Gail Simone's Blog, page 1134

So I'm a Women and Gender Studies major and one of my final academic papers for the semester requires me to write about feminist agents for social change and the awesome things they do, and I'm going to play it close to my areas of interest, which is to sa

This is complicated. Forgive me if I ramble a little.

I think my short answer is no, I don't see myself that way, I wouldn't attribute that kind of influence to myself. I'm just a woman who liked to tell stories. In the big picture, my voice is small and sometimes a bit scattered and I'm clearly not the golden voice for social change that the comic book world really needs.

I have tried to use what little influence I have in ways that match my convictions. I've tried to volunteer for, donate to, and promote causes that match my beliefs. And I've fought in public and behind the scenes for causes when I thought it was warranted. I've tried to use my work in a more inclusive way.And I've worked hard to try to bring in a wider diversity of creators, characters and readers.

On the other hand, I look at the stuff I've wanted to accomplish and have not yet done so and it's just a massive list. And there have been missteps and times I should have listened instead of being defensive.

So all I can really say of myself is that I am remarkably imperfect. I hope for a better future for social issues in comics and in the media in general, and I will do my best to hold up my end.

I will say, as an afterthought, that one thing that IS positive about my position in the industry, and those of people like Nicola Scott, Jill Thompson, and Amanda Conner…it may well be that the simple act of thriving in a VERY tough and male-dominated industry is a bigger agent for social change than even our work, in some ways. The fact that a handful of us now have our own readerships, our own lines at conventions, our own groups who will buy our work almost sight unseen…that is a message that publishers can't ignore. In that way, I might agree that my career has some meaning for change—aspiring creators who aren't cisgendered males can see at least that it CAN be done, whereas in the not too distant past, the idea of a female writer with her own readership was almost hypothetical. I am proud of that, even if it wasn't particularly something I achieved intentionally. Like those other women, we just wanted to make good art.

I hope this all makes sense. Clearly, I don't have the answer for this worked out myself yet.

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Published on November 23, 2011 19:35

So I'm a Women and Gender Studies major and one of my final academic papers for the semester requires me to write about feminist agents for social change and the awesome things they do, and I'm going to play it close to my areas of interest, which is to sa

This is complicated. Forgive me if I ramble a little.

I think my short answer is no, I don't see myself that way, I wouldn't attribute that kind of influence to myself. I'm just a woman who liked to tell stories. In the big picture, my voice is small and sometimes a bit scattered and I'm clearly not the golden voice for social change that the comic book world really needs.

I have tried to use what little influence I have in ways that match my convictions. I've tried to volunteer for, donate to, and promote causes that match my beliefs. And I've fought in public and behind the scenes for causes when I thought it was warranted. I've tried to use my work in a more inclusive way.And I've worked hard to try to bring in a wider diversity of creators, characters and readers.

On the other hand, I look at the stuff I've wanted to accomplish and have not yet done so and it's just a massive list. And there have been missteps and times I should have listened instead of being defensive.

So all I can really say of myself is that I am remarkably imperfect. I hope for a better future for social issues in comics and in the media in general, and I will do my best to hold up my end.

I will say, as an afterthought, that one thing that IS positive about my position in the industry, and those of people like Nicola Scott, Jill Thompson, and Amanda Conner…it may well be that the simple act of thriving in a VERY tough and male-dominated industry is a bigger agent for social change than even our work, in some ways. The fact that a handful of us now have our own readerships, our own lines at conventions, our own groups who will buy our work almost sight unseen…that is a message that publishers can't ignore. In that way, I might agree that my career has some meaning for change—aspiring creators who aren't cisgendered males can see at least that it CAN be done, whereas in the not too distant past, the idea of a female writer with her own readership was almost hypothetical. I am proud of that, even if it wasn't particularly something I achieved intentionally. Like those other women, we just wanted to make good art.

I hope this all makes sense. Clearly, I don't have the answer for this worked out myself yet.

View more on Gail Simone's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 23, 2011 19:35