''She Makes Comics'' is a 2014

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

about the history of women in the

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. ...

industry since the medium's beginnings in the early 1900s. It features interviews with key industry professionals, including artists, writers, editors, and retailers, as well as with prominent members of the surrounding

fan culture A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant p ...

Background

''She Makes Comics'' is the fifth co-production between Respect Films and

Sequart Organization Sequart Organization (; also known as Sequart Research & Literacy Organization) is an online magazine that focuses on the study of popular culture and the promotion of comic books as an art form. Sequart also publishes books and produces document ...

. The film was directed by Marisa Stotter, who began working with Respect Films during the summer of 2013. Production began in October 2013, with several interviews conducted in the

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...

region.

Kickstarter campaign

On February 3, 2014, Sequart Organization launched a

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, K ...

campaign to fund the film. Over the 31-day funding period, the campaign raised $54,001, nearly $15,000 more than the initial goal. This surplus allowed the project to announce several stretch goals, including a mini-documentary about the first female African-American cartoonist,

Jackie Ormes Jackie Ormes (August 1, 1911 – December 26, 1985) was an American cartoonist. She is known as the first African-American woman cartoonist and creator of the ''Torchy Brown'' comic strip and the ''Patty-Jo 'n' Ginger'' panel. Early life and c ...

, that would be a companion to ''She Makes Comics''.

Production

The filmmakers traveled to several cities, including New York and San Diego, to conduct interviews with notable figures in comics. Among the creatives interviewed are writer

Kelly Sue DeConnick Kelly Sue DeConnick (born July 15, 1970) is an award-winning American comic book writer and editor and English–language adapter of manga. Career Kelly Sue DeConnick was first introduced to the comics industry by writing copy for photos in adu ...

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to ...

writer

Chris Claremont Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...

, Elfquest creators

Wendy and Richard Pini Wendy Pini ''née'' Fletcher, (born June 4, 1951) and Richard Pini (born July 19, 1950) are the husband-and-wife team responsible for creating the well-known '' Elfquest'' series of comics, graphic novels and prose works. They are also known a ...

, artist

Becky Cloonan Becky Cloonan (born 23 June) is an American comic book creator, known for work published by Tokyopop and Vertigo. In 2012 she became the first female artist to draw the main ''Batman'' title for DC Comics.Beck, Laura (February 8, 2013)"Meet the Fi ...

, and Tits & Clits artist

Joyce Farmer Joyce Farmer (born 1938 in Los Angeles, California)Vankin, Deborah"R. Crumb: Joyce Farmer’s ''Special Exits'' on par with ''Maus'',""Hero Complex," ''Los Angeles Times'' (November 28, 2010). is an American underground comix cartoonist. She was a ...

. The industry professionals interviewed include former executive editor of

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with their f ...

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties ...

imprint

Karen Berger Karen Berger (; born February 26, 1958) is an American comic book editor. She is best known for her role in helping create DC Comics' Vertigo imprint in 1993 and serving as the line's Executive Editor until 2013. She currently oversees Berger B ...

, former president of DC Comics

Paul Levitz Paul Levitz (; born October 21, 1956) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles. Along with publisher Jenette Kah ...

, former DC publisher

Jenette Kahn Jenette Kahn (; born May 16, 1947) is an American comic book editor and executive. She joined DC Comics in 1976 as publisher, and five years later was promoted to president. In 1989, she stepped down as publisher and assumed the title of editor ...

Comic-Con International San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is ...

organizer

Jackie Estrada Jackie Estrada (born September 10, 1946) is an American comic-book convention organizer, book editor, co-publisher of Exhibit A Press, administrator of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, and past-president of Friends of Lulu. A San Diego r ...

, and

Comics Beat Heidi MacDonald (born November 15) is a writer and editor in the field of comic books based in New York City. She runs the comics industry news blog '' The Beat''. Career MacDonald is a former editor for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint and ''Disney ...

Heidi MacDonald Heidi MacDonald (born November 15) is a writer and editor in the field of comic books based in New York City. She runs the comics industry news blog '' The Beat''. Career MacDonald is a former editor for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint and '' Di ...

. Additional interviews were filmed with various scholars, journalists, entertainers, and prominent members of the fan community.

Release

The film had its festival premiere at the Comic-Con International Film Festival in 2015, where it won the best documentary award. The film was subsequently acquired for distribution by XLRator Media.

Plot

The film traces the history of women in comic books as industry professionals and as fans. It begins with the early days of comics and follows the rise of women in the emerging comic book industry of the 30s and 40s. It tells the story of women's contributions to mainstream comics, featuring such figures as artists

Ramona Fradon Ramona Fradon (born October 2, 1926) is an American comics artist known for her work illustrating Aquaman and Brenda Starr, and co-creating the superhero Metamorpho. Her career began in 1950. Early life Ramona Fradon was born in Chicago and m ...

(who drew for

) and

Marie Severin Marie Severin (; August 21, 1929 – August 29, 2018) was an American comics artist and colorist best known for her work for Marvel Comics and the 1950s' EC Comics. She is an inductee of the Will Eisner Comics Hall of Fame and the Harvey Awards ...

(who worked at

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in 19 ...

). The film also focuses on the underground comics movement of the 70s, the rise of women into prominent positions at mainstream publishers in the 80s, and the flourishing of female creators in independent comics and

webcomics Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Webcomics can be ...

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 3589322 2014 films Documentary films about comics Female comics artists Female comics writers Women and comics 2010s English-language films American documentary films 2010s documentary films 2010s American films