When it comes to American mainstream comics and the two big companies, Marvel and DC, I have always felt they didn't do enough to reach out to their female audience. Oh, yes, DC had Minx, but that was doomed to fail. They did have some awesome titles, but I'm an old fujoshi and what I'm going to appreciate is not what a thirteen-year-old girl will appreciate. They're in the middle of puberty and their hormones are going all crazy--they want sex. DC gave them wonderful girlhood stories. However, the thirteen-year-old eighth grader who can't wait for Keith to message back he likes her too, isn't looking for the next Little Women. Twilight topping the hardcover graphic novel charts speaks volumes to this fact.
There's a lot of blame to go around when it comes to failing at appealing to females and after reading this article from The Comics Reporter, I believe the proprietors of comic shops deserve the same amount of blame. Tom Spurgeon outlines three arguments we could be having about comics. One particular question caught my eye: why are so many direct market comics shops still female unfriendly? Although he provides no answer, he touches on some interesting points, such as the comic shop location and environment, which are none to pleasing to females (or him, for that matter). I think the environment is very important reason females stay away. Because, lets face facts, usually enclosed with in the dark dank area of the comic shop are some really creepy people.
I understand some male comic fans may take offense to this, but allow me to elaborate on my own experience. When I first started going to a comic shop the guys were either mean jerks who sent out "you have no place here" vibes or they were creepy losers who sniffed around my skirt. Once, while sifting through old comics, I was approached by a guy who told me how he lived in his moms basement, collected Spiderman comics and ended by asking me for my number. Yeah, really made me feel comfortable. I don't know, I guess, for me, despite the darkness, despite the dankness, I had expected the comic shop to be a safe zone. A place where I would be accepted and respected because I shared a common interest. And I definitely did not go there expecting to be hit on. What amplifies this and made the situation seem worse to me is it happened in this closed in space where you're crowded by comics and people. I've been hit on in the mall or the library but the difference is these are wide open spaces with light. The openness put me at ease.
I can't blame the customers. People are jerks and they will put you in uncomfortable situations. Therefore the responsibility falls on the lap of the comic owner to make their environment as amicable as possible. So far, the majority of comic shops do not do this. I do not believe comic owners go out of their way to make females feel uncomfortable so comics can remain a male only club. I do believe these shops are owned by men who haven't an inkling how a female feels. So, I'm letting you guys know, if you have a dark, eerie, dreary comic shop where it's difficult to keep the people from overlapping, maybe it's time to call in a interior designer to work their magic. Not only will you benefit from more light and more room, you'll benefit economically because you'll gain me as a customer. And believe me, in this dire economy, you want my business.
