So I got to be apart of what I would call an age old argument today. One that started on Facebook with images from more than 5 years ago. If your own Facebook you can join the discussion here https://www.facebook.com/groups/cbnah/permalink/10153021805569274/
Women being seen as objects, over sexualized and ineffective costumes, Oh and Men too(when guys get offended by women who feel they are the only ones getting raped on comic pages). Complaints of how that pose is not possible, she would break her back. How can she fight in a Bikini, where is your battle armor your fighting men in full war armor? Boobs are huge, booties that have drinks sitting on them, cleavage is everywhere. Look at his 24 pack, pecks that are 2 feet out, arms like tree trunks and comparisons to Rob Liefield's Art.
Let me attack the Rob Lefield Art, he is a comic gem. Leave him alone he made a living drawing the way he does and we ate that stuff up with 2 spoons. I have never been a fan of it but I can step outside my dislike of his art box and realize he changed the game. Rob's art;love it or hate it was all over the place in the 90's it could not be stopped. He also created characters we love and are main stays in our world today such as Cable, X-force, and everyones favorite merc with a mouth Deadpool. This man is one of the forefathers of Image comics, the 3rd biggest comic company in the world. We all know his drawings are not the best but because of his art we have really cool characters, a style of comics that people took and ran with, and an amazing publisher that in all honesty is whooping DC/Marvel's ass in the creative comic department. Final point on this, we all bought it in the 90's so we loved it then. Just because we got educated and grew does not mean we should attack and destroy what he has brought to the table. He still sells and makes art because he is a legend in the comic book world for more than his art.
Spider-Woman a super popular female character to talk about. On the left is a version drawn that people feel cannot be done in the real world. On the left is a artist I feel can draw this charter without objectifying or over sexualizing her. First her powers include the ability to seduce men, and she has agility, and flexibility of a spider. In short there is virtually not pose she cannot do. My second point which will be an over all statement is this is fictional, fantasy, pretend, a escape from reality. The third point is that there are people who are extremely flexible such as martial artist, dancers, break dancers, people that are double jointed so to a degree we have people that can contort their bodies in ways that would blow us away. So this is not very far from reality. The other complaint is her costume is like body paint.
Well guess the costume is not an issue. Spider-Woman got a very updated look with more plain cloths that convert to super hero gear. So my question is why is she being included in the debate? Looks like marvel heard the complaint made the change.
More on the characters and costume changes for a more modern look.
These are great revisions of great characters. Marvel may be doing it to gain a bigger crowd but who cares if they are giving you what you want.
Stuart Immonen is a phenomenal artist and one I look to for inspiration for drawing women. Here is a fabulous drawing of Ultimate Universe's Spider-Woman. I believe this pose looks very possible by real world standards. reminds me of a break dancer(from a point I made earlier)
One of the most controversial costumes in comics get an update this past year by another top notch talent Stuart Immonen. He gave her a fresh more conservative look.
So there are artist out here who are creating more conservative smarter looking females.Once they have the chance because they think like us. Despite this Emma has gone back to a sultry look, which makes sense that she is dressed like this because she is a very sexual character. So are we saying that we cannot have characters who are sexual, who ooze it out of their pours and it in turn reflects in how they dress. There are people in real life who do not do this same exact thing? Yes there is they are every where.
The biggest issue is that all women are sticks, boobs and booty. I point out in one book called "Invincible" which is a wildly popular title. The main Character Mark, has a girlfriend who is also a Super Hero named Atom Eve. They met through heroics and have a great relationship where they challenge each other. Eve ends up getting pregnant and losing the baby but she still has the baby fat. She was ashamed that she was not thin anymore, but Mark said to her that he loved the way she looked and hoped she stayed in her new shape.
This is a top selling comic show casing how Mark loves Eve and that loves means no matter what how ever you are. Even with that bold statement it was not him settling with her but he preferred her size. This is a big choice to promote and push this look it shows clearly it is time for a change with women in comics and they are making it.
This pose of Psylocke was posted as A very impossible pose. To me there is nothing strenuous about this pose. The only issue of complaint that there should be is her costume.
Which Marvel updated still skin tight but completely covered.
Batgirl is another female to get an update to her look
There are artist that are out here creating women that look like women in todays world. Women you can see walking past you on the street.
Yes they are slim in these images but boobs and booty are not the focus. There are no awkward angles to push and show case luscious body types. What shines through more than anything is each one of the characters personalities.
Here are a lot of costumes that have been reworked for this series and they show barely any skin. They are covered up, and we get to see the character before we see the sleek sexiness of them.
If main stream does not work for you here are other artist who are out here with great talent.
Freestyle Komics show casing people of all shapes and these three woman from left to right are Jfab(left,purple) Vigilance(Red and white Middle), and Titan(Yellow and Blue, Right). Vigilance and Jfab are based of real women who are shaped as they are drawn. Titan is a total original creation because FSK's camp knows they need realistic body features from the other end of the spectrum as well.
Just some examples of Big, beautiful, awesome women. Images from a few artist changing the face of the typical comic styled woman. With changes in costumes, size and a variety if color behind the mask there have been siginifcant strides in the sexual atmosphere of comics. The long and short of it is, if you do not like the face of comics that are out here and how they showcase women and men then find stories that draw the characters the way you want to view them. Or you can pick up a pencil and put hand to pad and make your own vision. I understand where the origin of the argument comes from but the change is right there. I feel that this argument is not even valid anymore. Especially when some of the art referenced is not even from the last 3 years. An artist takes years to hone their talent who are you to tell them how to draw unless your going to pay them to draw it the way you want. I just felt the argument on Facebook was on sided and only showed images(older images) that proved their point but there is so much out here that show the exact opposite. that is the end of my rant. In case your wondering I draw too so that is another reason why I was so fired up about this.
On a side note no one complains about the Cos-players who have every option to un-sexify the costumes but still keeps them true to the original designs. OS it cannot be that much of an issue the female cosplay community is strong.
-FS
