Opening the Gate: The Future of DC Comics is Diversity and Women
How many times have you heard me and other say the future of comics is a dark one if it continues to cater to a white, straight, male audience? (OMG come on about a billion, trillion times)
The direct market is in bad shape. Sales are down. Shops are closing. LCS owners are concerned.
And yet here we are again seeing the concept of “diversity” in comics being the ruination of the superhero comics.
We see mediocre creators and sad little angry trolls blame the “SJWs”, the “gays” the women.
They are why Marvel is now rebooting again. Yes, their cootie filled milkshakes are the reason why comics sales are down. Certainly not poor management and a billion too many variants.
Not that the bag and boarder “Wednesday Warriors” are no longer a growing but slowing demographic.
Not that digital is easily available day of and if you wait a bit cheaper.
Not that the buying model is shifting to trades rather than floppies.
But here’s the thing.
These hateful trolls are wrong.
So wrong.
The Beat recently spoke to a number of LCS owners. And here’s the thing.
They are seeing diversity as a problem.
many direct market retailers worry that the industry isn’t adequately serving a comics marketplace that includes a growing number of women, children, LGBTQ people, people of color, and fans uninterested in the traditional superhero comics they have sold in the past.
That’s the people who sell the comics. But what about the people who SELL the comics?
Well here’s what DC Comics is doing.
They are creating two new imprints designed to cater to new younger comic readers.
DC hit a home run FINALLY focusing on girls with their DC Super Hero Girl line and now they are doubling down with young adults with their new DC Ink line. Mariko Tamaki who wrote Skim and This One Summer is doing a Harley Quinn book
Danielle Paige, who wrote Dorothy Must Die is doing a Mera book.
And Lauren Myracle (ttyl, ttfn and l8r, g8r) is writing a Catwoman book
I have a teen daughter and I have had books by all these authors in my house right now. This is going to be big.
But wait. Do you feel this is a little … white centric so far?
Yes. So there is a multi-cultural Gotham High coming from writer Melissa Cruz. Bruce is part Chinese and Selina is Latina.
DC is also launching a Zoom line for younger readers.
And that has a great line-up as well including Meg Cabot (Princess Diaries) on a Black Canary book.
Oh and Gene Luen Yang on a book that I don’t care is written for little kids.
You can hear and see many of these authors talk about their books (along with Jim Lee and Dan Didio) talking about the imprints in this video. There’s some other exciting titles coming so really give it a look,
The verdict from watching this?
DC Comics is wising up.
The future has been identified and the “male, white” demo is not enough.
Young and not male and not white?
Marvel? Well I have SO many concerns about them right now.
But they have one thing in their favor. My fellow former 3 Chicks Kelly Thompson is now under contract there.
That’s good.
Also Marvel MUST simply be spinning this morning to know that THEY who once hand waved diversity in comics saw Black Panther destroy every stupid excuse around Black superheroes be utterly destroyed this weekend.
So expect change at Marvel soon.
And the angry little trolls clenching their fists and ranting about diversity and comics?
The gate to the future is open to comics is open for everyone.
But do we really care if they stay behind?
