As a fan of short stories and horror, and an aficionado of sting-in-the-tail stories such as the Pan Book of Horror Stories, I set the bar high when it comes to being enjoyably creeped out. The opening to Volume 2 mentions that initial feedback of the first book was that it was too twisted, which had me cautiously optimistic, and as it turns out, both volumes are a horrible delight.

Hit the jump for my full spoiler-free review!

Each story has a different artist, lending a wonderfully disjointed feel to the volumes, but with the twisted theme binding everything together. Some twists are genuinely surprising, others more horrible for their inevitability, with varying lengths ensuring that you are never quite sure which one you are dealing with. Volume 2 purports to be a lighter read, with non-horror stories thrown into the mix and several without stings... the result however, is that endings are even more unpredictable with the darkness somehow concentrated in those tales with spikes. Clever stuff.

Cocaina - story by Neil Gibson, art by Casper Wijngaard

The plotting in each is strong, and I should stress that this is horror of the psychological kind - no werewolves, monsters or ghosts, only the sadistic cruelty of humankind. Which, personally, is the kind I find most unsettling of all. Gibson has brought a realism to the page, and his setting is global. Nowhere is safe.

Stand out stories include Routine (illustrated by Caspar Wijngaard), an unsettling take on the cabin in the woods theme; The Pushman (illustrated by Jan Wijngaard), a deceptively gentle tale; Becoming a Man (illustrated by Antonio Balanquit Jr), a tense coming of age story with added peril; and Popular (illustrated by Caspar Wijngaard), a disconcerting look at fame in the internet age.

Munchausen's - story by Neil Gibson, art by Casper Wijngaard

The greatest shock perhaps is that this is Gibson's début; Twisted Dark reads like a professional graphic collection from an established horror writer, not a self-published stab in the dark that many first time comic creators attempt. Each story is complete with no stray ends or plot holes, each leaving you wanting more and urging you into the next tale.

While the art throughout is of high quality, Casper Wijngaard in particular deserves special mention for his flawless work in various styles, each utterly compelling. At times Wijngaard's work channels the sure hard lines of Rob Guillory, at others the more delicate but bestial work of Karl Kerschl, and finally the more scratchy darkened work of Jeff Lemire. That each of Wijngaard's stories are so uniquely different but of such high standard is remarkable - someone at Vertigo or Image needs to call this guy, stat, and while you're at it, hook Gibson up as the writer of their twisted creation.

Routine - story by Neil Gibson, art by Casper Wijngaard

In short, Twisted Dark knocks many professional titles out the ballpark, and is well worth picking up! Gibson's website provides full previews of several of the stories, just to whet your appetites.

Find out more:
Neil Gibson: Neil Gibson Comics
Casper Wijngaard: Caspar Wijngaard Comics

It is also a period of Women in Comics history that I hold close to my heart.

Rose O'Neill is regarded as the first woman cartoonist (1874-1944). Self taught, and from a poor family, her parents ensured she was never without paper to draw on, and her father in particular was keen to support her love of books and art as best he could. In 1888, at the age of 13, Rose won an art contest held in the local paper (the Omaha World Herald) and the judges were so doubtful that her entry, "Temptation Leading to an Abyss", could have been drawn by a 13 year old, that they summoned her to prove her skills in person. Proving her skills, from then on Rose was able to supplement the family income with regular work in the periodicals.

"Give me this child," my father was saying. "I want to make an experiment. Specialize. She shall have no studies except those conducive to the Arts".

"For pity's sake," said my mother. "Let the poor little creature get an ordinary education first".

"She will have no occasion for an ordinary education."

"But she can't say two and two make four".

"Why should she? "he asked. "I don't expect her to be at such a loss for something to say".

I was present. But I was not conspicuously present, being under a table drawing little fat frogs on lily-pads in the fly-leaves of a book. The frogs had a Kewpish look though it was a quarter of a century before I drew my first Kewpie.

- Rose O'Neill, in her memoirs.

Despite her obvious talent, Rose's early work was always signed C.R.O to disguise the fact she was a woman illustrator (the C is for her first given name, Cecilia, which she rarely used). Much illustrative work at the time was created by freelancers, working outside the office environment which allowed a gender neutral signature to skip the sexist obstacles. There are several cases of famous women illustrators in the early half of the 20th century whose audiences had no clue they were not looking at the work of a man - as was right and proper of course!

The Old Subscriber Calls - 1896

In 1890, Rose sold her first illustration to Truth magazine, and travelling to New York with her father, a constant supporter, Rose lodged with the Sisters of St. Regis, sold all of her work and received orders for more. Sending the bulk of her wages home, her family was able to build a magnificent house, Bonniebrook, which she later moved back into herself. In 1896 she became the first female US comic strip artist with "The Old Subscriber Calls", just one year after the début of The Yellow Kid, commonly regarded as the first US comic. In 1901 women cartoonists were starting to appear quite frequently in newspapers, and in 1910 Rose found lasting fame with her creation of the Kewpies – cherubic little characters based on her beloved youngest brother who had sadly died as an infant.

Kewpies - a spring collection and a Sunday spread

Kewpies caught the nations imagination and appeared in books, magazines (including Good Housekeeping) and adverts. They appeared as illustrated stories, ideal for parents to read to their young children. A licensing frenzy began, and Kewpie dolls were the toy of choice. The dolls were so popular it took factories in 6 countries to fill the initial orders. The craze lasted until the World War II years, though many soldiers took Kewpie dolls with them for luck.

In 1934 Kewpie comics were published, full pages in today's panel format. The twice divorced and bohemian Rose was passionately involved in the Suffrage movement – as were the Kewpies (see top illustration). Rose was known as the "Queen of Bohemian Society" due to her outspoken views on women's rights, the considerable wealth that her work had amassed, and her widely admired beauty. Her first marriage crumbled due to her husbands avarice, and her second due to falling for sweet love letters from a man who turned out to be quite the curmudgeon that resented her exuberant nature. The second marriage ended in 1907, and Rose decided she was done with men.

Rose O'Neill in 1907, taken by the influential photographer, Gertrude Käsebier

In her spare time Rose worked on her "secret play work", a series that became known as "Sweet Monsters". She exhibited these in Paris in 1921 to rave reviews and was hailed as the reincarnation of Gustave Doré. The exhibition could easily have been a sell out event, but Rose could not bear to be parted from any of her monsters. Instead she produced two new works for the most insistent collectors.

In her spare time, Rose continued to illustrate novels as well as write her own, not to mention poetry and sculptures. Aspiring artists were drawn to her and would stay at her many estates due to her enthusiasm and generosity. She was encouraging to a flaw, commenting to a friend about one lesser artist, "I couldn’t tell him the truth, it'd be like stepping on a kitten."

Capri, 1933 - one of the Sweet Monsters

By the time the Great Depression came along in the 30s, Rose's money was gone and her illustrative work was considered out of fashion. Photography was replacing traditional drawings, and bohemian values were out of place. Rose continued to create artwork, much of it donated by her to a local arts college, and was a vocal speaker at women's groups.

Rose created nearly 5500 drawings in her lifetime and paintings beyond count, along with the books and poems she authored and illustrated. Sadly, in 1947, three years after Rose's death, her beloved Bonniebrook burned to the ground, taking with it much of her art and legacy. The hosue was restored some thirty years later, and since 1993 has recovered its former glory. The work that was lost though can never be replaced, and is the key reason why Rose is unforgivably forgotten by many.

The Chauffeur - which reminds me terribly of Damian Wayne!

The diversity of her work is exquisite, from her old-fashioned super-cute cherubs to her dark and spiky Sweet Monsters. Self-taught and highly driven, Rose established herself as both a prolific commercial artist and a master of fine arts, using her elevated position to back the Suffrage movement and push for women's rights.

"The web of lines took time. And that was the fun of it. Not to conclude – to go on deliriously sculpturing the form, prolonging the delight."

- Rose O'Neill.

Signs, 1904

Further reading:
Women in Comics: The Platinum & Golden Ages
roseoneill.org

Here then are some of the highlights that have crossed my path, including a daringly recoloured Flex Mentallo, some inspiring débuts, the latest from two of the most prominent women creators in the industry, and rising talent in the small press. As ever, all reviews are spoiler free!

Hit the jump for the mini-reviews.

Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery
By: Grant Morrison and  Frank Quitely
Publisher: Titan/DC
Release Date: Out now
Review: It's no small secret that I'm a fan of Morrison's more brain-melting work, and Flex Mentallo is no exception. A spin off adventure for the character that graced the pages of Morrison's Doom Patrol, this is a standalone story that embraces the writers interest in the intersection between fiction and reality, paper universes and meta-heroes. The eye popping colour explosion is significantly toned down from the original, at the request of Quitely and Morrison who have overseen the newer look (by colourist Peter Doherty). Newer technology has allowed the new collection to ignore many of the compromises taken with the original issues, and the result is a twisting story with typically fabulous artwork from Quitely, complimented rather than distracted by the colouring.

Flex has long been out of print and this first collection is very welcome indeed, with several bonus pages of original sketches and artwork by Quitely.  Like The Filth and The Invisibles, Flex is a story that gives you something new on each re-reading, and makes your brain delightfully itchy.

Spandex: Fast and Hard
By: Martin Eden
Publisher: Titan
Release Date: 25th May
Review: Rarely do I get a comic that compels me to read the whole thing before I've even got out of bed in the morning, but Spandex had me glued from not only the first page but the cover itself. The simple artwork and flat colouring works to the story's advantage, and allows the characters to really stand out on their own terms. Eden has billed this as the first all-powered, all-gay superhero team which has predictably stirred great nerd debates, but regardless of pedigree he has at the very least created a bloody good read. There is a lot of joy to be had here, and the teasing of some wonderful subplotting that has me wanting more.

I'll be backing this book for sure and encourage anyone to give it a try - see if you're able to put it down once you start!

Are You My Mother?
By: Alison Bechdel
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
Release Date: 31st May (out now in US)
Review: Bechdel is of course someone who I consider a Godmother of comics. Inventor of the Bechdel Test, creator of Dykes to Watch Out For, and author of the modern classic Fun Home, I've even studied her work as part of my masters degree. Fun Home is undoubtedly one of the best autobiographic comics of the last ten years, with Bechdel examining her childhood and dysfunctional family life, ultimately addressing both herself and her father's psyche. It's a gut wrenching read, and a master-class of comics construction, with looping and repetitive storytelling used to build up a layered and complex picture.

The title of her latest work indicates that Bechdel's attention has shifted to her mother, but that is only part of the story. Unlike Fun Home, Are You My Mother? has opened to mixed reviews. Bechdel mixes psychoanalysis of her relationship with her mother with family history, and the history of psychoanalysists, psychologists, and Virginia Woolf. While Fun Home featured small excerpts of other works, Are You My Mother? consistently features pages of these clinical notes, and the result is quite jarring - a meeting of themes that are at turns too subjective and too broad. Later in the book this shifts focus to look more at Bechdel's mother rather than historical figures, and further readings make the transition smoother. There are glimpses of greatness here and when those shine, the book is absolutely gripping.

Daredevil
By: Mark Waid and Paolo M Rivera
Publisher: Marvel
Release Date: Out now
Review: Daredevil has always been my favourite of the Marvel heroes. One of the few crime fighters from a working class background,  Matt Murdoch has been put through the ringer time and time again, enough to make Batman look like he's having the time of his life. What a joy then to see Daredevil finally get a little bit of slack in Waid's run! That's not to say that we are seeing a return to the goofy antics of vintage Marvel, nor is Matt suddenly cracking jokes like Peter Parker. What we do have though is a real feel of energy and enthusiasm as Daredevil kicks ass, takes charge, and protects the little guy.

Rivera's visuals are stunning, using cut out panels to startling effect and keeping the energy moving at all times. It's in his interpretation of Daredevil's 'sight' though that we can really see the artists genius. More please!

Please God, Find Me A Husband!
By: Simone Lia
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
Release Date: Out now
Review: Lia is one of my favourite artists, and Fluffy, perhaps her most famous book, is one I think every comic fan should have. Her latest work then somewhat caught me off balance, as I rather ignorantly assumed the title was facetious. Having been raised as Christian but no longer subscribing to such, my hackles immediately raised when I realised that this was a genuine religious journey tale - a reaction that was entirely unwarranted! Lia's open and honest account of her travels and conversations are a joy to read, and do not require a shared religious conviction to enjoy. Her imaginings of herself and a red herring along the way are particularly amusing, and her cute style fits the innocence of her journey very well.

This is also a comic I feel that would appeal to a wide range of people, particularly in terms of age. I can quite easily see my Grandma enjoying this story, which is a real rarity amongst comics!

Batman Incorporated
By: Grant Morrison, Yanick Paquette, Chris Burnham
Publisher: DC
Release Date: Out now
Review: Following Morrison's Batman and Robin, and The Return of Bruce Wayne, and before the New 52 scrambled everything up,  Batman Incorporated saw the expansion of the Batman franchise to a global scale, which subsequently segued nicely into the New 52 line-up. Here then, Stephanie Brown is still Batgirl and Babs is Oracle, while the rest follow the later line-up: Cass as Black Bat, and with the introduction of Batwing, Nightrunner and others. Morrison has used extremely tight storytelling here, which feels pulpy and new, and the result is a cast of characters enjoying themselves while being spun in villainous circles. I'm giving many bonus points for brilliant portrayals of Catwoman and Batwoman, and the references to the original Kathy Kane.

Morrison's notes at the back of the collection point out the various Easter Eggs and ties to Bat-history that many may miss, and may I point out that the Iron Lady yelling "BY BLOOPEETA, CRIKEY and THATCHA!" made my week.

The Wolf Man
By: Sigmund Freud, Richard Appignanesi and Slawa Harasymowicz
Publisher: SelfMadeHero
Release Date: Out now
Review: It will shock few people to know that I am not a fan of Freud, however The Wolf Man, as a historical graphic novel, cannot be faulted. My dislike of Freud makes reading about the man an unappealing task but Harasymowicz's exquisite pencil work completely enraptured me. As a method of learning history, graphic novels are clearly a fantastic tool, and I am now far better grounded in my own opinions on Freud in particular, and psychoanalysis in general. A very worthy read.

Paris
By: Maarten Vande Wiele, Erika Raven, Peter Moerenhout
Publisher: Knockabout Comics
Release Date: Out now
Review: This fabulously eye-catching collection from Knockabout combines both of Vande Wiele's graphic novels: I Love Paris, scripted by Erika Raven, and I Hate Paris, scripted by Peter Moerenhout. Billed as "the very first graphic trash novel in the universe", the book stars three fashionistas in search of fame and fortune in the French capital. The humour here is very black indeed, as Hope, Faith, and Chastity all struggle to fulfil their dreams, and pay the price that fame demands. Be warned, there are some uncomfortable scenes, but Paris is aimed squarely at satirising the glamorous façade of beauty.

That said, the art is wonderfully chic, and I would hope to see this widely reviewed in the fashion magazines. great fun!

The Vicar Woman
By: Emma Rendel
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
Release Date: Out now
Review: Wonderfully strange art accompanies a wonderfully strange, and rather discomforting story, on a remote (Scottish?) island. A new female vicar arrives to find a very enthusiastic congregation who seem desperate to find absolution in her sermons. The island is portrayed as normal, but the parishioners are all in ownership of bizarre faces - from dog muzzles to duck heads - giving the story a veneer of grotesque fantasy which hints at the horrors hidden beneath. Fans of psychological and subtle horror will love this, as will those who enjoy impressionist art and uncomfortable truths.

This is a story that will stay with you long after you read it, from a remarkably unique and talented artist.

Anthology One
By: Stephanie Scott, Charlie Parsons, Rebecca Rolland, Calum Sutherland, Louise Cadger, Samantha-Jo Ross, Claire Roe, Jamie Buchanan
Publisher: UniVerse
Release Date: Out now
Review: The first anthology from a new imprint specially created to provide exposure for the work of students at the University of Dundee and the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. Dundee is at the heart of British comics and if this collection is anything to go by, a hotspot of future industry professionals. Anthology One collects the work of those at the DOJ this past year, and features some truly stunning work as well as a cover courtesy of Colin MacNeil. Charlie Parsons' Hubert and Remington is a particularly promising indication, with an industrial sci-fi flavour and artwork that many writers would kill to work with. Jamie Buchanan's Calvin the Dog is another stand-out contribution with fantastic comic timing, panel usage, and a style that reminded me rather nostalgically of Rocko's Modern Life.

The second volume is out in summer featuring the work of myself and course mates on the Comic Studies MLitt at the University of Dundee!

Available at conventions and upon request.

Girl & Boy
By: Andrew Tunney
Release Date: Out now
Review: Girl & Boy is the latest comic from kick-ass creator Tunney and is a snip at only £1.50. The Manchester based artist's gallery is nothing short of spectacular, and the bitter-sweet Girl & Boy is definitely an indicator of great things to come. This single issue comic packs more emotional punch than many can achieve in a series, and the ending takes a wonderfully non-typical turn. I'm really looking forward to seeing more.

Preview and buy here. 

Alpha
By:  L Phillips
Release Date: Out now
Review: A new small press supernatural series with a difference - a focus on strong women and subverting the expected. Phillips' soft art is a wonderful contrast to the violent and twisting story, that pitches vampire and werewolves headlong into the fray alongside humans in a brutal AU that is a welcome change from sparkling emo boys and furry boy-toys. The story writing here is really very good, with a lack of superfluous exposition that often trips up other small press books. Another creator I will be following with interest!

The UK magazine is always an excellent resource for comic features, including many by Paul Gravett, and I hope my contribution does the issue justice - and of course garners lots of good feedback so that this topic re-appears in the future! Taking a broad sweep at the overall issue, I include quotes from Alan Moore and Grant Morrison, and the graphics include fab artwork of great women heroes including Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Tank Girl and Starfire, as well as cover art from Conan the Barbarian, Fish + Chocolate and Queen & Country.

As a published piece I can't reproduce the work here, but you can buy the magazine at newsagents in the UK, or a physical or digital copy via their website: comicheroesmagazine.com

Enjoy!

Anthology comics are a particular favourite of mine, from the flowing narrative of Nelson to the clashing styles of Team Girl Comic, and Into The Woods was a book I'd been hearing a lot of buzz about - not least due to the stellar line-up of small press writers and artists on board. My own affection for horror and twisted tales further piqued my interest, as fairytales are perhaps the ultimate source of grisly ends.

Happily, my high expectations were met, and Into The Woods serves as a great platform for some of the up and coming talent in the UK comics industry today. Hit the jump for my full spoiler-free review!

Andy Bloor's gorgeous cover is almost enough to sell this comic by itself. A creeping menace, the blend of real and fantasy, a girl who is prey but perhaps with more to her than it seems... it's a cracking start.

Into The Woods, edited by Stacey Whittle, contains nine individual stories: Red Riding Hood; A Time For A Change; The Madness From The Sea; Samhain; The Lang Pack; Blood And Sacrifice; Changeling; The Black Shoes; Amber And The Egg. It is worth noting that there are three women artists in this book, as well as Vicky Stonebridge who provided the back cover art, and the editor herself.

Panel from "The Madness From The Sea"

In an effort to avoid spoilers I will mention only briefly my favourite stories. A Time For A Change, written by Ollie Masters with art by Valia Kapadai, is a lovely gentle story that contrasts nicely with some of the darker tales within the anthology, yet still has some rather grotesque imagery that segues nicely with the overall flow. The Madness From The Sea, written by Scott Harrison with art by Lee Grice, has a wonderfully Lovecraftian feel and an excellent line technique that reflects the wild weather and storyline.

Blood And Sacrifice, created by Stu.Art, has some genuinely stand out art, with bold lines, excellent panel composition. This tense comic would not look at all out of place in 2000 AD.

Panel from "Blood And Sacrifice"

Changeling, written by Alexi Conman with art by Conor Boyle, is a tightly plotted uncomfortable story that will stay with you long after you've finished reading. First person narratives are a favourite of mine, though notoriously difficult to pull off, but it's handled well here, adding to the claustrophobic build of desperation. A couple of out of panel illustrations are fantastic. And finally Amber And The Egg, written by Nic Papaconstantinou with art by Bevis Musson, is a super cute little tale that is an inspired choice to finish the book with. Musson's clean art style is very polished, though I must admit I'd love to see it lifted up a little by colour.

Half page from "Amber And The Egg"

Overall, this is a really impressive little anthology, and well worth the £5. Hopefully this will lead to more stand out anthologies from editor Stacey Whittle, as this is a fantastic way to not only showcase talented comic creators, but to celebrate the diversity of comics too.

(Buy Into The Woods here)

Full credits:
Editor: Stacey Whittle
Front Cover Art & Book Design: Andy Bloor
Cover Colours: Steve Howard
Back Cover Art: Vicky Stonebridge

Red Riding Hood: Richard McAuliffe, Sara Dunkerton
A Time For A Change: Ollie Masters, Valia Kapadai
The Madness From The Sea: Scott Harrison, Lee Grice, Filip Roncone
Samhain: Matthew Gibbs, Alice Duke
The Lang Pack: Lee Robson, Simon Wyatt, Filip Roncone
Blood And Sacrifice: Stu.Art
Changeling: Alexi Conman, Conor Boyle
The Black Shoes: Daniel Clifford, David Wynne, Ian Sharman
Amber And The Egg: Nic Papaconstantinou, Bevis Musson, Filip Roncone

Bubbletown will be included in Anthology Two, published by the University (probably around mid-June), to be available at conventions around the UK. Hit the jump for an exclusive preview!

Bubbletown is my 10 page submission for the Creating Comics module, where we were shown how to bring a comic to the page through scripting, thumbnailing, pencilling, inking and colouring, along with all the other fiddly bits.

Expert advice was given in one on one sessions from Alan Grant (Batman, Judge Dredd, Anarky, Lobo), Jim Devlin (Supergirl, Testament, Wasted), and Gill Hatcher (Team Girl Comic), which really was invaluable!

Suffice to say, I am no artist(!), hence the cartoon style I chose which also fits with the story. As a writer I expected the script to be the easy bit and for it all to be uphill from there, but it didn't turn out like that at all. This is the first time I've attempted to create a comic, and I found myself visualising the panels and pages rather than a storyline that ran from A-Z. As Alan Grant reassured me however, there is no one right way to write a comic script, and the fact that I had a clear beginning and ending, with only some key points in between, was absolutely fine. As soon as I stopped worrying, the rest came to me very quickly.

Jim Devlin was incredibly important to the development of my comic. I was really struggling with digital inking and not enjoying the process at all, when he advised me to work with my traditional (and amateur) inks instead as they fitted my cartoon style quite nicely. The result not only worked much better, but was much more fun!

Finally, the colouring was by far the longest step to complete and has given me an even greater respect for colourists working in the industry. It will be a while before I'm willing to subject myself to that level of stress again!

"I know what you're thinking. Everyone feels different, right? Like a freak?"

A young girl is suspicious of the reality of the world around her. She's different from the bubbleheads, but no one ever mentions this obvious fact. And after all, too many computer games and sci-fi films can make you paranoid, right?

But questions can have consequences, and as the world starts to collapse around her, a discovery in the gutters of reality will change her life forever...

Inspired (of course!) by the meta comics of Grant Morrison, as well as the old television series' Sliders and Quantum Leap. Other inspirations are the writing of Mathieu,  the wonderful short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, and with lots of help from Peter David's Writing For Comics & Graphic Novels, Will Eisner's Comics and Sequential Art, and of course Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art.

Described there as a "female-driven anthology", the book contains 11 stories, all written by men with the art by women. Several of the creators are heading down to Kapow! to feature on a panel, and I took the opportunity to ask the creators their thoughts on the book itself, on appearing at a large comics convention, and for the women, on their experiences within the comics industry as a whole.

Bayou Arcana is released in May and will be available through all good book shops.

Bayou Arcana: Promises, art by Sara Dunkerton

How did the project come together?

Nic Wilkinson: I guess Jimmy will post about how the whole thing came together but as for our story (Swamp Pussy and The Hanged Man) Cy and I have been making comics together since 2006 and when Jimmy told us about Bayou Arcana it immediately fired both our imaginations. The opportunity to do a dark love story with horror round the edges was too good to resist!

Dani Abram: I am not sure how it started as I was, as always, spectacularly late to the party! However, I owe my involvement on the project to twitter! After discovering Small Press Big Mouth podcast I started following Stacey and Lee! It was through my subsequent friendship with Lee that my blog got passed onto Jimmy Pearson. He emailed me with a script needing an artist written by Matthew Craig - another name I recognised from twitter! It's like one big creative studio that there twitters.

Vicky Stonebridge: Lots of hard work from James! I received an e-mail about whether I'd like to participate, before picking up on the boy girl aspect of the project I was attracted by the world that James had created, the strong characters, the ethos and enthusiasm behind the concept. I am enjoying the story I am working on because the writer has given me strong emotional content and the space to explore that.

Sara Dunkerton: For me the project started with an email back in November 2010 from Matt Gibbs. Matt and Jennie Gyllblad (Bayou Arcana illustrator for 'Irons in the Fire') knew each other before Bayou Arcana came to be, she brought him along to our degree show at the Coningsby Gallery in London where Jen and I were both exhibiting our 3rd year Illustration work, having been on the same course as each other at uni!

I didn't meet Matt that night, but he obviously remembered my name and my work, as in that fateful email he asked if I would like to collaborate with him on a short comic story for the Bayou Arcana Anthology!

Bayou Arcana was my first involvement in any kind of graphic novel publication, so having just completed my degree I needed a nice big project to sink my teeth into and I was INCREDIBLY psyched that Bayou Arcana would be it!!

Through my involvement in Bayou Arcana I have not only built firm friendships with the other creators and learnt LOADS about what is involved in making a comic, but also I've received a few commissions and requests to draw for other comics from people who have seen my development stuff for 'Promises' on my blog! I owe a LOT to Jennie, Matt, Jimmy and the whole Bayou Arcana Project for getting me at where I am today!

I just know I'm going to feel like a proud parent when this baby hits the shelves!!!

Bayou Arcana: Grinder Blues, art by Lynsey Hutchinson

Corey Brotherson: I’m sure Jimmy has a great story about how it all came into place, so I wouldn’t want to take that away from him – although my involvement in Bayou Arcana came about during the 2010 British International Comic Show (BICS) in Birmingham. It was my first con, and I was amazed at meeting all these talented creators, the general friendly vibe at the Show and how much fun it was. After retiring to a hotel pub, Jimmy came up to me, introduced himself and we had a chat about Bayou Arcana. He said he loved the work Jen (Gyllblad – artist on Irons in the Fire) and I did on our developing graphic novel Butterflies and Moths, and was interested in getting us on board, in particular to do a story with a specific character from the universe.

He sent over a copy of one of his BA stories and the general BA pitch, I really liked it, especially how realised Jimmy’s vision and ideas were. Rich material that any creator would be lucky to play in. He got Jen into the project, I pitched a story and things just kinda fell into place from there.

James Pearson: Bayou Arcana came into being as an attempt to create the bare bones of a new comic book universe that I could use as a platform to create an ongoing title with various spin-offs attached. I wanted to invent a world and populate it with various characters and situations that I could expand upon and play around with. About two years ago I sat down and wrote an origin story (The Tale of Ol' Mercy which the tale that kicks off "Songs of Loss and Redemption" and to cut a long story short got carried away with another project and for nearly a year it languished hidden away with a million other stories in one of my desk drawers.

It was not until the Birmingham Con in 2010 that Bayou Arcana reared its head again. I managed to corner Harry Markos (of Markosia Publications) outside a hotel and in quite a drunken state bluntly asked him what sort of stories are being published and what sort of stories are selling? His reply was pretty much the initial spark for what Bayou Arcana was going to become: "Horror...Horror aimed at a women's market".

The first thing I thought of was Bayou Arcana.

Not that I had targeted this at any gender specific market. I had written it for myself. But the Southern Gothic horror flavour, social themes, romantic atmosphere just seemed to tick all the boxes. It was on the trainride back home the following day that the concept of something a bit more ambitious dawned on me... Why not create something that would be enjoyed by both men and women...But also, why not do something created by men and women together. Afterall the basics of human creativity all derive from that initial gender union. If guys and girls can make babies why not see if we can make amazing graphic novels together? I couldn't recall anybody ever having tried that very thing before so from that inception point came Bayou Arcana's USP!

The next major step along the path to where we have arrived at today came when Stacy Whittle and Lee Grice of Small Press Big Mouth fame put out a call for writers and artists on their podcast. The response was immediate and overwhelming and without those guys this project would never have lifted off of the ground. They were instrumental in the gathering of the forces so to speak. From that point the creative teams were formed and they got about the task of universe building. All-in-all a humbling experience for me to be in the presence of such talented and creative souls (both male and female!). Little did we know when we started down this road the interest and controversy that would follow us and our little project...

Bayou Arcana: Tale of Ol' Mercy, art by Valia Kapadai

What are your thoughts on the Bayou Arcana panel at Kapow?

Nic Wilkinson: I'm not going to be at Kapow myself, but it's great that the team will be represented there.

My feelings about Kapow and the "sausagefest" controversy: Kapow is a con celebration Superheroes (we'll come back to what "mainstream" might mean below). Currently, for whatever reason, most creators working on Superhero books are male. Most visitors coming to the con hoping to meet their favourite creators want to do just that, irrespective of gender, I'm sure or at least I hope!

As to the idea of men "giving up their seats" on panels to women there is a difference between a man offering me a seat on a bus because I can't reach the hanging straps necessary to stay upright, and one offering me a seat on a panel because I can't reach the necessary levels of success to be of interest to visitors. I am sure this idea was suggested with the best of intentions, but I feel it is not the solution. I feel it quite patronising in a "Here you go, little lady, you can have a go on the panel if you want, don't cry" kind of a way.

Perhaps a better solution would be for the people (whatever their gender) who do enjoy success with a large following could use that influence to suggest other things that they genuinely like personally (not because they tick some box of "oh, good, promoted a woman today") that their readers may like to look into because of the quality of the work. Finding out about new things can be hard when there is so much on offer in so many styles and genres.

Jennie Gyllblad: I won’t be able to make it sadly! But I will be at the Bristol Expo where we will be launcing Bayou Arcana. Super excited about that (if a little bit terrified)!

Dani Abram: My heart nearly falls out of my ass everytime I think about it or see a post online. Is that excited enough!?

Vicky Stonebridge: Kapow comes at the time of year when I am busy organising our own Comic Convention in the north of Scotland, so sadly I haven't had the chance to attend. I have been disappointed by the guest list this last two years as they are of course male dominated if not exclusively male, which is simply no longer acceptable in any modern industry. Of course there are many ways to challenge this, I tend to adopt the less subtle approaches. I wish I could attend Kapow to see for myself and be part of redressing the balance.

Sara Dunkerton: I'm excited for the guys that're going to be appearing on the panel and the massive stir that our little book has caused!! But I'm gutted to say that I won't be able to make it there in person!!

I don't know if anyone expected such publicity and interest to surround the project, I know I certainly didn't! But I'm delighted that there are loads of people out there who are talking about it and us, the creators!

I WILL definitely be at Bayou Arcana's launch at Bristol Expo however. I've no excuse not to be, it's right on my doorstep! Haha! And if we get a panel there I shall be more than willing to get up there and natter along with the rest of them (after the appropriate amount of sweets and sugar...)

Bayou Arcana cover art by Jennie Gyllblad

Corey Brotherson: Sadly, I probably won’t be attending this year (family commitments!) but it’s brilliant to have a panel there with the team getting to chat about BA. A dream come true, in fact – even if I’m not there, I’m so happy to be part of that on the periphery. In regards to the whole Kapow male-centric thing, phew, it’s been a bit of a storm – although I’d have to say that over half of the creators I’ve worked with since I started writing comics (back in 2005/6) have been female. From mind-blowingly good artists (such as Jen, who I’ve somehow managed to convince to partner me on over 5 projects) to multi-talented deities who can do anything from edit and draw to lettering and organizing complex anthologies (step up, one Nic Wilkinson), I’ve been very lucky. There’s ample talent out there, both male and female, I think the problem is more that our 'mainstream' genres – the stuff that most people pay attention to, for good or ill – aren’t diverse enough and our distribution net not wide enough to highlight that. It’s something I think slowly changing, especially in Europe. Kapow, as suggested by its name, is very superhero dominated so it probably would struggle to reflect that, but I’d argue great creators such as Gail Simone and Sara Pichelli have done plenty of excellent work in the superhero genre, so…

James Pearson: I am so looking forwards to the Kapow Convention. Mark Millar has always been one of my favourite comic creators and dare I say a bit of a hero so it is a big honour to be given the opportunity to talk about Bayou Arcana and the role of women in the comics industry at the event. The debate sparked about gender bias in the industry is an important one and I think Kapow will make for a great stage for a long overdue discussion on the subject. The fact that Bayou Arcana has played its part in highlighting the issue is something that was not intended but certainly a byproduct that I and I am sure the other creators are quite proud of.

Women can write and draw comics? Well duh...Hell yeah they can write and draw comics!!! Bayou Arcana is proof of that!

Bayou Arcana: The 'Skeeter, art by Jenny Clements

How do you feel being a woman creator in a fairly male dominated industry?

Nic Wilkinson: I haven't ever personally experienced any kind of discrimination based on gender in the comics industry. I work in the independent/creator owned side of things and it could be that the atmosphere within that community is very different to other areas of the field. I have had an extremely positive experience with everyone I have met in comics.

Certainly when I was Creative Director of an indie comics publisher I found submissions were about 50/50 from men and women, although there did tend to be more male writers and more female artists.

I find (as recently explored by Kat Rocha in her article "The F Word") that prefixing a description of what I do as "Female-Artist" seems like a qualification. I am an artist, my gender has as little to do with my work as any other arbitrary physical characteristic I have. No one wants to call me a "blonde creator" or a "short creator" or a "creator in her 30s", for example.

I find the question of whether there SHOULD be "more women" in comics a kind of meaningless idea.

Jennie Gyllblad: This is something I’ve actually been asked a lot and it’s something that is frequently discussed among the creators in the comics industry. What I can tell you is just my personal experience, both from going to conventions as a regular punter and having my own table as a comics creator.

I have not experienced any discrimination or unfair treatment at all because of my gender. In fact, I find the comics industry to be an amazingly accepting and brilliant scene to be involved in. 99% of people I’ve met have been decent people. So whenever I hear these stories about women being objectified and unfairly treated, I wonder where it happens because I’m not seeing it and neither are my fellow female creator-friends.

I have a theory though! Ever since I started working in comics (which is fairly recently), I’ve been on the indie side of things, mixing with people who for the most part are sole creators of their own work, going at it alone and brimming with passion. You –have- to be passionate to survive on the indie side in my view. It is so tough to earn any kind of living from it. So everyone –loves- what they do.

However, I have never worked for the big companies or done superhero comics. I’ve never done what you’d consider the 'mainstream' side of comics (ie Marvel and DC). Maybe it’s over there that we see this huge divide between male and female creators? I couldn’t tell you because I haven’t been there.

Bayou Arcana: Six Bullets, art by Patricia Echavarri-Riego

Dani Abram: I have honestly not had to deal with any discrimination in my (admittedly short but growing) career in comics or my career in animation! I have been really lucky for opportunities to have come to me and not vice versa. I am happily ploughing through projects in both industries and I hope to all hell it's not because I'm a guurl that I am in the first place! I just don't believe people get judged on sex anymore. When I first read the guest list of the Kapow con last year and this year it never crossed my mind to think 'Hey! Whur'da wimmin to!?' I just thought 'cool!' Then watching the backlash of the so called 'sausage-fest' con line up, I started asking myself if I was part of the problem!? I guess people might think I am. I adore female creators such as Faith Erin Hicks, Emma Vieceli and Julia Wertz, but that's because their comics are aaaaesome! I'd still love them if they were Fazer E Hicks, Emmet Vieceli and Julian Wertz!

Vicky Stonebridge: Frustrated! I wish it wasn't a big deal, it really should not be. I would like to work on the basis of my individual skills, rather that on the basis of what gender I happen to be, but the world is still stacked against us, so we have to fight all that harder to get anywhere. The comics industry can be a really friendly welcoming one, but many times over the years I have found myself pushed out of a conversation by men literally ignoring me, or standing in front of me, every event men will introduce themselves to my male companions and completely blank me,I have seen it done a lot to other women too, so I'm concluding it is a gender thing rather than just me! I also find that in discussions and debates, things can quickly turn nasty when a women expresses an opinion, and of course the patronising 'stop embarrassing yourself dear', ' calm down love'. Being longer in the tooth I can get away with playing an angry matriarch role, and am spared some of the most creepy sexism that the younger lassies will get. I am also a female firefighter so have spent my working life being in minority and dealing with bullying chauvinist nonsense. The fire service still only has 3% female firefighters ironically but these days it feels like less of a fight than that of the comic world!

I feel things may be coming to a head with the current debates on gender, the next up and coming generation of female creators will hopefully find the path a much easier one!

Sara Dunkerton: This one is tricky, I mean my involvement in Bayou Arcana was my big break into the Small Press/Indie scene! So the people I've gotten to know through this project are incredibly accepting of female creators. Everyone I know is very supportive and the things I've heard about other female creators and their achievements are incredibly encouraging!

Though being rather new as a creator I'm looking through unexperienced eyes. However I can say from experience as just a female punter in a crowd that is Superhero/Mainstream orientated that it can be a bit different. I have found that when I talk about comics to guys they are surprised to hear that there are actually girls out there that are into all that stuff, and not just Manga or Indie but Marvel and DC too! I've occasionally outstripped the cockiest male DC buff with my geek prowess, which was fun, and most of the time the guys may seem surprised to see the littlest geeky girl in front of them but they accept it!

Though there have been times when I've felt I've been talked down to, patronised or completely over looked in comic book stores and such, in those cases I tend to speak up "YES I'm a girl, YES I like Batman! And YES I am aware that Dick Grayson was the original Robin, who then outgrew the role and assumed the name Nightwing, which is kryptonian in origin!! And Martian Manhunter, aka J'onn J'onzz, likes Oeros!"

Bayou Arcana: Six Bullets, art by Patricia Echavarri-Riego

Would you want to do superhero/"mainstream" comics or not?
Nic Wilkinson: Personally not, but that is just an aesthetic preference. I don't read many Superhero books myself, but then I don't watch romantic comedies either!

Having said that I think it may be time to look a bit more closely at the idea of "mainstream comics", which is a phrase everyone takes as read to mean "Marvel and DC Superheroes". But are these things "the mainstream" anymore in a real sense?

I recently received Habibi by Craig Thompson for Valentine's day. It is a beautiful looking book, hardcovers, inlaid gold calligraphy, lovely feeling paper, very unusual story - is it published by a "Big 2" comics publisher? Is it even publisherd by a indie comics publisher? No, it's not! It's published by Faber and Faber! How much more "mainstream" can you get? I don't have figures but I'd be willing to bet it outsells so called "mainstream" comics due to the reach of its distribution model alone.

I'm beginning to wonder if "mainstream comics" means anything in real terms - in fact as more major publishing houses begin to bring out the kind of experimental, arty comics that explore the medium, getting them in the hands of all types of book readers, the Superhero books are becoming just another genre, and maybe not even the most popular one, within a much wider world. Logicomix was a "bestseller" in real terms, going up on the best seller lists against all other types of books, not just other graphic novels. But apparently that is not "mainstream"!

Jennie Gyllblad: Superhero comics have never interested me (except Watchmen). I didn’t grow up with them, and I never got into them when I seriously invested my time in comics as a career choice. I could go on forever as to why that is the case, but to keep it short: I like characters. And I want to associate with characters. I like the human side of a story, the relationships, the emotional twists and turns of life mixed in with amazing adventures and real tests for the characters. I want there to be a sense of mortality in there. With superheroes, I always got the feeling that it didn’t matter what happened. Even if they died, they could just hit a reset button and they would be alive again. So why should I emotionally invest in that?

A superhero comic will never make me care to the same level that I did when I first read Fun Home by Alison Bechdel.

Also, don’t get me started on the costumes.

Dani Abram: It's not really my bag! I do comics for the fun of it around my day job - which I'm so lucky to say is a CG Animator. I love animation and I always knew I would be an animator from a young 'un. I enjoy the process, the vastness, the community and the kinship of small press too much!

Vicky Stonebridge: I have nothing against 'mainstream' comics, it depends what they are! as far as Superheroes, Not me personally, but I know women who do write or draw them. Obviously as a feminist I find the superhero gender stereotypes pretty grotesque, the objectifying poses, the costumes, the passivity. But also it is the aspect of the all powerful individual, beyond human, that alienates me. I am more interested in being human, and the amazing things that humans do collectively, the empowerment that we get in dealing with situations rather that waiting for some beefed up dude to rescue us.

I was raised a 2000 AD girl so prefer my heroes to be grungy anti-heroes (and heroines !) with a political twist rather than state sanctioned squeaky clean all american heroes.

Bayou Arcana: Six Bullets, art by Patricia Echavarri-Riego

Sara Dunkerton: Ummmm..... Yeah, I'd give it a go! :D

I mean I first found comics through Batman and made DC my home, so I'm not at all opposed to the mainstream superhero stuff! My longterm favourite comic illustrators are Michael Turner and Jim Lee, I found a love and appreciation for comic illustration through their work!

I've long since branched out into the Indie and Creator Owned stuff, I have found that side has the most passion and excitement (and more often the better stories...) and I hope to be a long term part of that!

However if Marvel or DC came a-calling and asked me to illustrate a one off story I wouldn't be able to pass that up!! :D

Corey Brotherson: My first comics, at around 4 years old, were Spider-Man, Transformers and Superman/Batman. So I can only answer "yes, I’d love to" to that question. I grew up on superhero comics. Do I buy or read as many now, nearly 30 years later? No. My tastes have changed where much of my reading shelf consists of Vertigo, Image and other creator owned books. Hell, among my recent favourites have been the likes of Parker, Fables, The Unwritten and Chew. That said, I love Mark Waid's Irredeemable, which is a twisted inversion of the superhero genre but fascinating, smart and entertaining with it. I adore what Brian Bendis and Sara Pichelli are doing with the new Ultimate Spider-Man. Ed Brubaker brought a remarkably fresh voice to Captain America. And so on.

None of my own projects are in the superhero genre, but if given the chance (which I have been given a couple times in the past, but that’s another story), I’d probably jump at it all the same.

Bayou Arcana writers: Jimmy Pearson, Darren Ellis, Corey Brotherson, Steve Tanner, Alexi Conman, Matt Gibbs, Matthew Craig, Cy Dethan.
Bayou Arcana artists: Valia Kapadai, Davina Unwin, Jennie Gyllblad, Alex Thompson, Vicky Stonebridge, Sara Dunkerton, Dani Abram, Lynsey Hutchinson, Nic Wilkinson, Patricia Echavarri-Riego,  Jenny Clements.

The "Watchmen moment", as my lecturer in Comic Studies describes it, is when we read a comic so great and revolutionary that we have to rush out and tell everyone we know to read it and share in the experience. In comics history, these moments are few and far between. What is perhaps more common is the "Before Watchmen moment", when we discover that our beloved medium has been pressed once more into chasing profitability through the ashes of past glory and ethical wrongs.

Download issue #309 here!

Cover by Maureen Starkey

I was interested then to see what discussions would be present at the Women in Comics panel at the comics strand of the Glasgow Film Festival, also called Kapow, and with Mark Millar as patron. Chaired by Ariadne Cass-Maran of Graphic Scotland, the panel featured: Denise Mina, crime author and Vertigo writer; Kate Brown, comics writer/artist; Rhianna Pratchett, games and comic writer; Gillian Hatcher, editor of Team Girl Comic, an all woman anthology from a Glasgow collective; and Penny Sharp, an animator and contributor to Team Girl Comic. A very late addition to the panel was Charlie Adlard, artist of The Walking Dead.

This write up is an almost complete transcript of the proceedings given a full write up. Normally for interviews I produce (when allowed!) a full transcript but when covering a group discussion I felt that much of the tone would be lost without me properly contextualising what was going on.

Kate Brown at her earlier panel (write up coming soon!)

Denise Mina, writer of A Sickness in the Family, Hellblazer and the upcoming The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo comic adaptation, was the first to introduce herself: "My experience from being a woman writing crime novels feels like 30 years ago crime novels were in exactly the same position that comics are in now with regard to gender. You had to pretend you were a man to get published, it was very helpful if you pretended never to have kids or any female type activities, and if you could go to the bar and get slaughtered all night that would be great, and then if you were in a punch up with some sailors that again would promote your work.

"These kind of panels, there should be men on this panel. If we're talking about gender there should be men on it. I'm not reproaching anyone who's organised it, because I really understand why it's been set up, but... if you're talking about gender it should be half men, half women and women should attack the men. No! But seriously, we should have men in on it because gender is an issue for them as well, and I think a lot of male creatives feel very constrained by that sort of gendery nonsense and the need for fast punch ups. And it's supposed to be a freeing thing for everyone addressing gender.

"I think that is the issue and we need to come at it from an oblique angle."

Cass-Maran then addressed the audience, asking if there were any men who would like to join the panel, and after a lack of volunteers one voice spoke up, "Well, I'll come up if you want?", and Charlie Adlard joined the women on stage to a round of applause.

Charlie Adlard at his earlier panel (write up coming soon!)

Rhianna Pratchett, writer on the Mirror's Edge and Overlord games amongst others, and of the Mirror's Edge comic miniseries, was next to introduce herself: "Again it's been an area where there are very few women working, you really had to be – to a degree – one of the boys. It's changed a lot recently over the last 5 years. It was very interesting coming from video games and doing comic work. There's a big difference in the way they work narratively, but there are definite crossovers between the ways in which women as developers and female characters are represented in games and the way they're represented in comics."

Kate Brown, creator of the wonderful Fish + Chocolate (one of my favourite comics of last year), and writer/artist on The Phoenix, Nelson and many others, was next: "One of the reasons I wanted to make it [Fish + Chocolate] was because I was at a point in my life where I'd grown out of a lot of the stuff I had been reading. I used to read a lot of Japanese import manga often aimed at teen girls, which I loved when I was younger but had grown out of it a little bit. I found that there was not really anything that I wanted to progress on to. One of the reasons that I made the book was because it was something I would have wanted to read - I figured that if I was in that situation there might be other people in that situation as well.

"I want diversity in comics and I think that there are a lot of gaps in the market that need to be filled and I think to fill those we need lots of different people making comics from all walks of life, who have lots of different experiences and come from lots of different backgrounds."

Gil Hatcher, a cartoonist and illustrator as well as editor of Team Girl Comic, is a prominent voice in Scottish comics: "I'd been making small press comics myself for a couple of years and I felt like I didn't really have any female friends to join in the fun and make comics with and sell comics, and I thought why don't I try and find all these other girls in Glasgow that were making comics. We all came together and there's over 20 of us now, and the idea is in some sense to promote women in comics, but at the same time the biggest emphasis for us is just to have fun, and it's all about making comics that we want to make and just really enjoying the process of making them and selling them and being a small community."

Penny Sharp, an artist and animator of multi-layered work, member of c/o:minx and Team Girl: "I use comics myself when I do workshops with kids or adults to do stories as I work in film and animation. We use storyboarding and narrative and use it within our own work. I'm more of a fine artist than a graphic artist but I do use elements of comics in a lot of my work and a lot of my workshops and teaching."

Team Girl Comic

Finally the new addition to the lineup, Charlie Adlard, artist on The Walkind Dead, Judge Dredd, Dances with Demons, The X-Files, White Death (and much more!) introduced himself as the token man: "I work on the incredibly male Walking Dead, which has a male writer, a male artist, male colourist, male letterer, male editor, and pretty much everyone that works at Image is male as well. So yeah, I'm representing 'the men'."

Cass-Maran joked, "you're not just representing the men, you're representing the man!"

Adlard laughed, "As you can see, I'm a manly man!".

Launching straight into the discussion, Adlard was asked why there were no women where he worked. "Well, specifically in the American comicbook industry I think it's fairly self evident", Adlard began, "it's a horrendously superhero dominated genre which is the field of 'the man' because it's the most incredibly, as everyone knows, sexist genre you could possibly imagine with all these scantily clad females wandering around in their tight lycra. Unfortunately, well fortunately for myself, I'm not particularly into the superhero genre thankfully but I’ve never been that comfortable with it for various reasons. And I think because of that, the comics industry, the American comics industry specifically has because of it's obsession with superheroes, everything else has snowballed in to the fact that it's a completely male orientated industry even if you're not drawing superheroes.

"That's why I personally quite often find myself turning to Europe. I find it rather ridiculous that us as Britain, we have such an obsession with a country 3000 miles away across the Atlantic ocean in terms of comics, and we hardly know what's coming over here, the 20 plus miles that the English Channel [is]."

As Cass-Maran pointed out, some women have broken through into that industry however, women such as Denise Mina who is writing the upcoming Millenium Trilogy comics for Vertigo. Mina is quick to correct her however in this specific instance. "But that's a European thing," Mina explained, "Stieg Larsson's estate asked for me, and I'm quite sure that if it had been left to an American company it wouldn't have been a female writer."

Cover to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (art by Lee Bermejo)

"Even at Vertigo, apart from yourself,” said Adlard, “I am trying to think of – I mean obviously I know the two editors there that are female, but apart from yourself is there another female?"

"Gail Simone," offered Brown.

"I think this problem is something that artists working in a commercial field will always come up against," explained Mina, "which is we make something and that's a lovely thing, and then someone else has to sell it, and that's a different thing. People think that making something, if it doesn’t sell it means it's not valid. It doesn’t mean that at all, it just means it's not selling which is a completely different sphere. But if you don't like working in newsagents all day and doing this at night, you have to engage with that and practically what sells for them are superhero books. But practically what's happening is the market is contracting because not everyone wants to read them, and there are huge holes in the market!

"So what we as creatives have to do is let them know that there are other forms of storytelling, that women are going into comic book shops. I do readings to crime audiences, and quite often they're nearly all women from 30 to 60 and if you mention comics the one thing they'll say is 'I don’t know how to find the sorts of comics I want to read'. Our task is to show them they can make money out of that and then they'll start promoting that."

"My very non-comics reading friend," Brown added, "I was speaking to her a while ago and she said, 'I cannot imagine a comic that is not like X-Men,' because she's never seen anything like that before. I know, it sounds 'har har har' but to her, she was like, 'but that's what they're for'. And I think that's probably the attitude of quite a few non-comics people.

"It does filter down that it is very superhero dominated in this country and in America, and making recognition and getting stuff out there, it means a lot of legwork on behalf of people who are doing it."

It's widely known that in self publishing comics and small press, the gender split is incredibly balanced. "At Thought Bubble last year," Hatcher reminded us, "it was more or less 50/50. There was definitely no shortage of female comic creators."

[There's evidently a big difference in what is out there, in terms of creators of comics, and what is being promoted – what is seen as marketable. As Mina rightly pointed out though, the superhero market is continually contracting, and in book publishing in particular we are seeing more women created graphic novels climbing the charts.]

"Movies as well," said Brown, "film tie-ins are going to be – because more people watch films than they read comics – so they're going to be thinking about Watchman – Watchmen, not the Watchman!"

"That's the low budget version!" laughed Mina.

(I can't recommend this book highly enough!)

"Do you think that the comics industry suffers from being a bit too insular as an entertainment medium?" asked Pratchett. "I was thinking computer games used to have the same problem, there are people who couldn't conceive of a computer game where you didn't shoot cops and run over prostitutes, that kind of thing. And I think what's helped a lot is game reviews sites all over the place, particularly online and there's a lot of fan stuff, it's covered in things like The Guardian, and not just reviewing games but talking about things that are happening in the industry, places like Forbes, Wired – they're all covering games, they're covering all different aspects whether it be reviews or a particular news story or a trend, it's getting more coverage."

"I'm very ignorant of computer games," admitted Adlard, "but I've always assumed it's a broader issue. The film industry is incredibly male dominated, I always assumed the computer games industry is incredibly male dominated or am I wrong?"

"Yes and no," explained Pratchett, "I think there are far more women getting recognition because of what they're doing rather than because they're women. You're never going to get away from that completely but in the sphere I work in I can name half a dozen women that are doing great things in narrative: Amy Hennig is the creative director of the Uncharted games; Mary DeMarle is the lead writer on Deus Ex: Human Revolution; Karen Traviss writing Gears of War, the real kind of space marine 'grr' stuff; and there's me and I tend to do more female characters, still quite violent, interesting worlds. I tend to be the one who writes more female protagonists, but across the spectrum they're doing all kinds of interesting stuff."

"Has that been quite recent then, the development of more women in games?" asked Brown. "I actually think that female representation in terms of characters in games is a lot better than it used to be, and better than it is in comics. I was trying to think of any main female characters that aren't in some way fetishised or a bit sexualised..."

"We've been through that in games," said Pratchett, "and we're sort of coming out the other side."

On the overhead, there were slides showing the character Faith from Mirror's Edge who is wearing, as the panel noted, sensible clothing! "That was a fairly refreshing change for games as well," noted Pratchett, "she's dressed for what she's doing! She's got combat pants and a vest top, she's got small boobs, there's no midriff. Both male and female gamers responded really well – you know, she didn’t have big boobs and hey, the world didn't explode, it was okay!

"As people respond positively to female characters dressed for what they're doing, we'll see more of that. People will relax, they've seen it happen, it's okay, it didn't lose sales because of that and, you know, we can try it again."

Faith kicks ass in the cover to Mirror's Edge #3

"Where did the preposti-boobs come from?" asked Mina. "I need to write to this guy and say, 'please, no more nut smuggling zeppelins', because the boobs were just taking over the panel! The boobs were everywhere! Why? What is it with these enormous gazongas?!"

Brown revealed that that very topic had come up at Thought Bubble, and apparently DC or Marvel actually have a chart that shows what size the boobs should be depending on the age of the woman!

The first question from the audience asked what the panel thought of Nelson, a beautiful UK anthology title that came out last year, telling the life of one woman one year per chapter, and has (at least) 12 women on the list of 50 contributors. (Incidentally, Kate Brown's chapter of Nelson is hilarious!)

"Nelson was still conceived by men though," Brown reminded us.

Talking about women in publishing then and their role in controlling the narrative, Cass-Maran turned to Hatcher. "That's very flattering to call me a publisher," laughed Hatcher. "If you're putting out small press comics you have complete control over everything, which is fantastic. Obviously you have problems when it comes to things like distribution and quality of printing. For Team Girl Comic, it's an anthology and the thing we want to demonstrate is that although we're all girls and women, we can do so many different things – I prefer not to try and edit it too much. We'd like it to be suitable for all ages because we like the idea that a little girl could pick it up and she might think some of the stories are boring or weird but she can at least look at it and be inspired.

"The idea is that some people can do autobiographical stuff, then you'll have something which is about zombies, and then next you might have something which is about daft animals. Just showing that yeah, okay, we're all women but this is actually a very diverse product.

"Our readership is about 50/50 male and female, it doesn't just appeal to girls."

Team Girl Comic #3

"What are people's views actually on specifically marketing towards a gender?", asked Brown. "I know Pat Mills is very very keen to bring back the Golden Age of girls comics in the UK. He's written about how he has specific formulas on what girls definitely like – sorry, it sounds like I'm taking the piss, I'm not taking the piss, but that's what he was saying! He has these very strong ideas, but as you say, you were just women writing comics, not aiming them towards anything."

"Not specifically no," agreed Hatcher. "We can't help it being a little bit girly but we're not setting out to do that. It was just ourselves, our personalities."

"I think that's the way to do it," said Adlard, "if you start doing stuff that you think is specifically for women, you start to get into that dangerous area where the rest of the industry look at you and think, 'oh, that's the women, that's what they do'. It's better when, like you say, you do whatever you think is good."

The panel was next asked their opinion on Alison Bechdel's Fun Home.

"Alison Bechdel gave us the Bechdel test did she not?", Brown asked to affirmation. "Which I think has been very interesting to run by a few comics!"

Cass-Maran revealed that she had applied the Bechdel tests to various bestseller lists of comics and graphic novels and that hardly anything had passed apart from a few bizarre examples (eg, The Volgan Wars "because it had a couple of psychotic robot nurses having a chat").

"All the Bechdel Test was able to tell me," laughed Cass-Maran, "was that we live in a patriarchy. And I was shocked! Shocked, I tell you."

Fun Home - one of the comics I studied last semester!

"I think Fun Home's a brilliant example," said Mina, "because I think that shows you, I think there's a danger of women ghettoising themselves in comics where all we do is write narratives about feelings or traumatic events in our past. I think Fun Home's a perfect example of a coming of age story that it is a novel, it's just a beautiful, utterly engaging story about the truth of someone's life. I give that book to everyone I meet actually!

"I really love superhero books and I think most people don't read because they want to have their heart enlarged, most people read to keep their faces busy, or because there's nothing on telly, or because they just love comics. We have to accept that narrative does lots of things, and it doesn't change people's souls all the time, sometimes they just want to keep their eyes busy. And I like men fighting, I think we all do secretly! But... this narrative form is so rich, and it's so underused, that's what's really heartbreaking about it."

The next question has an audience member stating that they don't mind being ghettoised, and that surely something is better than nothing which was the current option for her daughter. Having grown up reading the Jinty and the Misty, the audience member did not feel they were particularly girly, just spooky and interesting, and couldn't understand how they were ever determined as not being commercial enough. When was this gap in the market created?

"When they started putting free gifts on them," suggested Adlard. A small discussion in the audience centres around publishers being told by newsagents and shops that free toys were mandatory if they wanted their titles stocked, and that mandatory toys help to further devalue the actual comics.

Another audience member mentioned that Pat Mills has previously talked about the sales figures of all these girls comics that closed being to die for by today’s standards. [We're talking upwards of 100,000 sales wise for each of the many titles!]

"It's scary when you hear about the sales figures of say, the male bastion of British comics, 2000 AD," said Adlard. "That only exists because of the nostalgia value. I think it only survives because if it ever went people would just, that tiny tiny bit of fandom would just kick up such a fuss."

The next audience question pointed to writers like Joss Whedon who write strong women characters, and asked if there is value to creators like these so that the perception is not that it is only women who write strong women characters, and that these stories appeal to everyone.

Lots of appreciation (well deserved!) for Greg Rucka's Batwoman followed, along with the agreement that we need men to back up feminism.

And she continues to kick ass!

"I think that's a point worth making," said Hatcher, "that it's not just women who can make good female characters – women can make good male characters and men can make good female characters, there's nothing inherently impossible about that."

"Even from my perspective in Walking Dead," Adlard added, "after Rick, the next two strongest characters are Michonne and Andrea, two girls. So I think we're kinda 50/50, Robert [Kirkman] is really writing as good women as he's writing men."

"From a commercial perspective," said Mina, "I think that's really astute and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a great example of that. There's a big tradition of feminist crime writing in Britain and the States, feminist crime writers who got fed up with 'down these lonely streets a man must go alone', so we all started writing feminist crime fiction where women were actors and they sorted things out and they didn't take any shit and all that kind of thing.

"The original title for Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was 'Men Who Hate Women' and in translation it was the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. She's 23 but she's a girl. And that has sold enormously and it's basically the same rape-revenge narrative that all feminist crime writers have been writing for the past 20 years but until men start making money out of it, it will not become mainstream.

"If we really wanted quite a quick revolution in gender numbers, what we should do is we should sell an idea that's a really feminised idea to a man and then he can sell it to other men and it'll become commercially viable! Because it's not about truth and justice, it's about business. That's really heartbreaking but once you realise that and get your head round it, it'll become a lot easier to challenge actually. You have really lovely people working in the comics industry, the mainstream comics industry like superheroes, like working at Vertigo, and they're trying to make a business work and it's tough, really tough now. I think one of the reasons that it's tough is because the numbers are always decreasing, because all these potholes are not being filled.

"It's not malevolent, and it's not an orchestrated campaign against women, they just can't work out how to make it sell."

[At this point I have decided I want to marry Denise Mina.]

Also highly recommended by me. (Art by Lee Bermejo)

"Yeah, we did have the Minx line," said Brown, "and that obviously went after a year or something. That was DC, so it's not like they didn't try, it's just what to do with it, where do we go with it, are we stretching too far, how to market it-"

"Even something like the Minx line I felt," Adlard stated, "was almost shining a spotlight too much on the fact it was female creators. You'd feel like, I can imagine the fans sort of backing away from it just because - it's really hard to explain..."

"It was mostly men, was it not?" asked Brown.

"Was it mostly men?" Adlard asked in surprise.

"It was actually," Hatcher laughed.

"Oh. Well, there you go," laughed Adlard.

Cass-Maran pointed out that this is a very common and interesting reaction to anything that is perceived as being for women or as a feminist thing.

"But do you know why," Mina added, "because you don't come to comics because you want your political parameterless expanded. You come to comics for fun. And actually men here, what we've done, what my generation have done with feminism is fuck things up royal. We've got to the stage where we've alienated people so much that when they hear 'feminism' they think either I'm wrong or you're standing up on my behalf and I don't really want you to. It's a dirty word."

"You mentioned Gail Simone before," said Adlard, "and obviously the generation before Louise Simonson, two women that write superhero comics and no one makes a big fanfare of that. They sort of just, they were just there. It wasn't a big fanfare, 'here comes a woman!' They started doing it and everyone seemed to accept because there wasn't that issue around it."

"I think we should Spartacus it," said Mina, "I think everybody should say 'I'm a feminist' all the time. Actually, if you want to discombobulate people tell them you're a feminist out of the blue, because it'll make them shit themselves. It's quite good actually, it's quite powerful."

A Minx comic I just read (and loved) recently.

The next audience member said that as a woman collective, Team Girl Comic has a political message to it, that it's challenging a stereotype in the industry.

"I think that's your perception," said Sharp. "From where I come from I've been in all girl bands and I've also got another comic group that's all female as well, I just personally find it a lot easier to work in a group of females. We're talking about stuff, any kind of stuff, and you can kind of put your pictures in there at the same time. When I’ve been to [other] meetings before, and it's all about 'look at my pictures, look at my pictures' and there's too much of a focus for me. Team Girl has a different agenda."

"Well, slightly," Hatcher explained, "the main focus of being all female is for the community, for the collective, for the individuals within it. Like you said, I do think women have a particular problem when it comes to self-confidence, whether it's a comic or something you've written, or something creative and standing up on a stage and presenting that to other people. The reason we're all female is not so much to blow our own trumpet and look at us, there is an element of that from a purely business point of view, it's a unique selling point, but that's not really why we do it, it's more for the individuals within the group rather than trying to project some kind of political message. And people seem to like it, it seems to work."

The next audience member said that because she likes superhero comics, and draws superhero comics herself, that she feels not as legitimate in these kind of discussions, and that women can and do like everything that men do.

"There's obviously nothing wrong with that," Brown answered, "most of my female friends also read superhero stuff, I think it's just the fact that for the people that don't like that there is the other side to it and that's not as represented. I don't think you're not legitimised at all!"

"Last year for the Glasgow Comic Con," Hatcher said, "we ran a workshop, thinking more about young girls, like children, and trying to talk about what they wanted from comics, and we couldn't get people to stop talking about X-Men! There were guys there too but it was all the girls getting really excited talking about X-Men and the New 52 and stuff and it wasn't really what we were meant to be talking about. They were all really excited about that and we actually had a brilliant time. It wasn't what we were expecting but it was great just to have loads of women in a room getting really excited debating across the room about X-Men, it was fun."

"I think that's the thing when you talk about gender," said Mina, "as soon as you start defining it, you're excluding people, and that's how you alienate people."

"There's one comic we haven't mentioned," Adlard suggested, "and that's The Phoenix."

A really awesome comic. Not just for kids! :P

Adlard pointed out that Brown was involved in that comic and asked whether any other women were involved. (The Phoenix is a UK kids weekly comic that is completely amazing!)

"Simone Lia...," began Brown.

"Sarah McIntyre!" was called from the audience.

"She's not in it yet, she's got something lined up with Philip Reeve," Brown answered.

"Right, I get the impression," said Adlard, "I'll be the first to admit I haven't seen it yet, but I get the impression and same with DFC, that the intention is to set [it] up to be a good comic book. Plain and simple as that. No other parameters. Y'know, good stories by anybody, a good comic book. And I think going back to when you were going on about girls comics from the 70s, 80s, whatever, and how they weren't girly girly but sort of about anything, I think something like The Phoenix is probably the only shining light on a commercial level at that level, that's got money behind it and everything, that could possibly succeed in this market, and especially the UK market. And embrace all sorts of creators who will come in – because there is no agenda to it is there?"

"No, there's no [set] style either-," Brown answered.

"Yeah, and it doesn't have to be science fiction or horror or thriller," said Adlard. "And I think that could be quite interesting, and if it works, great. That could be the next-"

"If? When!" laughed Brown. "Positivity Charlie!"

The same audience member mentions that art is often what comics are judged on first when browsing. She says she loves the Mirror's Edge artwork up on the slides which Rhianna is quick to point out isn't hers! (Pratchett is the writer.)

Cover to Mirror's Edge #4 - I am also in love with this character!

"The covers from Mirror's Edge," Pratchett answered, "I was really pleased with them. They're very very strong, there's a nice mixture between the static images and very very active images. None of them are sexualised in any way – in some of them you can't even tell if she has boobs or not! She's clearly quite muscular in some of them as well. I have accidentally made my career about writing violent women, or women in violent situations, and the fact that I've kept getting work in that, and that's spilled over to comics, and now I'm doing more of that in movies as well – there is a big market for it. There are so many female protagonists. Some are done well in games, some aren't, some are very heavily sexualised, some are written by women, some are written by men.

"It used to be the case that women in games, it felt a little more tokenistic and we do have women games groups, and we do have special interest groups, and we do have conferences... but they're also all over the place just doing stuff. I'm kinda unique in the fact that I'm doing a lot with female characters – that's just coincidence! As I said, there's plenty of others working very male dominated areas like sci-fi as well. I didn't realise until I did more research that I thought comics would be a little bit further along, actually I think games are in some respects, but we're treading the same path and there is hope.

"I don't know why there aren't so many women writers, I don't know if the industry is keeping them out, they're just not interested, they don't think they'll be able to change anything, why have we got to this stage?"

"I cannot answer that," laughed Brown. "What you were saying actually, I think in a way that's a great benefit, it's obviously a very immediate thing to look at artwork. It can also be a hindrance though – some people have no interest in black and white comics, so they're going to be missing out on loads of awesome stuff because they just don't like the artwork. Which is a problem I think. A lot of manga – I’ve come across so many people who won't touch anything from Japan."

A bit of side discussion followed about how preconceptions of what comics/manga might be like can put people off from even trying them, when it could in fact be their favourite story ever.

If you have not bought this, DO IT NOW. Brilliant stuff.

A man from the audience next asked Penny Sharp in particular about her comment about preferring to work with women, and that he was reading into her words that perhaps she thought boys were too competitive. Cue some bristling from some of my fellow audience members!

Penny explained that in all her history of being in an all girls band, working in the animation industry and so on that she'd always found it difficult, for example, to join a band with guys in it, and that in the animation industry her ideas would often be credited to one of the men instead.

"I don't know, I don't know what it is," Sharp continued. "Maybe I'm just too quiet, or maybe it's because I'm a woman."

The same questioner then asked whether Sharp then thought she had to be more manly in a man's world.

"I try hard!" Sharp growled in a deep voice. "I've got a whole series of moustaches!"

The same questioner asked the rest of the panel what their experiences were.

"Can I tell you a wee story about DC, working with DC?" Mina began. "There was a big stooshie, a bit of an argument, and this was like New York aggression versus Glaswegian aggression. They sent me this very angry e-mail saying, 'how could you do this? We can't believe you've done this, this could jeopardise the whole project,' and I sent one back saying, 'fuck you, fuck off' – sorry, I'm gonna swear now – 'fuck off, don't fucking talk to me like that, I'm making my kids tea, don't fucking talk to me like that,' and this went backwards and forwards and then the guy said, 'this isn't working by e-mail,' and I said, 'right pal, phone me and we'll sort this out once and for all'. Which in Glasgow is quite a reconciliatory thing to say I feel! And there was a real pause of about 20 minutes, which in an e-mail barrage is quite a long time, and then he sent me this EE Cummings line – it was all lower cased – 'I don't want to fight'!

"So I think, maybe you should just work with people who don't live in Glasgow!"

[Denise Mina is really kicking arse!]

A Walking Dead cover featuring Michonne.

The next question was from me! I started by mentioning my argument on Twitter with Mark Millar about Kapow! which inadvertently outed me to a very enthusiastic reception, and as the panel were running out of time I kept it brief and asked what the panel's thoughts were on the idea of tokenism at comic conventions, the term "tokenism" being used as a defence to simply not have women, and the implication that women were not as deserving of being guests at these events.

"I think you have to start somewhere," answered Pratchett, "it's something that happened in games, and you know, we used to have 'women in games' panels and when there weren't as many they used to kind of get rounded up – that still happens, now they're just all over the place talking about their jobs, and I think that's just how it goes. Sometimes you have to relax. When I first went into the industry, and I do end up working with lads, I do really like working with women as well, I don't get as much of an opportunity, but generally it works because I am a massive geek and I can prove that to any man and then they instantly relax and I'm one of them, it's all good.

"But when I first started out I didn't want anything to do with 'women in games' because I felt I didn't want to be defined by what really was an accident of birth, and I wanted to talk about narrative and issues of story and comedy in games and things like that, not about my boobs which seemed to obsess everyone else apart from me. It's not important, I don't think about being female all the time, I think about being a writer because that is my choice, being female is not my choice – that just happened!

"I used to really balk against it. Now I’m much more open to doing things like that because I think, yeah, I have to start somewhere, you have to involve people in it. I might not be attracted to going to see a panel talking about a lot of women – although I am now! - and talk about what I see as female issues in games or that sort of thing, but other people might and that might get them in and that's great.

"It's just finding those doors and letting people in. It doesn't matter how they get in.. as long as they're in, it's all good."

"What Rhianna said!" Brown laughed.

"Also, can I just say,” Mina began, “these things are not a prize, these are promotional events. I often come to these things and hear about people and read them subsequently. You don't get to be on the panel because you're a woman, and they need some women. When women are on the panel, whatever the motivation, it means other people hear about them and start reading them. It's dead important so good for you."

An earlier (all ages) comic from Kate Brown.

The guy in the audience who asked the previous question asked if he could respond to the comment about tokenism, saying that it wasn't just important that women were there but that they were good, and that if they were "shite" they would do a lot of damage.

"What would you consider shite though?" asked Brown.

The audience member said he worked in comedy and that a token comedian of any "token subsection of wherever" was "not as funny of the rest of them, they're not doing anybody any favours".

"That's a fairly solid ballpark but in comics I think it's going to be all over the place," Brown countered, "some people are going to think that person's artwork is shit, I can assure them people think Picasso's artwork is shit but he's done a lot for art history as a whole right?! I don't think that's quite... who knows what shite is? It's not a solid thing, who's good and who's not good."

An audience member also spoke up to say that when a white male comedian is shite people don't generalise that all white male comedians are therefore shite.

The previous male audience member argued that we were talking about sex and gender and that it's important women aren't seen as not good enough as was the unfortunate case in comedy.

"Those are brutal audiences, and comics are a lot less brutal," Mina reminded him.

I then accidentally had the last word on the last question which wasn't a question – just to say that it wasn't "tokenism" if there were lots of women waiting to stand up and take those spots, which there absolutely are, which all the panel agreed with.

Thanks to all the ladies involved in organising this panel and appearing on it, it was a great discussion!

Ariadne Cass-Maran - graphicscotland.co.uk
Denise Mina - denisemina.co.uk
Kate Brown - danse-macabre.nu
Rhianna Pratchett - rhiannapratchett.com
Gil Hatcher - gillhatcher.tumblr.com
Penny Sharp - pennysharp.com
Team Girl Comic -  teamgirlcomic.tumblr.com

Photos provided by Jonathan Mayo - jmayo.net

Let's be clear, "tokenism" has a very specific meaning: the limited inclusion of a member of a minority that creates a false impression of inclusion. A false impression. It's a pretty easy pitfall to avoid, just make sure that the women you include are ones you truly want to be there. Like you do already with guys... it's very easy. "Tokenism" is an easy way of saying "can't be bothered looking". Because believe me, there are LOTS of women creators in the comic industry, at all levels, who are constantly trying to step forward and bumping into that brick wall. Saying their inclusion is "tokenism" is not far from saying those women don't deserve to be there, which is far from true!

Kate Beaton - one of the biggest names in comics?

Alternatively, "tokenism" is getting one woman guest and thinking "job done!", something that no one has been advocating.

Furthermore, this is something the fanbase, ie the paying customers, are actually asking for. Women and men readers (and creators) are saying they want to see more women as the guests at these conventions. This isn't a call for the organisers to be “PC” but to respond to a market demand. Again, a far cry from "tokenism". No woman should feel slighted because fans want her to appear at a convention!

Additionally, this argument of "tokenism" fails to take into account that the conventions in question DO have women guests. Most simply hadn't been announced as part of the promotional package. This is not a case of having zero women guests, but of having women guests that organisers think aren't interesting to the fans – which is of course wrong, and something organisers are realising. Kapow! for example is a superhero convention. Great! I love superheroes. But I also love all the other comics that sell in the UK, some of them of course selling far more than superhero titles do. Women creators, from Becky Cloonan to Gail Simone to Mary Talbot to Simone Lia are "mainstream", a term that Millar cited. Funnily enough, the announced guests – the creators of the gorgeous looking Bayou Arcana – are not (or not yet), which means superhero only certainly isn't the criteria. And why would it be? Comic fans are an incredibly diverse bunch, and maybe indie fans will find new superhero books to try, and cape fans will find some small press treasures.

Miss Fury, an early action star created by Tarpé Mills pre-Wonder Woman!

Somehow, and for some reason, we seem to be saying there can't be any good women creators out there. But we know this isn't true! Institutionalised sexism isn't about men (or women) sitting at their desks cackling as they throw women created comics into the furnace, it's about not looking beyond the group of men you have around you in a male dominated industry. Maybe there is no woman as good as any man in the industry, or no woman that would attract more fans than any man, but I sincerely doubt it. By making an effort to look beyond the status quo, we don't get positive discrimination, we get the very best choice for each piece of work or appearance. I don't believe in gender essentialism one bit (social conditioning is another matter), and there is no reason why we should be measured on anything other than talent – as long as everyone is being considered at the get go. The gaming industry is currently going through the same revolution, the book publishing industry is far further on in the battle.

And you know what? People will always call it "tokenism" until gender isn't an issue in comics at all. The status quo is so much safer, speaking out against it is far too radical. It makes you one of the "angry feminists", but actually all I am asking for is what I'd like to see – and it seems there are a fair few others who are coming from the same angle. More women guests at conventions is only "tokenism" if you don't believe any women are good enough to be there on their own merit. Because right now, merit isn't enough – there are countless women producing stellar comics work through book publishers and getting literary recognition but snubbed by the comics media. Women are appearing at the conventions and not being advertised in advance to the fans. Famous "mainstream" women are attending as fans rather than guests!

Man's man, Conan the Barbarian, by Becky Cloonan

I dearly hope people stop pointing at these Comic Cons and calling "tokenism", as it is a very negative tact to take with respect to Women in Comics, and I've had a few e-mails now with people worried about the impact this will have on discussions about diversity in comics. It must be dreadful for those women who are appearing at the conventions to hear that. Not only is the industry itself male dominated, and the fanbase, and the media coverage, but now even when they've been invited to appear at a convention, either due to their success or by popular demand, they are told they're only there because of their boobs. Don't be put off going to conventions and making your voice heard – we want you there, old and new creators alike, and the overall movement in comics right now is very positive indeed. Don't give up!

Read more:
Women in Comics: Kapow! No Women at Cons
Women in Comics: Kapow! The Women are Here
Women in Comics: Women Guests at the LSCC