Introduction and Invocation to the Reader
Since last week, I traded content for style, this time, I’m going to introduce myself and “Inside Out” a little less dramatically and give you a clearer sense of what I want to do with this space, and why.
As I hope you’ve already realized, I’m Rachel. I’ve been a comics fan for at least half my life and a feminist since I was old enough to think. Since June of 2006, I’ve also been an assistant editor at the third-largest comics publisher in the United States*.
I proposed “Inside Out” because I think that the lack of visibility of women in comics–particularly of queer women in comics–is unfortunate.
Let’s try an exercise:
Name three comics professionals. Easy, right?
Now, name three female comics professionals. Still not too hard. Let’s crank it up a notch:
Name three comics professionals who aren’t primarily creators.
Harder, but still not bad. You’ve got Joe Quesada, obviously. Eddie Berganza and Scott Allie may not have the same kind of name-brand recognition, but they’re both pretty visible figures in the comics universe.
Now, name three female comics professionals who aren’t primarily creators.
If you’re pretty savvy, you can name Shelly Bond. If you’re really savvy, you’ve got Diana Schutz on your list. And then, there’s…er…
No, Ann Nocenti doesn’t count. She’s not editing comics these days.
Here’s why that matters: because most of the big decisions, the decisions that affect the way characters are portrayed and determine which books are published and which are marketed, and who gets hired to make them are made not at the mythical studies and studios of creators, but in offices and meeting rooms at publishing companies. Sure, writers pitch ideas, and a really brilliant and prominent creator can have a profound affect on the direction of a comic or comics universe, but ultimately, it’s editors who hold the reins.
There are exceptions, of course: creator-owned or licensed properties–think Hellboy and Street Fighter–are going to be under much tighter control of creators and licensors, respectively. Likewise, creators working on shorter series or series that aren’t set in shared universes will have more opportunity to make their marks. But again, the decision to pick up those series and creators in the first place will likely have been editorial. Even with their growing prominence in recent years, creator collectives and successful self-publishers are the exception rather than the rule.
Editors are the cogs at the heart of the machinery that makes comics: hidden within layers of levers, but no less vital for their lack of visibility. Pair that with the historical invisibility of comics professionals who aren’t straight white men, and you have to squint pretty hard to see the traces.
I want “Inside Out” to be a lens into comics, angled askew of the usual perspectives: a look at the industry from a point you don’t get to see too often. It’s going to be a fairly personal column–my views on comics and the comics industry are colored by my own experiences as an editor, a reader, a writer, a woman, a feminist, and an individual.
To an extent, the purpose of this column is masturbatory. I think my perspective matters, so I’m writing this from my perspective, focused on what I consider important and noteworthy. But I want to make it really clear that “Inside Out” isn’t primarily a blog or a personal diary. As the column grows, I’d like to make it into a dialogue: a forum for questions and answers and shifting perspectives.
In that vein, I’d like to invite everyone who reads this to follow the link at the bottom marked “Go here to discuss this column.” Tell me your ideas. Let me know what you want to know. Ask questions. Make this as much about you as it is about me. It’ll be good practice–after all, shouldn’t you be doing the same thing to the comics industry?
*Full disclosure: I work at Dark Horse Comics. I’m writing this column with the knowledge and blessing of my bosses, who have been cool enough to place no content restrictions on it–despite the fact that my contract gives them every right to do so. Nonetheless, there are a handful of topics I’m going to need to keep at arm’s length, primarily for professional reasons. In general, this column won’t involve many book reviews, and of the few books I do review, even fewer will be Dark Horse titles. I’m not even going to touch Frank Miller. I do not want to–and don’t feel that I should have to–choose–or even distinguish–between my personal and professional integrity.
The usual NDA disclaimers also apply. No, I won’t tell you what’s going to happen in Buffy, I’m not going to post anyone’s private email address, and I will not be sharing any juicy industry gossip. With a handful exceptions–mostly props to people I love–I’m going to avoid discussing individual creators or editors at all. Deal with it.
I also want to quickly thank the awesome folks at DH–particularly Davey and Mike–for being so cool about this column. They could easily have flat-out forbidden me to write it, or required me to get each column approved before I posted it, or done any of a million things that would have made it much, much harder for me, but they gave me free reign, and I really appreciate that display of trust and respect.
Likewise, many thanks to Betty & co. at Girl-Wonder.org for offering me this space and the technical and personal support that accompany it, as well as for being the hands-down best online community ever. Seriously–you rock my world.
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