A couple of days ago I received another email from a young girl who wants to specifically work at DC Comics. She says that Oracle is her favorite character.
When I was this girl's age, I sent a very similar letter to Marvel. I got back a hand-written letter & was invited to intern. Unfortunately, I was only 12 years old, and could not accept the internship. But I always remembered the time that was taken with me, both to discuss my specific writing submission & to give pointers on how to break into the business. To me, the contact was almost magical. I read and reread that hand-written letter, on Spider-Man stationary, over and over again. I was so so excited, one night I slept with the letter under my pillow.
My responsibility, both as a blogger & as the president of a women in comics organization, is to answer letters like this and give the very best advice I can. What I tell this young lady will definitely have an impact -- maybe small, maybe big.
I would love to write back to this girl and advise her to, when she is of age, apply to DC as an assistant editor or as an intern. I would like to tell her that if she works really hard, she can one day rise up in the ranks. I would like to tell her that working in comics is like working in a family environment, and that it is a lot of fun. And I would like to tell her that the coolest thing about working for DC is that by doing so, she becomes a "custodian" of some of the most noble and iconic characters she loves so much. You know -- like Oracle.
Back in August of 2006, in response to another such letter, I actually sent an email to DC asking them what they suggested I write back. It wasn't even a sarcastic letter -- I was genuinely perplexed as to how to answer this young woman's email as to how to break into editing at DC and what my experiences were:
"I've just had a very nice young woman a little younger than myself (after reading some of my columns) inquire about my experiences at DC Comics as an assistant editor, because she wants to be one too. She wanted advice about getting ahead in DC editorial, what her chances were of success in that field, how it felt like to work there, and any advice on how to apply...
So I have this in my lap. I decided to put it off for a few days. If you, Dan, or anybody else have any advice on how to respond truthfully to her in a way that will help this young woman, please let me know. I feel as if I received an email from myself 6 years ago. What do I tell her? Because I absolutely won't send some sensitive young woman to possibly face what I faced."
Of course, this email was never answered.
And I never answered the young woman's letter either. I was afraid of on one hand not giving her good advice, but on the other saying something negative about DC. But the letter stuck with me, and bothered me, and about three months later I wrote "Goodbye To Comics." Had somebody from DC answered that email and acted like a human being, chances are "GTC" would have never have been written. Cue Nelson Muntz.
These days, what I usually write back to such inquiries is that they try Vertigo or Zuda, or consider Marvel or Archie instead. I also extol the virtues of working in other DC departments like marketing & advertising, and making a "lateral move" into a high-ranking position and/or comic writing gigs (which, in the greater scheme of things, is pretty damn good advice for anyone who wants to work inside the industry).
I think the way I answer those inquiries is pretty fair. I'm pretty supportive of a large chunk of DC, and usually provide a list of some kind people they could write to. But I'm also protective of these young women. That's my job. That's my bottom line. The goal is that eventually, should they actually enter the business, those magical feelings they had when they first spoke to a comic editor or artist will be retained. The goal is, even if they only were in the business for a few years, that their stay was a good one. The goal is, that if they idolize a character like Oracle, that their sojourn in Comics will enhance their appreciation of the character -- not tarnish it.
But really, in another year, or couple years, or six months from now -- but most certainly by the time these girls and teenagers are women -- things will be different. It's not an excuse for us not to be vigilant. But things will be different. It's all cycles. Personally, I'm pulling for the way things were in the 1980s, when female comic writers and artists and editors were plentiful. Maybe even Barbara Gordon will walk again.
