Pen-Elayne on the Web

Sink or Swim

Speaking of babies, Liz Schiller, who's been sending me some wonderful pictures of her bundle of joy as well, has just resigned from the presidency of Friends of Lulu in order to devote more time to the growing sprout. Which leaves the organization somewhat rudderless at the moment, although with the good people on the Board I suspect someone will step up to the plate shortly. Nonetheless, I believe the attrition in both Board and non-Board members affords FoL a timely opportunity for re-evaluation of its goals. I know a lot of what I have to say about FoL is kinda like Monday morning quarterbacking (shouldn't that cliché be changed to "Tuesday morning quarterbacking" now that we have Monday Night Football?), but I'm a great believer in periodic re-evaluation, whether on an individual or group level, and I like to think and talk about it even when I don't have a hand in implementing it.

Since high school at least I've been into the idea of advocacy for progressive causes. I've been an unabashed feminist ever since I first joined NOW in college, and I've always had a keen interest in entertainment that acknowledged my existence by presenting characters with whom I could identify even on the most superficial level (i.e., decent portrayals of characters who shared my gender). I think consciousness-raising can be a very useful tool in helping move media (including entertainment media) forward to be more reflective of the population it should be serving. I follow reports about the lack of women in top media positions, and I read the mission statements of organizations like Women in Film and Sisters in Crime and various other women's entertainment advocacy organizations.

But the US comic book industry doesn't easily lend itself to the same type of advocacy practiced by "sister organizations." Besides various museums, the two other currently active and successful non-profits of which I know, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and A Commitment To Our Roots, pretty much operate on a case-by-case basis. The CBLDF raises money with the specific goal of building a war chest by which to litigate in First Amendment cases involving comics; ACTOR raises money with the specific goal of building a pension fund for industry veterans.

Friends of Lulu, on the other hand, has very broad (pun intended), general goals: "To increase the participation of girls and women in comics," by "working to change the stereotypes about comics" among other things. Even though the organization performs some very concrete and specific activities in keeping with these goals, most of it amounts to just talk (or writing). I like to believe the lists I maintain on their website (which are badly in need of updating) help increase the visibility of women doing comics and working in the industry, but I'm unsure of their concrete use beyond being reference tools.

And there's nothing wrong with reference tools. An online mentoring program, a PDF file of a handbook offering advice to retailers on attracting female customers, recommended reading lists, a convention presence including portfolio reviewing, annual awards - these are all neat (and, I feel, necessary) things. But I don't know that any of this has helped a single woman break into the business where she wouldn't have on her own.

Unlike other entertainment industries, the comics business has never had a successful union, although a number of good people have tried to start one over the years. Certainly in the last few decades, as its place in the pantheon of media choices has dwindled, comics has become very much an "everyone for themselves" kinda deal. Pros and fans alike talk a good game, but lasting institutional change seems to occur only when people in a position to effect that change achieve the power necessary to do so. That is, it's come from within, not from without.

So what concrete actions, if any, are left to advocates and activists who want to improve the situation of women in comics, but aren't in the business themselves? Are there options besides good ol' consciousness-raising and acting as an informational clearinghouse? How much does it "hurt the cause" to keep pointing out instances of institutionalized sexism to an industry that's well aware of these proclivities to begin with, and at a time when women's contributions are more visible than they've been in years?

I don't have the answers to any of this. I only know, in the context of an "everyone for themselves industry," what I'm doing myself, and what I'm no longer doing. I'm working on updating the reference pages, adding a new historical one, but I'm doing it at my own pace. I'm getting my own writing house in order again via this blog, reviewing, etc., in preparation for diving once again into the deep end that is actual storytelling as opposed to essay writing. (As Robin notes, "You want to improve the situation of women in the comics industry? Become one; write some stories!") And I'm continuing, through the reference pages and on message boards, to call attention to and praise the women already swimming in that deep end. What I'm trying not to do any more is bitch about the women waiting for their turn to swim because the pool is so full of men. That's the kind of counter-productivity that just makes the lifeguards (both male and female) shrug.