I had a female character in my comics who didn't fall into either category, but she was one of the characters that I dropped after the first season because I didn't feel like I knew how to do a female character correctly. I plan to create a new female character sometime.

The main thing with me is that I mostly like to make comics involving things that I know about, and since I haven't really had many friends who are girls, I don't have much to work with for making characters, so I just give up or forget about it. It's something I'm trying to overcome, and I'm probably not going to be able to address that until I finish my movie.

I feel so lonely being one of the few gals out there who're making comics.

We gotta' think up of ways to attract them into the comic forums, no? As comic-makers, not just viewers.

Any ideas, anybody?

I think this may be partially why I thought you were pretty cool when we first started talking in 2004-2005ish when I was writing those ridiculously confusing off the wall comedies about Calvin and Hobbes visiting Metru Nui and such. You're quite level-headed and very good at justifying your opinion and your case. I don't really go into the comics section of the site much, but you definitely bring up an interesting point. Even if you look at the comics in the newspaper or popular webcomics, there are a lot less that are done by women versus men (obviously, this changes depending on where you look, the comic subject matter, etc., but hopefully my drift is understood), though it would be kind of cool and pretty interesting to see a push of more female comic drawer and makers.

There is part of me that sometimes wants to create a comic, but for me it'd have to be drawn at least partially by hand. Nothing against sprite-based comics, but it doesn't really do a lot for me if I were to try to make one.

You've probably forgotten me, seeing as I fell off the site for a while, but yeah. 110% props for this entry.

-Nukaya

I can throw more female characters into BIONICLES ADVENTURS COMIXS, my only living comics to date.

(also, though I understand how you missed it, Turaga Nikila from The Pirogi Vampire never fit any of those categories.)

Just do what I did -- have the girl character actually be the most sane of the entire cast. Problem solved. B)

I used to do comics.... But then I changed computers and couldn't figure out how to use GIMP. (Macs don't have Paint)

I've considered re-starting a couple times... If only I weren't so lousy at art...

Funny you should mention this just now, because I am at this time working on a comic series. Although, this one is mostly serious and is pretty much an epic graphic novel/manga type (released in installments) that is hand-drawn. However, I am planning to release a regular comic strip type series along with it, though I haven't figured out whether I should put them in the same topic or in seperate ones. Guess it all comes down to how active I am with the humor series.

The "comic strip" series would also be hand-drawn, mainly because I suck at digital manipulation, but I may throw in some sprite comics if I either a) find time to figure out GIMP or B) find out if it's possible to make sprite comics on Corel.

For anyone interested, I've begun work on the first chapter and should begin publishing when I get to the 2nd or 3rd. [/blatantselfplug]

@MirMir: Well, I guess we could make super impressive comics and advertise them in our siggies with really impressive graphics (or really cute characters).

...

Eh, pathetic and uncreative. >_<;

We gotta' think up of ways to attract them into the comic forums, no? As comic-makers, not just viewers.

Any ideas, anybody?

I wish I had some...so far, the only thing coming to my mind is encouraging our sisters to get into comics. Maybe a Rosie the Riveter campaign for BZPower comics? "We Can Draw It!"

Even if you look at the comics in the newspaper or popular webcomics, there are a lot less that are done by women versus men (obviously, this changes depending on where you look, the comic subject matter, etc., but hopefully my drift is understood)

I totally understand. In fact, Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics) has pointed out the lack of females in comics. What's the deal with comics? I could understand the idea that superhero comics are marketed to guys, but why do the funnies have this problem? (Of course, newspaper comics have the added problem that there's too many old geezers who won't retire... )

You've probably forgotten me, seeing as I fell off the site for a while, but yeah.

Unfortunately, I have forgotten you. I looked up your Calvin and Hobbes comedy, but I can't for the life of me remember our conversations. I believe we had them, I just can't remember them...(I feel so old...)

Funny you should mention this just now, because I am at this time working on a comic series. Although, this one is mostly serious and is pretty much an epic graphic novel/manga type (released in installments) that is hand-drawn. However, I am planning to release a regular comic strip type series along with it, though I haven't figured out whether I should put them in the same topic or in seperate ones. Guess it all comes down to how active I am with the humor series.

Woo! More serious work is something else I'd like to see more of in the forum...

@MirMir: Well, I guess we could make super impressive comics and advertise them in our siggies with really impressive graphics (or really cute characters).

Why...that's a suggestion so sane and reasonable it just might work!

wat's a "women" lulz

Eh, gender's not reall a huge factor in whether or not I read a comic (although this may be because there's only like two female comic authors out there ). I don't have a sister (or sibling at all), so I don't think I can really help that much...

Plus I'm not especially confident in the sanity of most females my age that I know IRL, and they all avoid me anyway.

Plus I'm not especially confident in the sanity of most females my age that I know IRL, and they all avoid me anyway.

Because you're probably even nuttier than they are?

Well, based on your treatment of me in your comics, I can see why...(jk) XD

You forgot about Taka Nuvia. She's a female comic maker. Yeah, she hand draws them, but still.

Maybe if we tell other females about:

A. How Mira, Taka, LE, etc. are all really good and people like them.

B. How easy it is to make comics.

They might do it. And a previously mentiond plan might work as well .

-

Yeah, Taka's pretty good. I just wished she'd post more comics, but given that her comics are purely hand-drawn and the fact that it takes longer to make quality drawings (even more difficult if she's like me and has a busy schedule), I can understand why.

And wow, people sure seem to be warmer to my idea than I thought they would. XP

Plus I'm not especially confident in the sanity of most females my age that I know IRL, and they all avoid me anyway.

 

Because you're probably even nuttier than they are?

 

Well, based on your treatment of me in your comics, I can see why...(jk) XD

...? I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about. Maybe I just need to read my comics for the first time in a while.

Plus I'm not especially confident in the sanity of most females my age that I know IRL, and they all avoid me anyway.

 

Because you're probably even nuttier than they are?

 

Well, based on your treatment of me in your comics, I can see why...(jk) XD

...? I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about. Maybe I just need to read my comics for the first time in a while.

YOU REPLACED MY REAPER POWERS WITH VEGETABLE POWER!!! >

...

Oh, heh, was I too in character.

I used to do comics.... But then I changed computers and couldn't figure out how to use GIMP. (Macs don't have Paint)

 

I've considered re-starting a couple times... If only I weren't so lousy at art...

Free programs for Mac to look into (and trust me, I use these myself):

Seashore - you can set a transparent background, no more worrying about "the white", ask me about tips and tricks, layers, etc.

Pixelmator - also transparent background, lots of customizable brushes for loads of effects, including sparkle (Eee!), also layer feature for easy maneuverability of separate bits of your artwork

SketchBook Express - Downloadable version free in the new App. Store, but I use this mainly for copying whole comics in and cropping before saving without having to worry about the dreaded color-fade glitch in most art programs. Pixelmator can be freed from this by going into Image, Color Management, then ( I suggest) Advanced, so you can then copy-paste files from Seashore over to Pixel to tweak, then back again without blue fading into purple.

***

Back to the lack of women comic-makers issue...

Perhaps we should consider making a "By girls, for girls, but all are welcome to view" - type art topic?

For me, I think it's too easy to make a sprite comic, and yet too time consuming to draw comics. Mind you I once drew a Bionicle-related comic and graphic novel a looong time ago, and forgot about them because I was pressed for time. It's even difficult to make one that stand out in the sea of comics. I'd rather stick to Artwork I, where the flow of topics is still; so I can update artwork to my heart's content and still have it sitting on the first page. To lure me back into Artwork III requires me chuckling about real-life adult issues and a plot that rivals A Tale of Two Cities.

Heeeeey, BD! You live! Man, you were one of my fave artists way back before I joined BZP, how ya' doin'? ^w^

...Oh no. Just looked at your new humanized Bionicle art topic...

Tsh, ok see, this is one of the problems gals like us face on the forums - haters be hatin' way to much and won't keep quiet about it if they don't like it. Girls take hate much worse than guys, who can just shrug it off.

It's called the "Don't like, don't look" policy, you insensitive morons!

***

Ok, I'm done with my rant. But that's one of the primary reasons why there probably aren't more gals on the site. That, plus all the prejudice...

*Sigh*

Heeeeey, BD! You live! Man, you were one of my fave artists way back before I joined BZP, how ya' doin'? ^w^

 

...Oh no. Just looked at your new humanized Bionicle art topic...

 

Tsh, ok see, this is one of the problems gals like us face on the forums - haters be hatin' way to much and won't keep quiet about it if they don't like it. Girls take hate much worse than guys, who can just shrug it off.

 

It's called the "Don't like, don't look" policy, you insensitive morons!

 

***

Ok, I'm done with my rant. But that's one of the primary reasons why there probably aren't more gals on the site. That, plus all the prejudice...

*Sigh*

That was kind of my attitude towards AWIII until Ddude's sig at the time dragged me in and got me addicted. XD

Maybe we should follow his example.

For me, I think it's too easy to make a sprite comic, and yet too time consuming to draw comics. Mind you I once drew a Bionicle-related comic and graphic novel a looong time ago, and forgot about them because I was pressed for time. It's even difficult to make one that stand out in the sea of comics. I'd rather stick to Artwork I, where the flow of topics is still; so I can update artwork to my heart's content and still have it sitting on the first page. To lure me back into Artwork III requires me chuckling about real-life adult issues and a plot that rivals A Tale of Two Cities.

I would say a bunch of stuff about how I disagree with your views, but I'm not sure how this post even fits into this topic...this seems to be much more of an Artwork I vs. Artwork III post, which I will probably do a blog post about at some point (it does play a role in our views of the comics forum), just not now. Do you have anything to say about the subject at hand?

Tsh, ok see, this is one of the problems gals like us face on the forums - haters be hatin' way to much and won't keep quiet about it if they don't like it. Girls take hate much worse than guys, who can just shrug it off.

We don't just shrug it off - we just pretend to. Then we weep softly in a quiet room, away from the judgmental glares of our peers.

It's called the "Don't like, don't look" policy, you insensitive morons!

High five!

Well, I'm stating my opinion because I'm a woman. :0

You asked for thoughts, and that's what I think. I've a personal preference in handdrawn comics because you can create the whole range of gestures, poses, and emotions that spite comics lacks. I would join in comicmaking, but I don't have time these days to make comics (heck, just to ink a page would take me a week or two); so I've a greater preference to chill in GA and spend my time perfecting my craft. I'm not trying to instigate a versus between the two forums as they are both completely different in terms of medium and time spent per work. :X

Anyways, if you want to draw females in, you just have to be patient (Definitely when it comes to BZP; there are less active females than males). Females, by nature, like male characters that has a strong, independent personality with a couple nicks they have to carry with them that the female reader has to sympathize and connect with. Ezio Auditore (AC2). Sydney Carton (Tale of Two Cities). Issac Clarke (Dead Space 2). Adam Jensen (DX3). Andrew Martin (Bicentennial Man). Sometimes strength can also be replaced by intellect and wit.

For female stereotypes, in reality, there are none. You get the extroverted types; you also have the introverted types. Most guys tend to pay attention to the females who are extroverted, easy-to-get, social, attractive, and the dependent, and very few are attracted to girls who are introverted, quiet, hard-to-get, asocial, normal, and independent. If you want to develop a fine female character, just pick out the characteristics randomly with strengths and weaknesses (ie: throwing darts at a MBTI chart) and BAM! Female character.

Granted I'm a bit too old for childish randomness, and just want to settle down, have tea, and chat about how Tahu got trolled by Mata-Nui and lost his Nuva powers.

So we got a method for creating female characters, but how should we really go about bringing in gal artists from real life into the comic forum?

Some ideas so far:

• Aforementioned "Gals Mainly" Topic
• Sig Advertising
• Invitation/Recruiting...?
• Other...?

Primarily there are sprite comics on BZP, as you no doubtedly have already noticed. They're much easier to make, yes, but if my series is anything to go by, they CAN be full of emotion and facial expressions just as much as hand-drawn ones. All it takes is a little know-how, maybe an extra graphics program or three, and a bit of patience. That's all.

Now in terms of discussion - this blog is primarily for debating over how to attract girls into the comic forum so that BZP will no longer be so one-sided gender-wise. This is not really a discussion about comics themselves.

How to bring girls?

It just takes time. They're like cats, you can't force them to get them to do what you want them to do. You kind of have to entice them with pretty pictures with variance of saturation and value. If they like what they see, then they'll come asking and prolly be inspired.

I highly discourage a girls topics, as it had cause a slew of trouble when it started a long time ago. It wasn't pretty.

Have patience. Girls might come around, but since Bionicle is done and over, it'll be difficult.

Well, I'm stating my opinion because I'm a woman. :0

Ah. Your profile page doesn't declare your gender, so I didn't know. But more importantly, your first post seemed to be about your personal opinion regarding handdrawn and sprite comics, which at first glance didn't seem to have much to do with the subject of women in comics. And frankly, I'm still unclear how that fits into the overall discussion...are you saying that, as a female, you'd be more drawn to the comics forum if there were more handdrawn comics (or as you put it, "pretty pictures")?

Anyways, if you want to draw females in, you just have to be patient (Definitely when it comes to BZP; there are less active females than males). Females, by nature, like male characters that has a strong, independent personality with a couple nicks they have to carry with them that the female reader has to sympathize and connect with.

It just takes time. They're like cats, you can't force them to get them to do what you want them to do. You kind of have to entice them with pretty pictures with variance of saturation and value. If they like what they see, then they'll come asking and prolly be inspired.

I feel like we're running into a Chicken and Egg scenario here. We want to entice females to the forum - but we lack the things that attract them. And without females here who know what attracts other females, females don't come. So nothing ever happens.

And given that I've been making comics here for six years with little signs of improvement on this front, I'm not sure how much more patient I'm willing to be. But I acknowledge that any kind of "direct action" probably won't have any significant impact. As you rightly point out, these are larger social trends that are complex and very difficult to dictate.

For female stereotypes, in reality, there are none.

My initial reaction: "What th- WHaaaa?"

You get the extroverted types; you also have the introverted types. Most guys tend to pay attention to the females who are extroverted, easy-to-get, social, attractive, and the dependent, and very few are attracted to girls who are introverted, quiet, hard-to-get, asocial, normal, and independent.

As a guy, let me just say I totally dig the quiet chicks. But then, I'm a pretty quiet guy...

But see, I feel like this has a lot to do with the common portrayal of girls in the comics forum today by male authors. I think there's still a stereotype at play here - it doesn't correspond to reality, but then stereotypes rarely do.

If you want to develop a fine female character, just pick out the characteristics randomly with strengths and weaknesses (ie: throwing darts at a MBTI chart) and BAM! Female character.

I'm not sure how I feel about this approach. The characters we make usually reflect our feelings and experiences of the world - that's just how writing works out. Randomly picking out characteristics is difficult to manage, especially when we have no real-world experience with those characteristics - then we're in no position to be making stories based on them.

I highly discourage a girls topics, as it had cause a slew of trouble when it started a long time ago. It wasn't pretty.

Do you have a link to that, or know how to find it? I know a lot of us would be curious to check this out.

Let's see. Quick count of female comic makers off the top of my head:

• Megan51
• MirMir
• Emkay
• Fried Ingenuity, kinda
• Taka Nuvia, kinda
• Vahi's sister, kinda

...And that's all I got.

:s:

• Megan51
• MirMir
• Emkay
• Fried Ingenuity, kinda
• Taka Nuvia, kinda
• Vahi's sister, kinda

Yeah, but how many are still active besides me?