Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Bill Sienkiewicz, brokeback

Bill Sienkiewicz Joins the Brokeback Pose Challenge

Once upon a time, the Brokeback Pose meme showed off the impossible poses some female comic book characters attained on the page, with the sole intent to show off their breasts and their bottom at the same time. It involved some serious contortion and occasional removal of internal organs by the artists in order to get that very specific pose. It became for a while the central evidence for accusations that superhero comics were dominate by 'male gaze'. Some artists however stayed true to their calling and stated that not only were the poses perfectly realistic, but that they weren't sexual in nature. The meme was superseded by the Hawkeye Initiative Pose, when Hawkeye was drawn in the same position and clothing sense as female characters to point out how ludicrous such poses were. But some folk it seems couldn't let the Brokeback pose go. Today on Facebook, legendary comic book artist Bill Sienkiewicz showed his own research in the field, with a photo taken of himself for reference purposes. A pose in which clothing was optional. Though Bill did provide a black box to spare our eyes.

He writes "Throwback Thursday. Yes, an unusual behind the scenes choice. Posing for a comic panel (w a replica, of course). I would have posted something more appropriate, but Dan Panosian keeps upping the game w his buff glam shots. Unedited; that black box goes everywhere with me. I'm ready for the ridicule." No ridicule here, Bill, you had a figure that many comic book types would kill for. Though he would later add in the comments "I've objectified myself. I'm so ashamed. Just a pit of contradictions, isolation, and existential loneliness, to start. and very dark humor" and to Denys Cowan, "I should dig up some of our Hendrix reference pics." Yes please, Bill. Bob Fingerman added "Oh, the incriminating photos I've taken of myself for reference. You're a brave man, Bill Sienkiewicz" to Bill's response "we suffer for our art." Catherine Yronwode was a little more welcoming, saying "Damn, Bill. You are a brave and honest artist — and that was my biggest smile of the day, so thank you, sir. Can we see the finished piece of art, please? Pretty please? For comparison's sake, ya know." Good idea but Bill put us out of our misery, as it were. "People might be surprised what it was for. I was taking a page from the Robert Fawcett school of posing… as any gender or age. just to get the lighting and foreshortening right."

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