Simge ÇİÇEK

2017108132

PRED48K Final

GENDER REPRESENTATIONS IN YOUNG ADULT COMIC BOOKS

A. INTRODUCTION

Comic book industries have been historically male dominated and using the image of
hypersexualized woman are used very commonly. However, with the rising of awareness of
diverse voices and diverse creator in comic book industry, readers encounter different
characters that subvert traditional gender roles in male-gazed society. I will analyze mostly
children and young adult comic books in terms of gender and queer representations through
analyzing characters in two contemporary comics which are orderly, Lumberjanes and Hilda.
Also, the representations of non-human characters and assigning gender to animals by dubbing
can be a thoughtful topic for discussion in children and young adult comic books. Therefore, I
will discuss visual representations and vocalizations of characters in the process of adaptations
of comic books into cartoon movies for children in the case of Hilda. Gender fluid strip in
comic books will be examined in especially Lumberjanes and Hilda in the regarding of
LGBTQ+ themes in comics and animations. Overall, the comic books that I will analyze
subvert and complicate the white and cisgender male centered audience and comic creator's
world so; we can hear more diverse creator voices that addressing diverse audiences.

B. ANALYSIS PART

Lumberjanes offers “an ideal utopian world and community that is highly supportive,
non-performative and queer.” There is a group of give girl friends in a summer camp and they
find solutions to problems by friendship. The world of Lumberjanes is encouraging utopian
spaces for queer girlhoods. In Lumberjanes, there is also an intersectional and intergenerational
cooperation towards non-human as well. The interactions with other creatures are inclusive and
non-discriminatory. There are not any swear words in exclamations. Instead, they incorporate
names into significant women names from science or art. “What is the Joan Jett are you
doing?” Joan Jett is a famous American rock singer and “Oh my Agnodice!” Agnodice is a
first woman doctor in ancient Greek, can be an example of these exclamations.

In Lumberjanes, characters have diverse features and backgrounds. April is more girly,
and she has both competitive and caring values. She seems more little compared to other
characters, but she is the strongest one also. Ripley is the youngest one and she can be
sometimes troublemaker. She is also passionate about natural history. Girls are interested in
science, math and nature. Molly and Mal have a growing love for each other and them
progressively get into a nurturing and caring relationship. It is interesting to discuss the
boyhood that represented in comics. The Scouting Lads are boy groups that love baking,
drinking tea, and tidiness. In fourth issue, a boy said, “cleanliness is an important part of being
a scouting lad.” Girls are more adventurous and interested in science rather than boys who
interested domestic issues.

Lumberjanes (2014), chapter 4, part 9.

The creators of Lumberjanes said that the difficulties of finding a non-sexualized

portrayal of girls in comic books. There’s a huge gap that ignore that demographic. In
Lumberjanes, there are more diverse girl characters such as April who is more girly girl and
not afraid of anything. She can beat up ancient statue who represented a strongest man figure.
This scene remembered the Pipi Longstocking who beats mighty Adolf.
 Lumberjanes (2014), chapter 3, part 8.

Jo is a transgender character, and she has two dads. We learn this information later
issues with Scouting Lad Barney’s journey to come Lumberjanes. At first, Jo did not want to
accept Barney and behave badly because Barney remind her childhood which she would
become a Scouting lad. I analyze Jo’s transgender body representations and her departure from
stereotypes image of transgenders in media. Jo is a positive representation of transgender who
has a good friendship and full of adventures.
 Lumberjanes (2014), issue 17, part 23.

Besides, Mal is a tomboy, but often is afraid of things and caring for Molly. “There can be a
future where limits don’t exist. And we want show kids that gay people exist, that they have
stories too, and they’re not bad or going to die at the end of the story as a result of being gay.”

Overall, fictional characters might present more positive representations of transgender

identity in comic books. “With regards to the medium of representation, comics offer
potentially subversive ways of expressing gender identification: characters may be drawn so
that they are legible as male or female or having more androgynous features” (Billard and
MacAuley, 2017). These expressions demonstrate different versions of transgender identity.
Transgender characters are not demonstrated in a hypersexualized way.

HILDA

Hilda was developed by Luke Pearson who is the man creator of the female lead
character in comic. Hilda lives with her mother and her animal friend Twig in a rocky and
mountainous village. She lives in a single-parent family and this situation is not seen as a
traumatic. Hildafolk was inspired by Icelandic mythology where elves, troll, and other
creatures live. Hilda’s relationship with non-human characters as a human can be an interesting
topic for discussion. The elves who live Hildafolk do not want to Hilda and her mother because
they found them annoying. Thus, Hilda and her mother moves to city from this village. Hilda
is very upset for moving but she understands the situation at the end of the episode Hilda and
Giant Troll. Hilda could not make new human friends in that city because human children
behave badly towards animals. The Hilda is a female lead character who subverts traditional
female characters in comics. She reminds the characters of Anne of Green Gables, Little
Women and Pippi that demonstrate a girl could be girly but also adventurous and conflict
stereotypes. However, Hilda is a modern girl who is not limited by Victorian beliefs (Janelle
Asselin, 2015). Hilda clothing is a classic female look. She wears beret, scarf, red top, blue
skirt, big red boots, blue hairs and her outfit has autumnal colors. If I analyze Hilda as cartoon
movie, this type of female lead cartoon characters serves a powerful purpose as well. However,
I will discuss the gendering non-human characters in cartoon movie. Hilda encounters several
non-human characters which are Alfur, woodman, troll, and bird in first three episodes of
Netflix series. All these characters represented by man through dubbing. Children are prone to
define a girl/boy in terms of physical characteristics and clothing or colors. In children’s
literature, we can encounter non-human characters with human characteristics. Children
already have a misconception about gender norms so, they can differentiate non-human
characters according to their physical features. In cartoon movies, gendering non-human
characters are very common. In Hilda, her encounters with non-human characters mostly have
man voices. Therefore, Hildafolk as a cartoon character do not serve the main intent of the
creator.

C. CONCLUSION

In the mainstream comic book industry, “women are demonstrated being sexually
objectified with unrealistic feminine features, uncomfortable or impossible poses, and
unreasonably inefficient uniforms” (Turberville, 2016, 73). Especially, in Marvel and DC
universes, we encounter hypersexualized heroines' representations due to market strategy of
the heterosexual male audience. There was a general claim that women do not read comics.
However, the increased girl fan and women creators of comics as well as the sensibility of third
wave feminism have begun to change the representations of women in comics. In today, still
there is not enough female representations in comics and cartoons. There are good examples
of comic books especially for young adults. Lumberjanes is one of the most important comics
for subverting traditional gender roles. Also, it includes more gender fluid characters in terms
of transgender, representations of boyhood and friendship. Besides, Hilda demonstrates
independent, adventurous, and self-empowerment character in both comic and cartoon movie.
In cartoons, the representations of female characters are rare, and they are shown as a female
counterpart of the males. Single parenthood also can be described by queer discourse. In Hilda,
non-human characters representations are discussed in term of gendering animals and non-
human creatures.

In Lumberjanes, there is “a prioritization of female relationships, of feminine bonds

creating families rather than just friendships, is further queered by those visual representations
of non-gender-conforming and non-heterocentric appreciation and desire, but also by a very
clear presentation of so-called found families as a method of community creation” (Baker,
2019, 73). Lumberjanes provides a nurturing and positive girlhood representations by creating
“a home, acceptance, and love within the found family, nonreproductive emotional bonds, and
active acceptance of otherness” (Baker, 2019, 74).

Overall, in mainstream comic books, there are not enough female and queer
representations. However, the increased female audience, comic creators, and third wave
feminism provides a new understanding of gender representations in comics. Lumberjanes and
Hilda open a space that involves gender-fluid roles and trans representations, and friendship
for young adults.

REFERENCES

Asselin, J. (2015). Learning and Inspiring in Luke Pearson’s ‘Hilda’ comics. Comic Alliance
https://comicsalliance.com/learning-and-inspiring-in-luke-pearsons-hilda-comics-review/

Billard, J., T., & MacAuley, B., L. (2017). It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Transgender
Superhero! Transgender Characters in Marvel, DC, and Image Comics. Reinhard., C., D. &
Olson, C., J., Heroes, Heroines, and Everything in Between: Challenging Gender and Sexuality
Stereotypes in Children’s Entertainment Media (233-252). Lexington Books.

Baker, I., L. (2019). I’m No Princess: Super Hero Girls Together. Girlhood Studies 12, no.1,
66-81 doi: 10.3167/ghs.2019.120107.

Diaz, Shelley. 2015. “Girl Power to the Max: SLJ Chats with the Creators of the ‘Lumberjanes’
Comics” School Library Journal, 3 March. Girl Power to the Max: SLJ Chats with the Creators
of the “Lumberjanes” Comics | School Library Journal
Gibson, M. (2020). Queer Girlhoods in Contemporary Comics: Disrupting Normative Notions.
Girlhood Studies 13, no.1, 1-16 doi: 10.3167/ghs.2020.13010.

Turberville, T. (2017). The Female Justice League: The Misrepresentations of the Women in
Comic Books. Stylus Knights Write Showcase Special İssue.

Stevenson, Noelle, Shannon Watters, Carolyn Nowak, and Maarta Laiho. 2014. Lumberjanes
Volume 3: A Terrible Plan. Los Angeles: BOOM! Bo

Stevenson, Noelle, Shannon Watters, Carolyn Nowak, and Maarta Laiho. 2014. Lumberjanes
Volume 4: A Terrible Plan. Los Angeles: BOOM! Bo

Stevenson, Noelle, Shannon Watters, Carolyn Nowak, and Maarta Laiho. 2015. Lumberjanes
Volume 17: Spare Me. Los Angeles: BOOM! Bo