[UPDATED 4:08PM] – This post was updated to correct the organizers of the panel. See below.
Thank Rao for comics panels like this weekend’s “Men in Comics” panel at Indy PopCon! Created as a response to the very real, all-male “Women in Comics” panel at Denver Comic Con, this parody panel – organized by Racebending.com’s Gabrial Canada and comic creator, Ginger Dee – was created to highlight gender-based double standards in the industry by turning them on their heads. You can check out the panel in full by watching the video above!
After all, with the lack of representation for straight, cis, white men in the medium, it’s important that members of the comics industry get together and talk about how we can improve that and finally let these guys see themselves in the media they consume.
Because, as moderator Taversia pointed out during the panel:
Toy stores are overflowing with unsold Iron Man and Captain America merchandise, but there’s no Black Widow. So, clearly they’re selling faster than they can stock her!
What can we do to make men feel included and welcome enough to be able to go out and participate more in comics fandom, or in the comics industry? How can we develop them as an audience and a market? Well, that’s what this all-female panel has come together to discuss! In addition to the already announced panelists like Christina Blanch, Jackie Crofts, Ginger Dee, Bri Rudd, and The Mary Sue’s own Katie Schenkel, there was also a surprise appearance by artist Brooke Allen of Lumberjanes!
Hopefully, there will come a day when we won’t need “Men in Comics” panels anymore, but until men can go to conventions without being harassed either because of what they’re wearing, or because they need to defend their geek cred; until men can see themselves in the panels they read; or until men have an equal presence in the comics industry, we still have a lot of work to do.
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