Anonymous asked: I'm feeling a little hopeless tonight. Marvel is coming out with a book called Fearless Defenders, starring nine female heroes, but of the two preview pages they've released, one is almost entirely Misty Knight breaking her back to show her boobs and butt. I went on CBR to voice my disappointment and after three pages, not a soul has agreed with me that this is fucked up. Am I crazy for being especially mad that this is the direction they're going with this book?
No, you are not crazy. It is madly offensive and you have every reason to be pissed off about it. The whole structure of our society is geared to tricking, silencing, shaming and abusing the less privileged into silence. Don’t feel bad that the script that has been trained into you since birth is one you’re following, that’s not your fault. We all do it, cause we all want to go through one day without feeling the weight of anger, hurt and fear.
You did speak up, and that’s where it starts. We need to continue to speak up, all of us, again and again and again. It must be like the rain, so that we give birth to a torrent, which then courses into a flood. You cannot have the flood without the raindrops.
Let us all rain down, wash this shit into the sea.
(30mg of codeine for severe cramping has made me poetic, y’all.)
Shorter version: You’re not crazy. There’s plenty to be angry about. Sexist fuckers are everywhere. Let’s rip this shit up.
ozziescribbler asked: I know you made one of your earliest posts about it, but I believe that the topic of painted-on clothes deserves a big post that points out a few pieces of artwork from different people. The way "clothes" wrap tight around women's breasts in comics is one of the worst offenders. I'd love to see you correcting comics which believe that instead of forming folds and being pulled by gravity fabric is supposed to glue itself to cleavage and underboob area, all of that without a single seam. Love you!
I actually have a special large post devoted to that coming up, as well as Subway Sandwich Thighs, and a couple of other comic art standards that drive me up the wall. So don’t worry, I’m working on that.
I’m on a committee at a local convention to do art for them, and I’m also up to my eyeballs in commissions, so if you’re wondering why it’s taking so long, that’s it!
I love you too. Fer realz. <3
I’ve been staring at this panel for 15 minutes and I still don’t understand
someone who can draw please help me understand
I’m so confused
perfect mystery solved
That panel does get something right. That is amusing.
FORESHORTENING, HOW THE FUCK DOES IT WORK?!
(Source: littleghostpug)
Via Escher Girls
My one and only post about the Tony Harris outburst:
Dear Mr. Harris,
This is all I have to say to you and your hideous, backwards attitudes:
We don’t need your permission to be considered as legitimate fans. Women and Comic Artists/Writers are not two mutually exclusive categories. For example, I am a woman, a cosplayer, a comic artist and a comic writer.
I will go to conventions, wearing what the hell I want. I will BE a comic artist and writer and professional, despite the attitude prevailing in the industry that you share, that somehow my only job is to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of comics while having the body of a Victoria’s Secret model, existing solely to either metaphorically or literally suck the dicks of men like you. I will exist, I will thrive, I will make friends and enjoy my fandom and there is NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. Continue to impotently flail and make an ass of yourself on the internet, please. Your BroTears are delicious.
In conclusion, please go fuck yourself.
No Love,
Nerd Girl Nacey.
(Happy Cosplayer, Passionate Artist)
Edit: I don’t know why that link is in there to the ad. I didn’t put it in there. Is this something new Tumblr are pulling? If so, I don’t like it.
Quick redraw of Jim Lee’s cover/illustration for the new Man of Steel comic. I kept the proportions but I straightened out his neck and body a bit because…it was really weird before. Also, my version is jump-roping.
Nacey: You know Supes would be mad-good at the jumprope shit. Like, he could do a million of those fuckers, forwards AND backwards.
Thanks for tackling Jim Lee! He’s hugely influential, and I have a lot of respect for the work he’s done, but at the same time, he’s also done a lot of ridiculous shit.
Like Superman bending his neck like a bucking stallion here.
So Where the Hell Have I Been?
Hey everyone.
Just shooting off a quick message to let y’all know where I’ve been. Life got a bit hectic (family issues, cat getting sick) and I’ve been having intensive therapy for my pelvic health problems (physiotherapy) that’s had me pretty busy. My lovely boyfriend has also had a pretty intense time at uni, and I’ve been spending a lot of time with him, getting him to relax. And taking photos of a lake near where I live. Been heavy into that.
I’m gearing up to pick up the crow-quill again, though, so get ready for some awesome shit. I’ve been saving up a stock-pile of some pretty horrendous drawings, so prepare yo-selves.
I’m also laying the groundwork for an Indie-Gogo campaign to help me raise money for a proper studio. All my computers are falling apart and can’t handle intensive graphics work, and doing my art on a computer would save SO much time with my workflow. With my limited energy due to chronic illness, digital is a great way for me to get my work out without having to go through the rigomarole of set-up and put-away. Having a functioning work-space will aid with that too. I’ll let you know of the details soon.
The main cool thing about the campaign is that some new art from me will be available, and I’m really excited about them cause they’re gorgeous: Elemental Mythical Beings. All women, one each for the four old elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, FUNK— sorry, Water). Anyway, enough of my hawking, I just thought I’d let you know what’s kept me busy! :D
Take care and I’ll see you in the next posts. If you’ve seen anything you really want me to cover, lemme know.
Oh, and I haven’t forgotten about the competition, it’ll be my first thing to cover when I do the next posts.
Anonymous asked: I don't know if it's because I'm not a "tits-and-ass" man or just because I find myself attracted to women and not just oversized depictions of various portions of their anatomy, but I've always found comics displaying more realistic women kicking ass way hotter than ones where they just stand around showing it. If only the rest of the industry would follow in your lead, I would be a very happy man. Keep up the awesome work!
Hello, Anon, and thank you so much! A lot of people seem to think that by depicting women realistically, that somehow attractiveness is sacrificed. I always think that the attraction to a character comes with what they do on the page, rather than what they look like. Also, by depicting women in a more respectful manner, one ends up using a lot of attractive details that get missed out with bad, cookie-cutter “sexy” art.
Ideally, drawing women with respect is geared towards making women feel inclusive, but fellows like you that also find this approach more attractive and there-fore support it are appreciated. I look at it as a fringe benefit!
Cheers!
Check out these exclusive preview sketches of the upcoming AVENGERS (2012) #1 by Jerome Opeña! What are you excited to see in Marvel NOW?
AVENGERS #1
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Pencils by JEROME OPEÑA
In Stores DECEMBER 5, 2012OH. MY. GOD. LOOK AT THIS LINE WORK. LOOK AT IT. HOLY SHIT I CANT.
Indeed. If one ever wanted an example of how to do women right in comics, or just doing comics well in general (superhero especially), this is a glorious example. The Black Widow isn’t pulling dumb poses. Her hips are a tad drawn back in the shot with her and Hawk-eye, but not ridiculously so. The anatomy is solid, really solid, and not ridiculous. Those teeth at the end really rock my socks cause they’re not, well, Liefeld teeth. *^_^*
Gorgeous, GORGEOUS work. Marvel should be proud of this effort. Now, put more POC and minorities in! :-D
Via Devil Doll
What makes a male pose dynamic? What makes a female pose dynamic?
As I mentioned in this post, “A B&B [boobs and butt] pose for the sake of consumption means that it’s okay to portray women as objects for sexual satisfaction in the public sphere. It’s to the point where I’ve read that redrawing a B&B pose into something more sensible makes the pose less ‘dynamic’.”
I received a comment in response to that post wherein a reader said: “all of your redraws are far less dramatic than the previous drawings. They lack the energy and dynamism and are far more static.” (And I’m sure they are, since I meant only to critique the unnecessary prevalence of B&B poses. I’m hardly a professional and my intent was never to undermine or belittle true professionals, only to make a point.)
After a while, I started wondering what exactly is expected out of a “dynamic” pose between genders – because it’s clear to me that they’re vastly different.
I started with this cover image:
(source: Escher Girls)
Obvious anatomical problems aside, I’ve seen this staple over and over again. I can’t seem to get away from it. Essentially, the most common pose for women is the ‘S’ curve, which will generally be some sort of variation of this:
- No guts
- Always arched back/Broken spine
- Accentuation of the curves
- small feet
- Pointed toes
This is a basic battle stance for a woman. (And as demonstrated in my previous post, now it’s taken even further.) The ‘S’ shape is very clearly defined in the above cover image.
(By the way, this was really hard to do, as I kept having to cinch her waist more and more, and I don’t think I could muster the will to do it again.)
So, what would said cover image look like with male bodies?
Well.
I see no problem with this. What’s wrong with this? Yes, it’s not realistic to jump down and attack with the legs folded in like that, but the pose IS possible, and, well…yes, it’s going to be very problematic when they land and actually try to attack from that position, but…
It looks good, right? Got them ‘S’ curves, and comic books are for entertainment purposes anyway, so who cares if it’s not realistic? It just has to be sexy. The male readership will just have to get over their whiney selves and deal with this. It’s not my problem if their male superheroes are sexualized or portrayed ridiculously.
…
Does that sound familiar?
You might have read at least one comment lashing out against women (and men too, of course) who complain that their female superheroes are simply serving as sex objects for the male readership.
Let’s be honest. What would that cover really look like with two men? Based on the formula given, something like:
(hahaha what is composition. what is anatomy. what do you mean I got lazy. this is why I’m not a professional artist)
Anonymous asked: What going on with Starfire's spine in RHTO 15# cover seriously?
Can someone point me to what they mean? I can’t find a fifteenth issue.
A Mother of a Post on Mothers and Daughters and Superhero Comics
Today I bring you a terrific essay by Liz Pfeiffer who has guest posted many times for the blog on everything from Lois Lane to Kate Kane’s clothes. This time she looks at the portrayal of mothers and daughters in superhero comics. Her thoughts follow.
After my best friend’s mother died of a short battle with cancer this February, she and I had a very long conversation about mothers. She and her mother had a very complicated relationship and she told me that I should be so lucky as to get into arguments with my mother because she was still there to get into arguments with. Since the loss of my dear friend’s mother, I have been reflecting more on mother and
relationships. They are, in a word – complicated. As a young girl, I loved hanging out with my mom; as a teen, I fought with her constantly to define myself; and as an adult, she is the first person I go to for advice and the person I can’t wait to share good news with or cry to about my bad news. Other women I know have just as complex relationships with their mothers. And yet, when we look to mediums, our relationships with our mothers become stereotypes or one-dimensional portrayals of parents and children.
Take comics for example: there are about a few regularly recurring stereotypes:
- The overbearing moms: Silk Spectre I & II; Dinah Drake & Dinah Laurel Lance; Cassie Sandsmark and her mother, as recently revisioned in the Wonder Girl mini
- The “mama bear” moms – those mothers who can use or display aggression to protect their precious cubs: Jessica Jones & Danielle Cage; Zola, and by extension, Wonder Woman’s protecting of Zola’s fetus in Brian Azzarello’s Wonder Woman; and Sue Storm and her twins would fit into this category.
- The sympathetic moms – those who are or who portray a mother role and are made to be much more sympathetic in doing so: Cheshire & Lian Harper (and Thomas Blake Jr.); Mystique & Rogue; and to a much lesser villainous extent, Emma Frost & her school charges (Ms. Frost also fits into the mama bear category when it comes to her ‘kids’)
- And the manipulative/selfish/absent/abandoning moms – those moms who could care less about their child until it comes to their selfish needs or are just generally absent in their child’s (specifically daughter’s) life: Mystique & Rogue; Cheshire & Lian Harper; early Crystal & Stephanie Brown; and Lady Shiva & Cass. In fact in three of these examples, the fathers play more of a role in their daughters’ lives than their mothers do: Cass & David Cain; Lian & Roy Harper; and Stephanie & Arthur Brown.
Just reblogging this brilliant piece. So, so true and important. This message is as important to this blog as anatomy specifics, if not more so.
I’m still around, btw, just feeling rather ill due to a new pill I’m on. Contemplating a weekly “Live Correction”. Lemme know if you think that’s a good idea.
Will try to get the results of the competition (yes, that one that I forgot) out this week. <3
daydreamindenim asked: Wow, a blog about how women are sexually objectified in graphic novels and art detailing how they should really look? Following!
You just totally made my birthday! :D :D Thanks for the support!
Yet another delay!
Hey all,
It’s my birthday (the 3rd) so I’ve been busy getting things ready for my party next week (the only vacant space in my huge family’s calendar) and making crochet pressies for my niece who is also having a birthday.
I will try to get something done soon!
Cheers,
N.
Competition: Colour-A-CAC! - Info
Hey all,
Sorry about the huge delay in my judging of the images. Life kinda blew up in my face in the past three weeks. I am aiming to get shit sorted by the end of this week!
Cheers,
N.
ita: This is a photograph of Ana Ivanovic, an elite athlete whose highest singles ranking was #1. Here she is, posing for a sports magazine, and upon close inspection (research, totally research), I think it is officially boobs and butt, since there’s both boob cleavage and butt cleavage.
Of course Catwoman looks the way she does, since peak elite physical female specimens are festooned in pastels and encouraged to contort for public consumption (this a pretty typical photograph of the whole shoot, but since this is the pose, I thought I’d sling it your way).
All I need for is Federer in a loincloth to balance things out in the male swimsuit edition. Is that too much to ask?
Nacey: Notice that she’s lying down? In this situation, gravity is doing most of the hard work of twisting the body. When one is upright, it’s much more difficult to maintain this pose. She doesn’t really look all that comfortable or natural either. In most of the boobs-and-butt images we see of comic heroes, they’re standing up and half-turning. And that’s not really an energy-efficient or comfortablel way of doing things.
As for both genders getting up to this malarkey: I would not be averse to see Roger Federer in a loin-cloth in a pit of tan or blue balls.
About me
Correcting the mistake of artists who should really know better.