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Questions Answered At She Changed Comics ECCC 2017 Panel

61vuwzodlmlAlyssa Pack reports from ECCC for Bleeding Cool,

She Changed Comics is the history of women who changed free expression in comics.  In a mostly male-ruled comic industry, women have paved a path for themselves and push for the industry to change. At Emerald City Comic Con the She Changed Comics panel let some light shine on some influential females in the industry such as Gail Simone, Shary Flenniken, and Roberta Gregory.

Q: What got you into reading comics?

Gail Simone: I was at a garage sale when I saw my first comic book. It happened to be of Wonder Woman. I was tired of the same old protagonistic stories and really liked how Wonder Woman would seek her own adventures out instead of them just happening to her.

Q: How did working with Air Pirates shape your career?

Shary Flenniken: It was really like going to school. I loved the work because it was political and like a racy Disney comic. I felt like we had a real cause, but realized that they were going to get into trouble.

Q: How do you balance humor and anger in your work?

Roberta Gregory: The anger is really character driven. I don't see it as dealing with anger, but a realistic way of showing humor. I somehow became the woman who drew a man getting his dick bit off, and wasn't sure why men could get away with a lot more than women before it became controversial.

Q: What is it about super heroes that draws you to them?

Gail Simone: As I said before about being drawn to Wonder Woman comics at the age of 10. Also I like how the super hero genre fits well with the controversial topics that I want to be out there. Everything can be incorporated rather seamlessly.

Q: What was your goal for Red Sonja?

Gail Simone: My goal for Red Sonja was to show this strong barbarian woman in a revealing outfit without the character being sexualized in the artwork but still showing she could be confident in just a bikini. If I were to ever create a new character in comics, I would want her to be shorter, rounder, or with long boobs. Women have all different kinds of boobs, so get over it.

Q: Why is body diversity so important to you?

Gail Simone: How many of thousands of comics are there? Do we really need more of the same kinds of people shown in the comics? We need to change to reflect our audience and our society which means lots of different body types shown in media.


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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