Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative
In America, comics and comic books have often been associated with adolescent male fantasy—muscle-bound superheroes and scantily clad women. Nonetheless, comics have also been read and enjoyed by girls. While there have been many strong representations of women throughout their history, the comics of today have evolved and matured, becoming a potent medium in which to explore the female experience, particularly that of girlhood and adolescence.In Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative, Jacqueline Danziger-Russell contends that comics have a unique place in the representation of female characters. She discusses the overall history of the comic book, paying special attention to girls’ comics, showing how such works relate to a female point of view. While examining the concept of visual literacy, Danziger-Russell asserts that comics are an excellent space in which the marginalized voices of girls may be expressed. This volume also includes a chapter on manga (Japanese comics), which explains the genesis of girls’ comics in Japan and their popularity with girls in the United States.Including interviews with librarians, comic creators, and girls who read comics and manga, Girls and Their Comics is an important examination of the growing interest in comic books among young females and will appeal to a wide audience, including literary theorists, teachers, librarians, popular culture and women’s studies scholars, and comic book historians.
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Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative
In America, comics and comic books have often been associated with adolescent male fantasy—muscle-bound superheroes and scantily clad women. Nonetheless, comics have also been read and enjoyed by girls. While there have been many strong representations of women throughout their history, the comics of today have evolved and matured, becoming a potent medium in which to explore the female experience, particularly that of girlhood and adolescence.In Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative, Jacqueline Danziger-Russell contends that comics have a unique place in the representation of female characters. She discusses the overall history of the comic book, paying special attention to girls’ comics, showing how such works relate to a female point of view. While examining the concept of visual literacy, Danziger-Russell asserts that comics are an excellent space in which the marginalized voices of girls may be expressed. This volume also includes a chapter on manga (Japanese comics), which explains the genesis of girls’ comics in Japan and their popularity with girls in the United States.Including interviews with librarians, comic creators, and girls who read comics and manga, Girls and Their Comics is an important examination of the growing interest in comic books among young females and will appeal to a wide audience, including literary theorists, teachers, librarians, popular culture and women’s studies scholars, and comic book historians.
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Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative
In America, comics and comic books have often been associated with adolescent male fantasy—muscle-bound superheroes and scantily clad women. Nonetheless, comics have also been read and enjoyed by girls. While there have been many strong representations of women throughout their history, the comics of today have evolved and matured, becoming a potent medium in which to explore the female experience, particularly that of girlhood and adolescence.In Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative, Jacqueline Danziger-Russell contends that comics have a unique place in the representation of female characters. She discusses the overall history of the comic book, paying special attention to girls’ comics, showing how such works relate to a female point of view. While examining the concept of visual literacy, Danziger-Russell asserts that comics are an excellent space in which the marginalized voices of girls may be expressed. This volume also includes a chapter on manga (Japanese comics), which explains the genesis of girls’ comics in Japan and their popularity with girls in the United States.Including interviews with librarians, comic creators, and girls who read comics and manga, Girls and Their Comics is an important examination of the growing interest in comic books among young females and will appeal to a wide audience, including literary theorists, teachers, librarians, popular culture and women’s studies scholars, and comic book historians.
Jacqueline Danziger-Russell has an MA in Children’s Literature from Roehampton University, London.
Table of Contents
AcknowledgmentsChapter OneIntroductionIn the BeginningComic Books’ Evolution from Working-Class Literature and the Marginalization of ComicsThe History of Comic Books for GirlsComics—NowChapter Two Comics as a Hybrid Art Form, or The Mysterious Case of the Picture BookDefining the Picture BookThe Graphic Text and Reader-Response TheoryThe Dynamic Interaction of Image and TextWordless NarrativeComics’ Influence on the Picture BookSummaryChapter ThreeWhy Visual Literacy is ImportantThe Value of the Visual TextThe Mechanics of ComicsComics Giving a Voice to the Underrepresented FemaleChapter FourThe Appeal of MangaManga’s HistoryShojo Manga: A tradition of Girls’ ComicsManga in AmericaManga’s Future Influence in AmericaChapter FiveThe Validation of Comics Through the Graphic Novel FormatWhat is a Graphic Novel? Taking a Step Back Through HistoryMarketing Comics as LiteratureNew Heroes: The Impact that Modern Girl’s Comics Can Have on the Female Reader and the Maturation of the Female Role in ComicsBeyond Graphic Novels: The Digital Age of Comics Has ArrivedConclusion: Growing Up with Comics and Comics Growing UpBibliography