Someone asked me a comic question. He seemed very shocked when I rolled off names without thinking. The question was "They are so rare I bet you cannot name two female comic creators!"
My response:
Donna Barr
Roberta Gregory
Trina Robbins
Ramona Fradon
Marie Severin
Jessica Abel
Alison Bechdel
Sophie Crumb
Carol Lay
and Jan Duursema
Holly Golightly
Linda Medley then added on Face Book:
"I drew Justice League, Doom Patrol, and colored various titles for Image and DC (including some "Batman" books--I don't think the fanboys are at all familiar with that character, though ;)) "
And then added: "Mary Fleener, Eleanor Davis, Wendy Pini, Pia Guerra, Jill Thompson, Colleen Doran, Lucy Knisley, Lauren Weinstein..."
The extremely talented Kat Nicholson then chipped in: "If any ladies are interested I'm part of a lovely group called "women creating comics" here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1567699180111111/?fref=ts
Mr Paul Ashley Brown, international purveyor of stuff that he doesn't call "comics" added that I probably knew or helped out a lot of female creators in comics over the years. Here I need to point a few things out.
Sadly, I do not know all the female creators listed. I wish I did and I wish I had far more samples of their published work because they are very talented. In the UK I could add Jess Bradley-Bove, of course Kat Nicholson, Vanessa Wells, Karen Rubins, Willie Hewes (IF she is still working in comics) and others.
Donna Barr and Roberta Gregory are pioneers in comics -look at Roberta's early work and you'll see what I mean (both are interviewed in my book The Hooper Interviews!). Yes, I slogged around comic shops with copies of The Desert Peach and Naughty Bits and did I care? Only about getting as many people as possible to read them -and BUY them!
Zine Zone (International) had a strong pro female creators slant. Basically, if a female creator had a comic our there would be an interview and as much pimping of books as possible. It never ever meant that regular "guy" comics were ignored. It just meant that, unlike other publications, who wouldn't bother "with girls" because they never did super hero comics (VERY wrong) I and my publications did.
I got some nasty letters over this policy but as far as I was considered it was MY publication and if I like an artist and their work I never gave a flying **** if it was a man or woman. I did sometimes ask "why?!" when I heard from female creators criticising me over the policy.
But there is something that needs to be made clear: I never ever accept credit for the success of any female creator unlike certain people who do like to take all the credit! These creators did the work, worked the long hours and it is down to their persistence and love of writing and drawing comics that they succeed. I am not even a side note to the foot note!
And if any of these female creators names mean nothing to you....well, then you do not love comics. You are a comics poseur. But, if you really do love comics remember that it is not all super heroes or ultra violence.
Google some of the names listed above and PLEASE check out their work and if you like it -BUY!
Can I add Mary Mitchell who drew a very striking Batman , Wendy Pini , of course . Marie Severin whom you mentioned , is one of my favourite artists on Doctor Strange . Holly Tuttle from National Lampoon . There's a book somewhere in Motley Hall , if I can stir from the retreat , my hideaway den , where many sinful comic things take place , called ' A Century Of Women Cartoonists ' . My memory is somewhat fugged and either going towards getting worse or struggling manfully to get better . I'm wary of being a complete optimist because of the family history . You never know . I do remember it being a very good book . Look out for it if you haven't got it . Methinks it was brought out in the early nineties .
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