A pHat bLaque chicks shenanigans

I’m a regular reader of Escher Girls, so when I read the latest post this morning, I was deeply concerned. The following post was submitted to Eschergirls and was not made by me. The artist is Selkiesiun.

Selkiesiun submitted to Eschergirls:

    ”This is not so much a critique post as it is a conformation of how absurd the standards of art in the comic book industry have become.

    I traveled to San Diego Comic Con this year and participated in the portfolio reviews they where holding from Thursday to Sunday. Although I will admit I am not the best artist in the world, I really wanted to try and show them that comic book art could be done in a realistic manor while still keeping the superhuman aesthetics of the art form.

    This Batwoman piece was the work that I gained the most flack for from all the companies because the anatomy was as they quoted ‘not industry standard.’ At one company (which I shall choose to not name) I was given a full critique on the anatomical incorrections as the following.”

 ”Her breasts are much too small and do not have the lift that superhero women should have. Her jawline is fat and her neck much too long. The style of her hair is clunky and does not flow in a sense that a super human would. Her hips, waist and thighs are too big and she honestly looks fat. No one is going to want to read a comic with a fat female protagonist. I honestly recommend looking at issues of Sport’s Illustrated to get the right anatomy. Those women are the peak of human perfection, and that is what we want in this industry.”



Emphasis is mine.

No one wants to read about a fat female superhero protagonist? Really? Women especially are screaming for representation in comics these days. Again and again we are subjected to one image of female beauty, one mono-personality of the fighting sex kitten who happens to be ultra-strong despite having slender limbs and wearing high heels and metal bikinis while fighting. The point of this contest is NOT to create a fetishized or “mocking” fat protagonist whose superpower is burgers. This is about the very real need to increase diversity and representation in media and how it presents female characters. Yes, superheroes are a fantasy, but do they have to always have unrealistic bodies? Especially for the athletics and strength required of them for such fighting activities.

Your challenge is simple: Create a fat female superheroine.

- You can draw, write or both. Any style is welcome.
- I will also accept fan-art of existing female superheroines drawn with more realistic proportions.
- You can use existing characters of your own, but the art must be new.
- I will also accept “olympian” bodies that are proportionally muscular and suited to athleticism. Form follows function!

Check out this article on fitness and bodies for inspiration and information

Regulations:
- The goal is to represent women who aren’t the cookie-cutter body type that we see in big-name comics today.
All art must be newly created for this contest.

- The submission deadline for this contest is September 17th, two months from now
- There will be two categories of winner, one viewer’s choice (vote) and one judges panel. Judges will include myself and a few impartial friends.
- You are welcome to fave this journal to increase its exposure, but it’s not required.
- Spread the word on Tumblr?

Prizes
Additional prize donations are welcome. Prize donators are not prohibited from entering.

Viewer’s Choice:
- 1 custom stock set of ten images from me
- An art feature on my profile
- Llama
- An illustration by Sakura-lies
- An illustration by MystykNess

Judges Panel:
- 1 custom stock set of ten images from me
- An art feature on my profile
- Llama
- An illustration by Sakura-lies
- An illustration by MystykNess

Sooo I’m like this hit home so hard. Gonna so do this and urge anyone else in the creative field to contribute bc Im so sick of the bolded above like woah. Especially when that junk isnt even true bc dudes not at the peak of ” industry perfection” get to be heroes all the time so father funk this bs ragtaggerd crap. I read fantasy shiz to and would love to be represented in an awesome non  comedic/1 note roles dangit and id support and promote the shiz outta it.

(Source: thegeek531, via starrymite)