Women: Drawn to Comics

First published April 19, 2012 at http://www.hercircleezine.com/2012/04/19/women-drawn-to-comics/

Several years ago, I read about the trend of six-word-stories. There are several books with very, very short stories now, as well as a website dedicated to the craft. I tried my hand at this craft and found it fun. As a fan of comics and graphic novels, I consider attempting my own graphic novel. In light of comics and six-word-stories, I came up with a possible six-word-memoir: Drawn to comics later in life. It seems that where women and comics are concerned, quite a few enter the field “later in life,” like Jennifer Hayden the author of Underwire (TopShelf, 2011). (Her comix will be featured in an upcoming post.)

Men dominate the comics/comix/graphic novel market not only as authors and illustrators, but also as consumers. This likely makes it even more difficult for women, especially those who would write about what are often considered “women’s issues.” This phrase covers everything from abortion and birth control, typically, to motherhood and menstruation and equal wages. I constantly question why issues such as these are considered the sole prevue of women. However, that is a discussion for another day. Regardless, it’s great to see the number of women entering the field of comics and graphic novels and getting accepted into the ranks in publishing this genre. Maybe it’s because those who stereotypically seek out comics and those who create them share the alienation women have felt for so long. I will also refrain from that tangent here.

What I’d like to do is feature some women comics writers and artists to expose InContext and Her Circle Ezine readers to this exciting genre. There is something to that “picture says a thousand words” axiom that lends itself to comics, and the ways in which the medium works for women. It’s a medium that allows for asides, asterisks, and tangents, much like conversations between my women friends and me. The way in which a text is illustrated by the author/illustrator often speaks volumes about the subject matter, and allows for long reflection and consideration, often even begging a second or third reading! The women graphic novelists/comic writers/artists I’ll feature begin with some I’ve found through the ACT-I-VATE website, a great place to initiate an appreciation of this amazing creative, communicative form!

The first artist I’ll feature is Laura Lee Gulledge, the author of SEALED: GROWING UP TUPPERWARE®. Gulledge’s memoir (an almost fan-zine for Tupperware®) explores her childhood, her mother’s life and the women’s movement with Tupperware® as the backdrop for all of it. It’s a unique blend of infomercial and advertising/recruiting campaign slogans, reflection on what these kinds of home-based businesses provided and continue to provide for women, and her own life in the present, far removed from even really needing Tupperware®.

CLICK IMAGE TO READ SEALED

Gulledge admits the seemingly “unfeminist” nature of all that Tupperware® might represent. She then goes on to deconstruct the myth of what is and what isn’t feminist, and what provides opportunity for women or ties them to a lack thereof. (My own mom sold Tupperware® for a short time during my childhood, and being “prone to organization” myself, I appreciate Tupperware® for its ability to hold pretty much anything in a very organized way.) The author/illustrator says that while she has a storage space with Tupperware® in it that was a gift from her mother when she moved away from home, she does not cook, and thus has little need to store leftovers. At the same time, Gulledge witnessed her mother succeed in business, which is a great example any mother might set for her own children. Even as Tupperware® may seem to symbolize the homemaker mentality, Gulledge gives it credit for being an opportunity for women to make money, run a business, support themselves, their families and other women. She says that it allows more mothers to be present in the childhoods of their children, and writes about how much she appreciated her mom being around. SEALED examines feminism, and how its efforts have almost made things like Tupperware® obsolete in the lives of so many women, even as things like Tupperware® paved the way for women in business in many ways.