*Puts head on desk* I feel like a giant point is whizzing past Jane Q. Comicbook Fan.

So, apparently I have a virus which explains why my throat is currently on fire. I love the fact that a family history of auto-immune issues and my near-constant Chernobyl-level stress has left me with a working immune system for only 1/2 of the working year. Splendid. *raises a glass of Nyquil Head Cold*

So, I'd like to beat a dead horse on the same rope as my last post about the Escher Girls post that has a lot of people up in arms, both for and against it. For those who aren't privvy to what happened, here's the condensed version - A gal on a body-friendly feminist comic tumblr (which i highly recommend), escher girls, basically had a portfolio review at SDCC2012 by a particular figure head at a mainstream comic juncture that said "Your art does not reflect what we want. She looks too fat, we need her to look a lot more svelt." I don't think anyone was surprised that body policing and female shaming is rampant at a lot of comic outposts, and that they continue to support the mythos by guiding people to draw unrealistic images of women. I also think that was the point of the original post -- that said mythos of the 'ideal woman' is so based on fantasy & photoshop that it's harmful to act like refusing to see that allowing said 'ideal woman' to be the only woman that's represented is both misogynistic and childish. And very harmful.

Very shortly after, a tirade went up on DevArt about that very post, and the idea was brought up to have a Fat Female Superhero Contest, with prizes and a grading system and the whole 9 yards. seeing by the fact that in less than 48 hours the post has garnered 1,100+ comments, I'd say it's a trending topic at least on DA. And for the most part, I'm happy to see that that many people are giving a shit about this, excluding the people supporting it as a means to an ends (sexual fetishy artists, usually).

Anyone who has read this blog knows what my position on all of this already is. You know my history, you know my support leanings, you know my likes and dislikes. But I'm writing this to shit on the parade a little bit. I support the sentiment, but not the mentality. And here's why:

This image is © the lovely Mz. Nicole Lorenz!

Let's start with the basic facts: There is not nearly the support for female body activism in comics (or really, anywhere) that there is for men, and that Sucks. With a capital SUCK for good measure. There are a lot of people who feel similarly, and have for a long time. They/we are trying to fight it with not only the right to be happy in our own bodies, but to draw and include the shape rainbow (from stickly to Deathfat ) in our own bodies of work, pun intended. We support having fat bodies and fat politics shoved into spaces of art and graphic novels because it is a reflection of how we as diverse-bodied people have to navigate in a society that equates bigger bodies with bad/lazy/disgusting/etc. It is our underground politics made daylight. It is our small soapbox.

So that should be the end of it right there, right? We know it's something that's really silly and stupid, and it sucks that there is so little support for it but oh-well-you-can't-expect-all-comic-types-to-get-it sort of thing. So it's great that there is a contest now that is all about 'showing your support for the team!', yeah? Cause I mean, having a little bit of something is better than having none of it ever?

Well, yes and no.

I think it's great people are getting fired up about this and there has been so much constructive controversy on the subject, but this is also another 'fat art week' in repetitio. If you want to support body positive art, then support it by practicing it year round. I am more than happy to see the edges of the body size spectrum explored on my blogger/DA/tumblr dash, but it's really hard to take people seriously when they are acting like this is some brand new thought and 'gee whiz why don't people get it, you know?' What makes me the most unhinged is that there are a small group of people who are expecting some kind of special credos for doing this, as if they are being so humbled and thoughtful to Those Who Are Different. As if it can somehow be measured in cookies or foil star stickers or Social Grace.

Support something because your heart is into it, and be prepared to be mocked and ridiculed and made fun of and still support it. Don't just throw up your flag when it's convenient, do it all the time. Back up your words with actions all year long. In the lost words of the groovie ghoulies, "Be passionate, or don't do it at all."

Funny enough, There are actually fat super hero women already, and its not that they don't exist on a larger outlet it's just that people don't really give a shit about them most of the time. They've been around for a while, too. Years even.  Barbara Shelly in Promethea, Maggie from Love & Rockets, Francine from Strangers in Paradise, and (Newly) Atom Eve in Invincible. That's just from what little I know, and It sure ain't a huge list by any means but it's also not nothing. This isn't including shmucks like me who have their own cast of non-fetishized, fat ladies doing kick ass stuff in their own comic projects. But I don't see people name dropping characters like these or elsewhere because I don't think they know they exist, or it would be antithetical to them appearing to be groundbreaking. Which comes to Point Two: You can still be groundbreaking, you can still fuck with people's idea of 'normal' body forms and still show support and respect for the people who worked on it before you. In the context of this situation, having a contest seems somewhat unhelpful to the situation because once the contest is done and a winner is decided, who's to say people will still have any initiative what-so-ever in continuing to draw and support heavier characters? (And this goes for non-European and non-Heternomative/Cisgendered characters, too.) Who's to say this wont be completely forgotten again until there is someone who was wronged and they got lucky enough to get it aired in a large public forum?

I am all for people's supporting a diverse range of body-types in comics, but don't play new to the situation. You want to show your support? Make some fat characters (who aren't token & aren't outlets for your sexual fetish) and keep them in your inventory. Then come back to me.

1AM poster's remorse: I'm sorry I keep bringing this issue up in a blog that's supposed to be largely me tooting around with art and such. I try hard to keep my own politics out of this but it's very hard since I have more respect for blogger.com than I do DA as far as opening up my opinions to people I don't always know. I'm also sorry that in these things I keep seeming like I'm just trying to find reasons to be angry at anyone in arms length -- I don't hate men or the comic industry at large or skinny people. I reserve my hate for more important things. I'm not really upset with anyone in particular, either, and in the context of this whole post my actual 'I'm annoyed' level is at like a 2 or 3, not at a 10 or 11. *Laughs weakly* This is why it's not always great that I have an outpost, because then I get all fired up and start shouting at anyone in ears reach. I promise I'll play nice, and for anyone that did make it from top to bottom, Thank you for having that much trust in me to write coherently in my current state. Love and kisses!