GODCHILD
© Viz Media
Boys, Girls and Newsprint
By: Nadia OxfordDate: Thursday, June 07, 2007
The Battle of the Sexes leaves no battleground bloodless. This week's Comicscape column references two fairly hot topics that has set the comics fandom aflame: The cover of Heroes for Hire #13, and a certain collectable statuette of Mary Jane, Spider-Man's true love. Some claim the former makes heavy reference to anime's infamous tentacle-rape subgenre, and the latter features what many thought was Mary Jane washing out Spider-Man's underoos (although Mary Jane is actually going through a laundry hamper and is not actually washing anyone's unmentionables).
The reactions from both the male and female species has been interesting. Some women are crying foul over the representation of women in comics. Some men tell them to suck it up. And then the roles are switched. During the brouhaha, I caught sight of an interesting comment from an anime/manga fan who claims the American comics industry has a long way to go before its super heroines can hope to catch up to some of the strong, well-balanced female leads in manga.
Are females depicted any more realistically in manga than they are in American comics?
Heck no.
But are Japanese manga-ka a bit more skilled at attracting a female readership?
Heck yes. So what's the secret?
First, I'm not easily offended by the "standard" the media has supposedly set for the female body. I'm more peeved at the doctors who release (then retract) report after report stating that having any kind of fat on your body means a slow, smothering death--ignoring the established, scientific fact that women need a certain percentage of body fat to regulate the release of hormones. But hyper-anorexic, airbrushed models don't bother me. My husband doesn't expect me to look like that any more than I expect him to drive the car through a shopping centre because I saw it on an action movie once. Sure, it'd be cool, but realistically we know the car would just shit its muffler and the cops would move in really quickly.
That said, neither the Heroes for Hire cover nor the statue offend me. I don't know how in God's name anyone could be turned on by that creepy look on Mary Jane's face, but to each his own.
Most comics and manga are about the fantastic and the unreal. I can accept the existence of a some heroine with big boobs and a tiny waist because these chicks usually do zany things like fly or turn into a cheetah. Big boobs are downright mundane by comparison. Admittedly, I do get annoyed when I'm told Jean Grey, Black Cat and other such heroines are for me, "Me" being American comics' slim female fanbase. Thanks for the thought but … I really don't care. I find these gals never get into any sort of adventures I give a damn about.
Manga, on the other hand, has succeeded dramatically in lassoing female readers. Both the "shojo" and "josei" genres balance story and character in order to appeal to women of all ages.
A strong female character is an excellent, excellent thing to have in a comic, but I'm not going to buy out the comic rack just because someone threw me the gender bone. What kind of issues does the heroine face? Are they matters I would care about, or is the writer taking making a half-assed attempt at being controversial by making big noise over a rape storyline? How much story is sacrificed for fights against King Kong? I like action, but I like development, too.
Heck, is a female protagonist even 100% necessary to get girls interested in a story? No. Writers, you can talk to female audiences using male characters. Don't be shy. Shojo manga does it all the time with titles like Godchild and Wild Adapter.
Manga certainly shouldn't be let off the hook for its portrayal of women, however. The reason half the world went crazy over Heroes for Hire #13 is exactly because anime is often associated with creepy movies about schoolgirls being raped by monsters with unorthodox reproductive organs. In such cases, the women still look as ridiculously big-breasted as those in American comics--probably more so.
If manga seems to handle the female creature more tenderly than its American cousin, it's for two reasons: First, manga is far more genre-specific. A girl who wants a love story will probably stick to shojo; although to manga's credit, action-based shonen titles like Dragon Ball or Yu-Gi-Oh have story elements that easily appeal to both sexes. Second, manga is far more popular in Japan than comics are in America--so there's a much wider selection of titles for all age groups and both genders.
Regardless, I'd like to see some stuff from American publishers that appeal directly to me. DC Comics is off to a decent start with its Minx line, starting with The Plain Janes. The Plain Janes features a bunch of schoolgirls saving the world with art. Very cute, but if the previews at the back of the volume are any indication, Minx is going to star a whole lotta high school girls. Again, manga gains the upper hand: The josei genre has adult stories involving relationships and single women struggling with their career and life. I'm a grown-up now, as much as that horrifies me. I don't want to read about a dozen high school exploits. Women go to places besides school, you know.
I thought your readers might find this interesting, it's called "ANTI-COMICS FEMINIST BINGO"
IMPORTANT: The idea (which will be somewhat discombobulating below due to aesthetic bingo card misalignment) is NOT that if one has 1 position on the bingo card then one is effectively entirely off-base, but rather that if one has found themselves making 5 such arguments - ostensibly in a Bingo row - then one has likely been sidetracked from the issue.
Regardless of the positions people take, I think the Bingo format _concept_ is a bloody good idea; _ in the right hands_ its an excellent way to eliminate all the pseudo-arguments that can arise over complex issues.
..Ostensibly so that you don't have to sit through the sidetracking and people can move on to debate the actual issue.
(I say `ostensibly' because obviously if one puts a solid argument on the Bingo cart, the whole thing becomes pointless)
ANTI-COMICS-FEMINIST-BINGO
(the points below are all considered positions people may take that serve largely only to sidetrack from the issue)
Just read manga like the rest of the girls.
You're only jealous because you don't look like that.
So you want comics full of ugly fat chicks?
If you don't like them, don't read them.
That's censorship!
But doing martial arts in high heels is perfectly reasonable!
But super-strong women don't need bras!
But she's from an alien culture with no nudity taboo!
But girls often wear skirts. Why wouldn't they go flying in them?
But that costume suits her personality!
No one wants realism in comics!
But rape happens in real life too!
But men are drawn unrealistically too!
Men can't help themselves! Why are you punishing us for our biology?
Women just don't get comics.
If you don't like it, shut up and write your own.
Why are you complaining about comics when women in Muslim countries are oppressed?
This is just fanboy entitlement... from women!
There aren't many women working in mainstream comics because they're just not good enough.
�I mean, because they're just not interested.
Sexism is a convention of the genre!
Are you calling me a misogynist!?
My girlfriend never complains about this stuff.
But male characters die too!
Comics are never going to change. You're wasting your time.
---
The idea is that all of those arguments above are not about the issue (of the portrayal of women in comics) itself, consequently If one makes 5 of said arguments in a row, one is considered to have Bingo'd themselves OUT of the debate.
For anyone interested, the specific "reasons" supplied for why those positions above are on the bingo card, can be found (along with the Bingo card) here:
http://girl-wonder.org/girlsreadcomics/index.php?entry=entry070415-071159
Michael X. Maelstrom