics)
Colleen Coover: Writer and artist.
Joanna Davidovich
Rosario Dawson: Writer and co-creator, Occult Crimes Taskforce (Image Comics)
Renae De Liz, Artist, Rogue Angel: Teller of Tall Tales (IDW Publishing)
Tania del Rio: Artist/Writer, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Archie Comics)
Rachel Dodson: Inker, Marvel and DC
Valerie D'Orazio: Assistant editor, DC Comics
Leigh Dragoon, Artist, My Inner Bimbo (Oni Press)
Jo Duffy a.k.a. Mary Jo Duffy: Writer and Marvel Comics editor
Jan Duursema: Artist, Star Wars: Legacy (Dark Horse Comics)
Robin Furth: Plotter, The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born (Marvel Comics)
Megan Rose Gedris: Writer, artist and creator, I Was Kidnapped by Lesbian Pirates from Outer Space (Platinum Studios)
Devin Grayson: Writer, Arsenal, Batman: Gotham Knights, Catwoman, Nightwing (all DC Comics)
Pia Guerra: Artist, Vertigo's Y The Last Man
Sandra Hope: Inker, World of Warcraft (WildStorm)
Eva Hopkins: Writer, colorist and co-creator, Dark Ivory (Image Comics)
Heidi Hughes: Writer, The Voyages of The SheBuccaneer (Great Big Comics)
Judith Hunt: Co-writer,co-creator, artist Evangeline (Comico)1984 and online comic Evangeline (August 2008)
Lora Innes: Writer, artist and creator, The Dreamer (IDW Publishing)
Jenna Jameson: Creator and plotter, Shadow Hunter (Virgin Comics)
Jenette Kahn: editor and executive, DC Comics
Carol Kalish: executive, Marvel Comics
Annette Kawecki: Marvel Comics letterer
Barbara Kesel a.k.a. Barbara Randall Kesel: Writer, Rogue Angel: Teller of Tall Tales (IDW Publishing)
Sheila Keenan: Executive Editor, Scholastic Graphix
Caitlin R. Kiernan: Writer, Vertigo's The Dreaming
Elaine Lee: Writer, Vamps (DC Comics), Saint Sinner (Marvel/Razorline)
Stephanie Lesniak: Artist and co-creator, Blazin' Brandy (Scrap Pictures)
Linda Ly: Writer, Grimm Fairy Tales (Zenescope Entertainment)
Cynthia Martin, artist for (among others) Marvel Comics's Star Wars
Laura Martin: Colorist, Planetary (DC Comics/WildStorm), Astonishing X-Men (Marvel Comics), Ruse (CrossGen)
Tara McPherson: Cover artist, Vertigo
Adriana Melo: Artist, Ms. Marvel (Marvel Comics)
Rachelle Menashe: Writer, Virus (Dark Horse Comics)
Denise Mina: Writer, Vertigo's Hellblazer
Mary Mitchell: Artist, Batman: Gotham Knights (DC Comics)
Leah Moore: Writer, Wildstorm's Albion
Melanie J. Morgan: Writer, Betty and Veronica, Jughead (Archie Comics)
Mindy Newell: Writer/editor, Marvel, DC, and First
Ann Nocenti: Writer, Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Sonia Oback: Colorist, "Uncanny X-Men", "X-23: Target X" (Marvel Comics)
Glynis Oliver: Colorist, X-Men (Marvel Comics)
Lisa Patrick: Marvel Comics editor
Jodi Picoult: Writer, DC's Wonder Woman
Tamora Pierce: Writer, Marvel Comics' White Tiger
Wendy Pini: Artist and co-creator, Elfquest (WaRP Graphics), and Masque of the Red Death (Go! Comi)
Rachel Pollack: Writer, Doom Patrol (DC Comics)
Nickiesha Ashanty Ricketts: Writer and Editor
Susana Romero: Founder, ¡Ka-Boom! Estudio
Jessica Ruffner: Writer, Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures (Marvel Comics/Dabel Brothers)
Sara Ryan: Writer, Me and Edith Head
Nicola Scott: Artist, Birds of Prey (DC Comics)
Diana Schutz: Editor, Dark Horse Comics
Jean Simek: Letterer, Marvel Comics and Topps Comics; daughter of Artie Simek
Kristen Simon: Editor in Chief, Shadowline Comics (Jim Valentino's imprint at Image Comics)
Gail Simone: Writer, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman (all DC Comics)
Louise Simonson a.k.a. Louise Jones: Marvel Comics editor; Writer and co-creator, Power Pack (Marvel Comics);
Mary Skrenes: Writer and co-creator, Omega the Unknown (Marvel Comics)
Barbara Slate: Writer, Betty (Archie Comics)
Beth Sotelo: Colorist, Soul Fire: Dying of the Light (Aspen MLT), Atomika (Mercury Comics)
Christina Strain: Colorist, Runaways and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane (all Marvel Comics)
Jill Thompson: Artist, Wonder Woman and Sandman (all DC Comics)
Maggie Thompson: Editor, Comics Buyer's Guide magazine
Kathleen Webb: Writer, Betty (Archie Comics)
Christina Weir: Writer, Oni Press
G. Willow Wilson: Writer, Cairo (Vertigo)
Amy Wolfram: Writer, Teen Titans: Year One (DC Comics)
Kim Yale: Writer/editor, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, First Comics, and Warp Graphics
Christina Z: Writer, Witchblade (Image Comics/Top Cow Productions), Shadow Hunter (Virgin Comics)


American manga
Tina Anderson Writer, Only Words (Iris Print), Roulette (DramaQueen LLC)
Queenie Chan: Artist/Writer, The Dreaming (Tokyopop)
Jo Chen: Artist, Wildstorm's Racer X
Svetlana Chmakova: Artist/Writer, Dramacon (Tokyopop)
Lindsay Cibos: Artist/Writer, Peach Fuzz (Tokyopop)
Becky Cloonan: Artist, AiT/Planet Lar's Demo
Jinky Coronado a.k.a. Meryl "Jinky" Coronado Calanog Campiti: Artist/Writer, Banzai Girl (Arcana Studio)
Alex de Campi: Writer, Kat & Mouse (Tokyopop)
Melissa DeJesus: Artist, Sokora Refugees (Tokyopop), daily comic strip My Cage
Camilla D’Errico: Artist, Make 5 Wishes (Del Rey Manga), Nightmares & Fairy Tales (Slave Labour Graphics)
Joanna Estep: Artist, Roadsong (Tokyopop)
Irene Flores: Artist, Mark of the Succubus (Tokyopop)
Amy Kim Ganter Artist/Writer, Sorcerers & Secretaries (Tokyopop)
Holly Golightly a.k.a. Holly G!, Fauve: Artist/Writer, School Bites (Broadsword Comics)
Amy Reeder Hadley: Artist/Writer, Fool's Gold (Tokyopop)
Lea Hernandez: Artist, Marvel Comics' Marvel Mangaverse: Punisher


Alternative comics
Jessica Abel: Writer-artist, Fantagraphics' La Perdida
Jennie Breeden: Writer-artist, The Devil's Panties
Donna Barr
Alison Bechdel: Creator Dykes to Watch Out For
Gabrielle Bell: Writer/artist, Fantagraphics' Lucky
Joyce Brabner: Writer, Our Cancer Year
Paige Braddock: Creator Jane's World
Vera Brosgol
M.K. Brown: Creator Aunt Mary's Kitchen and Dr. N!Godatu
Jennifer Camper
Geneviève Castrée: WOELV
Shannon Chenoweth: Creator/Writer The Line (Misfit Comics)
Chynna Clugston: Creator, Oni Press's Blue Monday
Colleen Coover: Creator Small Favors
Danielle Corsetto: Creator Girls With Slingshots
Sophie Crumb: Writer/artist, Fantagraphics' Belly Button
Dame Darcy: Creator, Fantagraphics' Meatcake
Jennifer Daydreamer: Creator, Jennifer Daydreamer
Abby Denson: Creator Tough Love: High School Confidential
Diane DiMassa
Colleen Doran: Creator A Distant Soil
Julie Doucet: Creator Dirty Plotte
Sarah Dyer
Mary Fleener
Shary Flenniken: Creator Trots and Bonnie
Ellen Forney
Shaenon Garrity: Creator, Narbonic webcomic
Melinda Gebbie: Artist, Top Shelf Productions' Lost Girls
Phoebe Gloeckner: Creator A Child's Life and The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Roberta Gregory: Creator Fantagraphics' Naughty Bits
G.B. Jones
Megan Kelso: Writer/artist, Fantagraphics' Artichoke Tales
Aline Kominsky-Crumb: Creator The Bunch
Carol Lay
Hope Larson : Gray Horses and Salamander Dream
Vanesa Littlecrow: Creator, Nine Lives of Catnose
Carla Speed McNeil: Writer/artist, Finder
Diane Noomin: Creator DiDi Glitz
Christine Norrie: Artist, Oni Press's Hopeless Savages
Liz Prince : Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed
Trina Robbins: Writer-artist, Eclipse Comics' Ms. Tree
Ariel Schrag: Creator, Slave Labor Graphics' Awkward
Dori Seda: 1980s underground satirist
Terrie Smith: Artist, Chester Ringtail
Tara Tallan: Creator & writer-artist Galaxion (Helikon Comics)
Raina Telgemeier: Writer/artist, Smile (A Dental Drama)
Carol Tyler: Cartoonist; books include The Job Thing (Fantagraphics, 1993) ISBN 1-56097-111-8
Serena Valentino: Writer, Slave Labor Graphics' Gloom Cookie
Penny Van Horn: Cartoonist; book Recipe for Disaster and Other Stories (Fanatagraphics, 1999) ISBN 1-56097-330-7
Sara Varon: Writer/artist Alternative's Sweaterweather
Lauren Weinstein: Writer/artist The Goddess of War
Kate Worley: Creator, Omaha the Cat Dancer
catherine yronwode: Editor-in-chief of Eclipse Comics


American comic strips
Lynda Barry: The New Yorker
Sandra Bell-Lundy: Creator Between Friends
Marjorie Henderson Buell under pseudonym "Marge": Little Lulu
Mabel Burvick under pseudonym "Odin" a.k.a. Odin Burvik: Dickie Dare (for a time beginning 1944; previously as assistant to husband Coulton Waugh.)
Kate Carew, pseudonym of Mary Williams: Handy Andy strip in U.K. comic magazine Krazy; The Angel Child
Natalie d'Arbeloff: Creator Augustine (Blaugustine webcomic)
Grace Dayton: Toodles; Dolly Dimples; The Pussycat Princess
Edwina Dumm under pseudonym "Edwina": The Meanderings of Minnie; Cap Stubbs and Tippie
Jan Eliot: Creator Stone Soup
Mary Gauerke: The Alumnae
Cathy Guisewite: Creator Cathy
Alex Hallatt: Creator Arctic Circle
Bunny Hoest: Writer The Lockhorns (1971-)
Nicole Hollander: Creator Sylvia
Virginia Huget: Campus Capers
Judith Hunt: Artist, Timbertoes Published by Highlights for Children
Lynn Johnston: Creator For Better or For Worse
Dale Messick: Creator Brenda Starr
Mary Schmich: Writer Brenda Starr (1985-)
Margaret Shulock: Apartment 3-G, Six Chix
Hilda Terry: Teena

Warpedwenger I am going to have to disagree with you on this that point.
While I ma glad if this thread cheered her up (go Pitface!) I dont see why her view of this discussion should be more valid then mine based on her gender.
If I start a thread about men in comics, would any women who comment on it be "less relevant"? Sees like an odd double standard to me.

I also think Ozone makes a valid point that anything that encourages people (regardless of gender) to get involved in webcomics is a very good thing.

Basically if I thought there was some terrible shortage of inequality in terms of web comic authors then I might not says the idea of this thread was a bit dated.
But that simply isn't the case. Loads of web comics are written by women and they cover a whole range of topics and styles. They are as central to the Drunk Duck community as the men folk.

My wife said when my comic started that she expected it to only have a male following because females would not be into that sort of thing. But just going on my comments about half of my readership is female.

There is no gender imbalance in need of correcting.

harkovast
Warpedwenger I am going to have to disagree with you on this that point.
While I ma glad if this thread cheered her up (go Pitface!) I dont see why her view of this discussion should be more valid then mine based on her gender.
If I start a thread about men in comics, would any women who comment on it be "less relevant"? Sees like an odd double standard to me.

I also think Ozone makes a valid point that anything that encourages people (regardless of gender) to get involved in webcomics is a very good thing.

Basically if I thought there was some terrible shortage of inequality in terms of web comic authors then I might not says the idea of this thread was a bit dated.
But that simply isn't the case. Loads of web comics are written by women and they cover a whole range of topics and styles. They are as central to the Drunk Duck community as the men folk.

My wife said when my comic started that she expected it to only have a male following because females would not be into that sort of thing. But just going on my comments about half of my readership is female.

There is no gender imbalance in need of correcting.

The point I'm making is if Pit doesn't find this offensive than it's silly for you too.

I like this thread because i didn't realize half the comics Pythomas listed were done by chicks lol! Gender with webcomic creators is pretty even, i made a list of all the genders of the top100 comics a while ago i could tell and men were just a bit over.

But yeah you're right i really don't think the comic industry is closed off to anyone it's just males tend to love making and reading comics more.

And by 'more' i mean in quantity, not that chicks can't like comics as much as guys.

allright, well how you feel about it, you feel about it. if you think it's such a worthless thread then i doubt we'll see eye to eye on this. i can understand you're point that a topic about men in webcomics wouldnt be taken as well, and i'm sorry that that's so, i personally wouldnt make a fuss about it and really, i think majority of women wouldnt say anything. it's just the ones that ussually do tend to be loud. so for that, i am really sorry for you. but just cuase it's harder for you to say anything doesnt mean we have to be hush hush about it.

and i can do without the fucking cheersquad,Hark.thanks.

Hark Vs Pit Face!
-this time its serious.
Nobody gets out ALIVE!!!

-Now that would make a good comic. :)

I think part of the whole comics thing is the social aspect as well, like the forums here. And no one should think that their opinion is of less value because of something like their gender... That'd undermine all of us really. So I'd hope that hasn't happened in this case with Pit. That'd be a shame.

Nice to see a good discussion of things like this too, but it shouldn't turn too acrimonious.

I feel I've annoyed Pit Face so I will bow out of this argument.
I am not especially worked up by this thread, I just thought the gender issues it raised are interesting and worthy of discussion.
(Though please note, I am not bowing out because Pit face is a girl! I am equal opportunity in my desire not to annoy people!)

I never pay attention to gender when reading comics, web or print. Heck I can't even tell the gender based on some of the names out there nor do I care.

It's not like I'll read a comic, or anybody else I hope) and go "ugh this comic sucks" *looks at authors name* "oh that explains it... a woman sheesh" so I won't be looking at a comic positively just because it was written by a woman either.

Basically the author has no bearing on my outlook of the comic.
If it's good its good.

The only time I even look at the authors name is if it is a really good comic and I want to find more work by them.

I think the 'interest' here is in comics that may seem to have "man" written all over it are actually created by women.

Same as there'd be 'interest' piqued by a man who draws flowery girl romance comics.

Still anything goes in comics so it's hard to be surprised by much at all these days.

I'll take recognition anyway I can get it though. ;D

Wow, I had no idea that this thread was going to morph into a debate in gender politics.

I can emphasize with some of the feelings here though. I'm always kind of irked by all-female bands who are tagged with the "chicks who rock" label. I always thought that a group like Sleater Kinney was one of the best rock acts around, male or female. Putting a tag on them seems to put them in an artistic ghetto, which isn't fair in the least.

I certainly didn't want to imply that I wanted to do this to any of the countless female creators working on their strips. I'd very much like to think of myself as a guy who both likes and respects women.

I'm new to webcomics and it didn't quite hit me yet that the playing field here has a whole lot more gender balance than the print medium. If nothing else, this thread has made this fact crystal clear to me.

That being said, I think it's a little funny that the most offended participants in this thread appear to be men.