Replies from the Komix For Girls? Wha? questionnaire! #08
Posted 11:30 AM by AD in Labels: essay, girls, komix, questionnaire
The questionnaire can be found here. These answers are from Mimi!
1) Local: Usually whatever one-shot indie titles I can get my hands on. If loyal to any series, I cannot recall it at this time. Except for Windmills, reason obvious. I used to be into the big komik strips like Pugad Baboy, Kikomachine and Beerkada but have outgrown them.
Foreign: Currenly Daniel Clowes, Nate Powell, Adrian Tomine, Chew, Crossed, Blacksad, Peanuts. My pet series was Fables until someone told me that Bill Willingham supported the Iraq War thus soiling my enjoyment of it, which is wrong, I know. Webcomics like Pictures for Sad Children, Dinosaur Comics and Lackadaisy. Anything with cute animals (cats) in it I will probably pick up which is why occasionally there is a Jhonen Vasquez trip. Also, not-so-current manga like Uzumaki, Monster, Angel Sanctuary, Pure Trance, Nana (Is it ever coming back?) and Litchi Hikari Club (Which really kinda sucks but I want to have hope because it’s pretty.)
2) This is gonna sound bad but I can’t say I’ve enjoyed very many of the local komiks that I’ve read because most of them just aren’t about things that I can get into and if they are they just suck. Case in point- Budang. Cute cat! But it made me want to punch it for being so fucking dumb. Too many people are focusing on either emulating cutesy Japanese stereotypes or forcing “Filipinoness” into their work through weak social commentary, using folklore or writing in bad Taglish instead of actually developing characters or just writing good dialogue. What makes me stick to a series or creator is pretty/cute art (because shallow is easy), interesting stories and dialogue, defined characters, or even just ideas I can agree with such as with Clowes which is sad.
3) Um, I used to read W.I.T.C.H., webcomics like Perfect Stars and Tiny Kitten Teeth seem especially girly, but that might just be the art style, popular shoujo manga like Nana and Ayashi no Ceres. Generally the art is pretty but the stories eventually fall into vapidity which can be either a good or bad thing depending on my mood (how girly). They discuss things most girls can relate to or aspire to have which is part of the problem for me because the idea of the universal female doesn’t appeal to me personally. Most female oriented comics seem to be either romantic which gets boring quickly or let’s-be-feminist-yeah! which gets annoying immediately. Women/girls always seem like they’re part of a team (of other girls, most often) if not the love interest. More individuality would be nice.
4) Daniel Clowes because his art is distinct, he’s wordy which helps the non-visually oriented such as myself and because he keeps the reader occupied whether it be through reading his insanely long rants, visual cues or just figuring out what the fuck is going on. Favorites by him would be Ice Haven and Eightball (excluding Velvet Glove) because of the anthology-ness.
Locally I liked Oliver Pulumbarit’s Lexy, Nance and Argus but I don’t think I’ve read enough of his work to call him a favorite just yet. I liked his references, characters and . In all honesty I like Josel’s more focused work like Windmills because of the introspection and ambition. The focus on character and thought over flashy plot is something that a lot of other young local komiks lack.
I generally don’t like very many female creators in any field. This may be a problem. But I do like Lynda Barry well enough for her art style, humor and psychology. Favorite book: What It Is for its prettiness.
5) It’s not particularly welcoming to females but it doesn’t shoo them (us pala) away either. It does occasionally perv us out though. You’d think it’d just be the scantily-clad walking ads who would be pestered, but it seems that every girl present at a convention is subject to this. A lot of female characters in komiks are fanfare as well. I don’t want to go into a male gaze rant (because often they are stupid) but that objectification is pretty evident although not particularly oppressive. The scene is obviously predominately male and targets such but is open to female creators and fans.
6) If I had the skill, I probably would want to but I wouldn’t target it to girls if only because I don’t do well with that. But merchandise and pretty packaging is always a nice way to catch a girl’s eye. Look expensive but be cheap.
7) Not really but it’s not unwelcome.
8) Universality, good writing, colored work would be nice too
9) Milking Philippine mythology and history, heavily genre-d stuff, manga style artwork, homogeneity
10) Staying where it is now
1) Local: Usually whatever one-shot indie titles I can get my hands on. If loyal to any series, I cannot recall it at this time. Except for Windmills, reason obvious. I used to be into the big komik strips like Pugad Baboy, Kikomachine and Beerkada but have outgrown them.
Foreign: Currenly Daniel Clowes, Nate Powell, Adrian Tomine, Chew, Crossed, Blacksad, Peanuts. My pet series was Fables until someone told me that Bill Willingham supported the Iraq War thus soiling my enjoyment of it, which is wrong, I know. Webcomics like Pictures for Sad Children, Dinosaur Comics and Lackadaisy. Anything with cute animals (cats) in it I will probably pick up which is why occasionally there is a Jhonen Vasquez trip. Also, not-so-current manga like Uzumaki, Monster, Angel Sanctuary, Pure Trance, Nana (Is it ever coming back?) and Litchi Hikari Club (Which really kinda sucks but I want to have hope because it’s pretty.)
2) This is gonna sound bad but I can’t say I’ve enjoyed very many of the local komiks that I’ve read because most of them just aren’t about things that I can get into and if they are they just suck. Case in point- Budang. Cute cat! But it made me want to punch it for being so fucking dumb. Too many people are focusing on either emulating cutesy Japanese stereotypes or forcing “Filipinoness” into their work through weak social commentary, using folklore or writing in bad Taglish instead of actually developing characters or just writing good dialogue. What makes me stick to a series or creator is pretty/cute art (because shallow is easy), interesting stories and dialogue, defined characters, or even just ideas I can agree with such as with Clowes which is sad.
3) Um, I used to read W.I.T.C.H., webcomics like Perfect Stars and Tiny Kitten Teeth seem especially girly, but that might just be the art style, popular shoujo manga like Nana and Ayashi no Ceres. Generally the art is pretty but the stories eventually fall into vapidity which can be either a good or bad thing depending on my mood (how girly). They discuss things most girls can relate to or aspire to have which is part of the problem for me because the idea of the universal female doesn’t appeal to me personally. Most female oriented comics seem to be either romantic which gets boring quickly or let’s-be-feminist-yeah! which gets annoying immediately. Women/girls always seem like they’re part of a team (of other girls, most often) if not the love interest. More individuality would be nice.
4) Daniel Clowes because his art is distinct, he’s wordy which helps the non-visually oriented such as myself and because he keeps the reader occupied whether it be through reading his insanely long rants, visual cues or just figuring out what the fuck is going on. Favorites by him would be Ice Haven and Eightball (excluding Velvet Glove) because of the anthology-ness.
Locally I liked Oliver Pulumbarit’s Lexy, Nance and Argus but I don’t think I’ve read enough of his work to call him a favorite just yet. I liked his references, characters and . In all honesty I like Josel’s more focused work like Windmills because of the introspection and ambition. The focus on character and thought over flashy plot is something that a lot of other young local komiks lack.
I generally don’t like very many female creators in any field. This may be a problem. But I do like Lynda Barry well enough for her art style, humor and psychology. Favorite book: What It Is for its prettiness.
5) It’s not particularly welcoming to females but it doesn’t shoo them (us pala) away either. It does occasionally perv us out though. You’d think it’d just be the scantily-clad walking ads who would be pestered, but it seems that every girl present at a convention is subject to this. A lot of female characters in komiks are fanfare as well. I don’t want to go into a male gaze rant (because often they are stupid) but that objectification is pretty evident although not particularly oppressive. The scene is obviously predominately male and targets such but is open to female creators and fans.
6) If I had the skill, I probably would want to but I wouldn’t target it to girls if only because I don’t do well with that. But merchandise and pretty packaging is always a nice way to catch a girl’s eye. Look expensive but be cheap.
7) Not really but it’s not unwelcome.
8) Universality, good writing, colored work would be nice too
9) Milking Philippine mythology and history, heavily genre-d stuff, manga style artwork, homogeneity
10) Staying where it is now
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