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Tuesday, August 14, 2007

"The Only Genius I Could Detect Was In How She Packaged Her Ample Bosom"

This Salon comic by Carol Lay recounting her experience at the San Diego Comic Con just about made me pee.

Part of it is about sitting next to a younger, somewhat buxom fellow female comic creator who Lay portrays as vacuous, insensitive, materialistic, and flaunting her boobitos.

The posters at The Comics Journal forum have their theories as to who this woman may be...

Which brings me to a question, one that God knows I've kicked around in both directions.

Do female comic creators have a responsibility not to be catty with one another as to form a unified bloc to repel the misogynist horde?

Or should these women just get real frank about things and call them out as they see them?

5 comments:

  1. Keep following that comment thread: Molly Crabapple and Carol Lay eventually made up publicly.

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  2. I guess it would depend on whether the recipient of the cattiness is reasonably considered part of the "misogynist horde" -- or at least a fellow traveler. In this case, it is at least arguable that using sex rather than talent to sell her wares may create a misgynistic atmosphere.

    The question that is brought to me, however, is whether "Molly Crabapple" pronounces her name the same way as Bart Simpson's teacher.

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  3. Anonymous5:30 PM

    I think women should call them as they see them...including from the other perspective. Here's what a commentor had to say regarding Lay's cartoon:

    "For the record, I am not required to hide my body shape in order to make other women feel better about their bodies. Nor am I required to live with constant minor physical irritation in order to keep random women from feeling resentful. That's their problem. Get your head straight, Carol. Your neurosis is showing."

    Atta girl.

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  4. The question that is brought to me, however, is whether "Molly Crabapple" pronounces her name the same way as Bart Simpson's teacher.

    She gets really annoyed when I do that, actually. And I've done it on accident on more than one occasion.

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  5. You could also question the politeness of making a very public, unprovoked personal attack on a collegue 34 years one's junior.

    As for matirialistic... given how incredibly underpaid comics artists are, I think a bit of matirialism is a good thing.

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