first published may 10, 2012 at http://www.hercircleezine.com/2012/05/10/womanthology-heroic/
When I first started thinking about doing a series of reviews and articles about women in comics, (comix) and graphic novels, I did an internet search and learned aboutWomanthology: Heroic before it went to press. I finally got my hands on the book itself. The volume is over-sized and hefty. The book was put together in just months. An initial inquiry about writer/artist interest in the anthology was sent out May 17, 2011. The book was printed in December 2011. With the overwhelming interest, the group working together to publish what they thought would be a small volume put out a call for financial support. A small print run would be $25,000 and the team had just a month to raise funds. They raised that money nineteen hours after putting the request up on the internet. If anyone questions whether women “should be” considered where comix and graphic novels are concerned, an understated response might be, “Hell, yeah!” Apparently, women are interested in writing and drawing for comics, they’re interested in supporting projects for women in this area and they’re definitely reading comics, as well!
While I picked up the book to add to my collection of comix and graphic novels, and expected to find at the very least a few inspiring stories and some great artwork, I was not prepared for everything WOMANTHOLOGY: HEROIC is. The book itself is impressive, as I described above. However, what I found on the pages inside blew me away! The book is not just an anthology. It isn’t just a collection of stories in comic/graphic format. It includes submissions from young girls and teens and also a section where women who broke into the illustration field are honored. It features information about each contributor in sidebars throughout the text. There are for tips aspiring cartoonists, writers, and artists of every stripe: young, old and in-between, who want to draw or write or both. There is inspiration for anyone seeking any kind of creative life. In fact, whatever your dream, the words of wisdom provided may be applied to your pursuit of a personal goal of any kind.
The stories in WOMANTHOLOGY: HEROIC all center around the theme “heroic” from the title. The artists and writers were challenged to interpret heroism in their own way. There is everything here from the traditional super-hero genre to stories that turn it on its head to treatments that hint at everyday heroism in individual lives. Not all the artists or writers were already involved in the comix format, and many found their first publication credits in this book. Some submitted comix based on work they’ve been doing without recognition for some time, and others got a first taste of the writing/drawing life with WOMANTHOLOGY: HEROIC. Some stories focus on futuristic tales, while others honor women of the past. Women and girls of all ages contributed to the pages, the youngest being listed as ten and the oldest as seventy. With the variety of styles and stories, there is something for everyone in this book. There are so many examples of strong girls and women throughout, and of the infinite ways in which a story may be told through the combination of words and pictures.
If you buy WOMANTHOLOGY: HEROIC and still thirst for more of this kind of thing, no worries! IDW plans to publish a series of woman-conceived comics with “space” as the theme and as writers and artists broadly interpret it. Look for it at your local comic book shop!
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