Women In Comics Who Inspire Me

[Gail Simone]

There are so many women in comics that I have so much respect for, it's ridiculous. I constantly am being reminded of how many kickass women there are in comics...some of whom I am fortunate enough to know and some I am fortunate enough to have worked with.

Just to name a few (in no particular order and pardon me if I skipped someone in haste); Joan Hilty, Colleen Doran, Colleen Coover, Janine Schaefer, Amanda Conner, Ramona Fradon, Jill Thompson, Marjorie M. Liu, Kelly Sue, Kathryn Immonen, Nicola Scott, Adriana Melo, Jeannette Kahn, Liz Gehrlein, Katie Kubert, Bobbie Chase, Jann Robinson, Kate Beaton, Linda Barry, Nancy Collins, Marie Severin, Amy Reeder, Jenny Frison, Amanda Gould, Cassandra James, Rachel Pollack, Emma Rios, Ann Nocenti, Louise Simonson, Evan Hopkins, Mindy Newell, Taki Soma, Trina Robbins, Sara Pichelli, Carla Speed McNeil, Cat Staggs, Devin Grayson, Ivory Madison, Jo Chen, Karen Ellis, Lea Hernandez, Caitlin Kiernin, Jodi Picoult, Tamora Pierce, Nancy Collins, G. Willow Wilson, Jen Van Meter, the sadly departed Kim Yale, Felician Henderson, Karen Berger, Rachel Dodson, Donna Barr, Sharry Flenniken, Carol Lay, Linda Medley, Rachel Pandich, Lynn Varley, Laura Martin, Laura Allred, Barbara Kesel, Blair Butler, Agnes Garbowska, Laurie B., Alex De Campi, Cheryl Lynn, Rachel Edidin, Jackie Estrada, Fiona Staples, Nancy French, Jenn Fang, Joyce Chin, Rebecca Woods, Diana Schutz, Allison Sohn, Patty Jeres, Chynna, Christina Weir, Heidi McDonald, and Pia Guerra.

That's not even counting the women in manga, comic strips, film, comics journalism and fandom who have also had a huge impact and influence on my life.

Thank you, ladies, for showing that it can be done. You have no idea how many lives you have touched and aspirations you have kindled, simply by doing wonderful work. I hope your many accomplishments bring you the great joy you so deserve.

My eternal gratitude to you all.


PS, If I forgot someone, it's not intentional, I have a very small brain and it only holds a limited amount at one time. I need to upgrade.

[AndrewCrossett]

Two of my favorite female creators seem to be missing in action: Chynna Clugston and Linda Medley. Blue Monday and Castle Waiting both vanished without a trace, right in the middle of arcs. I wish I knew what happened to them.

I'd love to see another Hopeless Savages story from Jen Van Meter, too.

[Corrina]

You know, we need to print that up and have it handy the next time a comic executive says "well, who should we hire?"

Note: I actually don't think Didio is a jerk only a business person who makes what I view as occasionally bone-headed business decisions, but, wow, he needs to work on his panel answers. :)

[EmarAndZeb]

Two of my favorite female creators seem to be missing in action: Chynna Clugston and Linda Medley. Blue Monday and Castle Waiting both vanished without a trace, right in the middle of arcs. I wish I knew what happened to them.

Chynna Clugston still occasionally updates a sketch blog over at New Wave Zombie (http://newwavezombie.blogspot.com/). No idea what, if anything, she's doing long term now. Blue Monday, Bone, and webcomics were basically the things that got me back into comics in high school.

[JKCarrier]

Faith Erin Hicks (http://www.friendswithboys.com/)
Spike Trotman (http://templaraz.com/)
Jane Irwin (http://www.clockwork-comics.com/)
Erika Moen (http://erikamoen.com/)
Jenn Manley Lee (http://dicebox.net/)
...so many others...

[ZimMan2]

Does Marjane Satrapi count? Finally got around to reading Persepolis for a class and have been hearing about her in real life. That woman's personality is electric.

[Dr Ray Palmer]

If Gail and Amanda Conner don't work on a project together, preferably sometime soon, I will be very sad.

[sunbird]

There's a red headed lady comic writer I quite like, but her name eludes me. She writes about crazy murderers and other red headed ladies. I'm sure it will come to me in a moment.

[ever_seeking]

It's great that there are so many women creators.

[Dreg]

Rumiko Takahashi is probably the female comic creator that had the biggest impact on me. And I'm not talking about Inyu Yasha, either. One-Pound Gospel, check it out. It's about a boxer trying to cut weight. Ranma 1/2 was like the perfect comic for a teenaged boy, too.

[Gail Simone]

Ah, I forgot Faith Erin Hicks. I'm stupid.

[Scott Mateo]

I'd love to see another Hopeless Savages story from Jen Van Meter, too.Seconded!

I spoke to Barbara Kesel a few months ago, and she's been trying to get back into the Big Two for years now. She's pretty disappointed she wasn't asked to write HAWK & DOVE or MERIDIAN when DC and Marvel brought those books back.

I even contacted Vaneta Rogers about interviewing her when she was doing her Girl Power! and she seemed very interested, but nothing came out of that either :(

[AndrewCrossett]

There's also Rebekah Isaacs, who's currently doing a great job on Dark Horse's Angel & Faith.

[michealdark]

Does Marjane Satrapi count? Finally got around to reading Persepolis for a class and have been hearing about her in real life. That woman's personality is electric.

I'd count here.


Rumiko Takahashi is probably the female comic creator that had the biggest impact on me. And I'm not talking about Inyu Yasha, either. One-Pound Gospel, check it out. It's about a boxer trying to cut weight. Ranma 1/2 was like the perfect comic for a teenaged boy, too.

Speaking of manga creators, CLAMP do some amazing things. Very polished art, with very relatable characters. CCS, Rayearth, X/1999.

For me, most of the ones I like have already been mentioned, but I also like Hope Larson, Alexa Kitchen (I assume middle/high school, whatever she's in now, is taking up most of her time, but I hope she comes back in a big way sometime soon), Katie Cook, Lyse Myhre, and Meredith Gran

[Dreg]

I'd count here.



Speaking of manga creators, CLAMP do some amazing things. Very polished art, with very relatable characters. CCS, Rayearth, X/1999.

Been meaning to check those out.

I wish manga creators got a little more recognition in the comic industry. The Eisners is pretty slow to give credit where credit is due.

[michealdark]

I think they're afraid to give awards to a) foreign works that b) take up the largest part of the market, hence they probably feel c) marganalizes the work of American creators.

[Dreg]

I think they're afraid to give awards to a) foreign works that b) take up the largest part of the market, hence they probably feel c) marganalizes the work of American creators.

Right, but I also feel that the selection committee could be comprised of people with a more diverse reading background.

[michealdark]

Oh, for sure

[EmarAndZeb]

Fun fact: When I got into online comics, one of my big sources of inspiration was Faith Erin Hicks's early webcomic, Demonology 101 (http://faith.rydia.net/).

Another was Return to Sender (http://rts.lunistice.com/), by the amazing Vera Brosgol (http://verabee.com/). There's several other ones also by female creators, but those are two biggies. I'm glad both Hicks and Brosgol have kept it up and gone on to do such great professional work.

[Tyr]

You know, we need to print that up and have it handy the next time a comic executive says "well, who should we hire?"

Note: I actually don't think Didio is a jerk only a business person who makes what I view as occasionally bone-headed business decisions, but, wow, he needs to work on his panel answers. :)

That would cut into his drinking time Corri, we can't have that. :-P

[Weeto]

Tara McPherson hasn't done an awful lot of comic work but her covers for The Witching were amongst my favourites, with the cover of #1 being my all time favourite of any comic.

She is an incredible artist known for a surreal fantasy style which is absolutely unique and you can see one of her drawings from the other side of the room.

[Cassandra]

Zomg Gail you're so sweet, I can't believe I'm on that list.

My list has a lot of overlap with yours, but in mine I'm including Corrina Lawson, because although she is a novelist, I know that she has written a comic and is writing another. (I know this beause of reasons. Ohohoho!)
I also adore and closely follow the careers of Laura Matrin, Annette Kwok, Christina Strain, Emily Warren, Katie Cooke, Mary Bellamy, Katie de Sousa, Dawn Best, Jenny Frison, Jo Chen, Renae de Liz, Agnes Garbowska, Nei Ruffino, Emily Stone. There are so many more but now my brain is hurting trying to remember. A lot of these girls and I grew up when he Internet was becoming a big thing, and we used to share our noobish anime-styled drawings on an old art site calld Side 7. It has been so inspirational watching so many of these ladies go onto do amazing things with their talent.

If people try and tell me that women have no desire to work in comics and / or there isn't much female talent; I scoff at them. Scoff at them I say!!

[michealdark]

I hope the Casts keep working in comics. I've been liking the the House of Night comic.

[BClayMoore]

Chynna Clugston is my hero.

Jenny Frison is my other hero.

-BCM