Bin Fodder C2E2 Panel Review – Reinventing the Hero(ine)

A major undertaking is occurring in the comics community; equality.  As with so many other movements such a thing requires people of import to stand up and make their stance known.  This panel brought together a group of authors who have, in their works, strove to write with a perspective that Women are People Too!

 

Such an idea, though simplistic and seemingly basic to understand, in the world of popular culture is a struggle for many to comprehend.  In reality women are far too often merely the damsel in distress rather than the protagonist kicking ass and taking names.  And with few exceptions women are still subjugated to lesser roles in film, books, comics and television.

 

However, if the recent Thor and Captain Marvel revamps to female characters has taught us anything it’s that: women, when invited to the show, will show up and show up big time.

 

Here are some simple tips that the panelists continued to echo throughout: Don’t make the female character just a guy with breasts (meaning: write from a position of a strong woman, not using standard guy typical actions in the form of a woman), allow women to be villains (and not in the form of sassy/bossy/bitchy women who just want to ruin a guys day – but REAL, strong characters who are women), don’t force women to be in the same space as a man just to justify who they are or “prove” they’re still a woman even though they’re strong and smart.

 

Write More Women!  Many, if not all of you, default to a male character as the lead…stop!  Try something new.  Start with the characters as women and if they fit better as a man, OK, but don’t just default to that.

 

The culture will only change when we force it to.  Be a part of that change!

 

From C2E2 this is your Bin Fodder Guru Tim Blacksmith signing off

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