Panel 1
(Narrator holding comics and cheerfully waving hello)
Narrator: Hi, my name is Meggie Ramm and I looooooooove comics.
Panel 2
(Narrator walking through a gallery, with pictures hanging up representing picture, the written word, and design)
Narrator: I think that comics are the epitome of art. It’s the trifecta of pictures, the written word, and design.
Panel 3
(A take on the grind your gears meme, with the narrator shuffling papers and broadcasting on the news.)
Narrator: But there is something that really grinds my gears about comics, and that is representation within comics.
Panel 4
(Narrator sitting on a armchair, watching TV and flipping through channels with different comic shows appearing on the television.)
Narrator: This is especially annoying as comics themselves are becoming more and more ingrained in pop culture. Take Marvel for example.
Panel 5
(Picture of the Luke Cage promotional poster, with Luke saying, ‘I’m bulletproof’)
Narrator: They’ve been cleaning up their act on representation of race, producing the TV series Luke Cage…
Panel 6
(Picture of Kamala Khan, with an arrow pointing to her fanny pack saying, ‘utility fanny pack’)
Narrator: and featuring Kamala Khan, a Muslim American, as the current Ms. Marvel.
Panel 7
(Picture of Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, holding an award that says ’I’m a good actress but even I know this is bullshit award’)
Narrator: And then lost all that good will by casting Tilda Swinton as a Tibetan Monk in Doctor Strange.
Panel 8
(The narrator is on a snowy mountain range, dressed in a parka, looking nonplussed. Behind them is a mountain peak with backpacker talking to a monk that is sitting at the top of the peak. The monk is saying, ‘Oh, you must be looking for Tibet Liam Neeson. Next mountain over.’)
Narrator: I swear, comic writers think that there is a mountain range in Tibet where white folk with super powers go to figure out their first world problems…
Panel 9
(The narrator is looking down a line up showing prominent female superheroes and their body types.)
Narrator: And female characters get shafted in comic media. More often than not these characters share the same unattainable body type.
Panel 10
(Graph comparing the amount of comic movies featuring a male lead versus a female lead, with the narrator peering over the top of the graph.)
And wouldn’t it be nice if there was a movie featuring a lead female character instead of ANOTHER Spiderman reboot??
Panel 11
(Narrator stands in front of the male and female symbols intertwined.)
Narrator: And don’t even get me started on sexuality. Mainstream comics are still using cliche stereotypes and sticking with tried and true heterosexuality.
Narrator: (peers out from underneath the previous panel triumphantly) BUT FEAR NOT. If you get away from all this mainstream media bullshit, there are kickass comics that have actual characters that look like you!
Panels 12–18
(Each recommended comic book has its own panel with its most recognizable cover, and a description of the comic underneath.)
Bitch Planet – A comic where woman are labeled as ‘non-compliant’ if they go against an even more literal patriarchy. The representation in this comic is phenomenal, and definitely check out the essays in back.
Lumberjanes – Great for kids and adults! These comics follow a bunch of girls at the coolest camp of all time. The characters are diverse and well written, and show that girls can be whatever they want to be.
Wuvable Oaf – This comic follows an ex pro wrestler who uses his wrestling money to start a kitty daycare and make wuvable oaf dollies. It’s a tribute to Morrisey, the gay dating scene, and cats.
OhJoySexToy (NSFW) – A webcomic that is as educational as it is hilarious. Erica Moen is a pun-loving sex toy reviewer/sex educator, with comics that range from herpes to butt sex to safe sexting. Her reviews show all sorts of relationships and body types, and have puns to make you giggle or groan.
Shoot Around – A webcomic about a girls basketball team and their coach surviving the surprise zombie apocalypse. This comic has the best representation in a post apocalyptic society I’ve ever seen, and shows a range of genders, sexualities, and relationships. It is also hilarious.
Narrator: Need more? Check out these honorable mentions!
Honorable mentions: As the crow flies – melanie gilman, The Finder Library – Carla Speed McNeil, The Thief’s Tale – Maia Kobabe, Failing Sky – Scout Tran Caffee, Girls with Slingshots – Danielle Corsetto, Love Machines – Josh Trujillo, Super Cakes – Kate Leth, Monstress – Majorie Liu + Sana Takeda.
Panel 19
(Narrator in a comic book shop gesturing to a shelf full of awesome comics.)
Narrator: And if you want more representation in your comics, support these writers and artists! Buy their comics!
Panel 20
(Narrator sitting in a comfy chair, with a cup of tea, surrounded by comics.)
And these aren’t just comics that are great at representation, these are also my favorite comics.
Panel 21
(Same as the last panel, but from a different angle.)
Contact me if you’re looking for more recommendations, or have any for me! But right now, I’ve got some comics to read.
