Representation in Comics

I think I'm lucky enough to grow up in a generation where I always felt represented in comics as a young women. The first graphic novel I remember getting obsessed with was Smile by Rania Teleminger. It was a graphic memoir of a girlhood framed by her experience with braces. The stories of middle school drama and frustratingly dealing with puberty were extremely relatable to me and felt honest and real. Other comics of my youth were Amulet and This One Summer- both had a female lead and a complex cast of women.
While the battle for female representation is going strong in comics (especially for younger audiences I think) it still has far to go before we overcome the extreme male backlash that comes out of the many recent mens rights internet movements.
Racial representation still has a very, very long way to go. It was amazing to read your selection of comics about people of color.
I had heard of March before but never actually read it. I found a breathtaking form of comics, with cinematic frames and polished art style. It reminded me of Maus in that it was a personal account of a historical event. A story of a movement framed within the story of a life.
However it was also really different. Maus still had some of the dark jagged edges of underground comics. It broke the forth wall and had circular rants of the narrator still figuring out what he needs to say as he says it.
March was a collaboration between a civil rights leader and a professional graphic illustrator. It was a strong, unwavering narrative told expertly with all the tools and time of a professional work. I think it was the perfect choice for the tone they wanted to hit and the story they wanted to tell.
I also appreciated the YouTube links you posted on the resource page. I'm familiar with FeministFrequency and PopCultureDetective, and really enjoy their content on harmful tropes in media. When I watch TV/movies with male friends, they often don't understand why I don't enjoy it as much as them. I'm not necessarily seriously bothered or disturbed by every instance of sexism on the screen, but it does stop me from enjoying it as much as I would without. Men (especially white) often don't understand that that that vast majority of media is specifically tailored to their fantasies and interests. I started watching Interview with a Vampire last night with my roommates and our boyfriends. I found it a pretty good movie- but couldn't help notice the lack of female representation and casual sexism. 45 minutes in and all the women we've met where whores and a dead wife and child for male character motivation. I thought of the Women in Refrigerators trope video.

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