She Makes Comics, Marisa Stotter’s documentary about women in comics, is now available. You can download it for $9.99 or pre-order a DVD for $19.99 (It’s $24.99 for both.), all from the Sequart website. The documentary studies the history of women in comics with interviews with Karen Berger, Gail Simone, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Jenette Kahn, Becky Cloonan, Colleen Doran, Wendi Pini, Kate Leth, Raina Telgemeier, Marjorie Liu, Louise Simonson…and yes, little old me. Hugh Armitage has a very favorable review.
Here’s an exclusive clip from the film where Liz Schiller, Jackie Estrada, Trina Robbins and I about the formation of the Friend of Lulu, a long running organization for women in comics that pioneered a lot of the approach to marketing and retailing to female readers that you see today. Among the events discussed, the 1993 meeting in San Diego where Friends of Lulu was born—one of my fondest memories ever.
This gets a HYPE ALERT rating since I’m in it, but Marisa Stotter’s documentary She Makes Comics will finally be available on December 9th—either as a DVD from Sequart or via digital download. The film was directed by Stotter and produced by Patrick Meaney and Jordan Rennert of Respect! Films, with exec producers Julian Darius and Mike Phillips (both of Sequart) and Columbia University comics librarian Karen Green. The film was screened a few weeks back and everyone who saw it greatly enjoyed it. I enjoyed being interviewed for it, and it’s a story well worth telling, if I do say so myself. Previous documentaries of comics interviews often included a few women, but this puts the spotlight on key figures in the history of comics including Karen Berger, Wendy Pini and Kelly Sue DeConnick.
The film was funded on Kickstarter. Previous Sequart films include Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods, Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts, and The Image Revolution (I’m in a couple of those too MORE HYPE.)
She Makes Comics tells the little-known story of women in comics, highlighting the contributions they have made to the medium since the turn of the 20th century. It features interviews with such prominent figures as historian Trina Robbins,Captain Marvel writer Kelly Sue DeConnick, underground comics artist Joyce Farmer, former DC Comics publisher Jenette Kahn, Wendi Pini, Colleen Doran, Karen Berger, and dozens of others.
She Makes Comics is now available to order on DVD and as a digital download at SheMakesComics.com. The digital version ships on 9 December. DVD orders shipping domestically and placed by 16 December will arrive in time for the holidays.
This looks pretty interesting. May I suggest the filmmakers post more clips, like 3 or 4. Even if its their DVD extras, that would help the cause. This might be a hard sell so the more content shared the better.
There’s a lot of insincere pandering towards women in the comic world in the hope of getting their dollars and less grief (Hey look who’s at the Marvel retreat, oh hey look over here, see who works in the Image offices, changing characters gender and race) It would be better women and minorities just had a fairer path into entering the industry in bigger numbers without being a Marvel favorite, being some kind celebrity somewhere else or married to someone. It’ll be at a slow drip for a long time this way. Some of us want to hear and see other voices, for a change.
My suggestion, along with the monthly stats chart on Marvel, DC & Image. Why not do a monthly stats chart on the the gender and race of each team who works on those 300 books each and every month for Marvel, DC and Image. It is a bit on the hardball side but should bring the point home clearer for those who to keep out of sight, out of mind. It would be a good reference chart for the national press too every month. Numbers can be more effective than fed up rants. Bet a few things would change after that. I would even make it a Patreon goal to do it . I’m guessing it would get much support. Just an idea.
Merry Christmas.