In comics, chicks AND dudes are idealized. This is not news. 

Oh, look, another arrogant tirade claiming that women don't care about the way dudes are drawn in comics, and that well-drawn dudes are just about "male power fantasy"! Yawn.

Men and women read comics for the storytelling and art. Both must be good -- it's primarily a visual medium, after all -- in order for a comic to work. All the excellent character development and witty dialogue in the world will not save a crappily-drawn comic. And likewise, superb art in every panel won't redeem a comic with hideously horrible dialogue and underdeveloped characters.

Just as there's a reason why ideal-looking women and men are models and actors, so too are women and men drawn in idealized form in comics.

And I -- being of the chickular persuasion -- do appreciate a well-drawn dude; the second panel is especially full of crap. I will say that it's probably* not as important to chick readers as it is to dude readers, but it is a factor in the overall appeal. Nobody wants to read a comic (or watch a movie) with a hero sporting a potbelly or heroine saddlebags, m'kay?

... Also, that Batman sketch makes me uncomfortable.

::shudder::

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* Unlike the artist of that strip, I'd never presume to speak for all other women or men. :-) Hence, "probably".

Labels: comics, geeky, rant

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posted by Lisa, ofs | Permalink