ratcreature | how to draw female comic characters (according to Wizard)...

brown_betty asked for examples "to illustrate the exactly how and why female comic characters are illustrated differently than the male." And I thought, really, what's better to illustrate these things than the books teaching the style in the first place?

A while ago I posted some scans from Wizard How To Draw series on drawing female superheroes (here and here), and I thought I'd post a bunch more from the first book of the series on "How To Draw: Heroic Anatomy".

As everything, it starts with the basics, i.e. proportions. First the male superhero

The female example is similar, but slightly different, notice how he stands firm and straight, wheras she stands with her hips cocked a little and the leg thrust forward?

Also notice in the direct torso comparison below, how the male one is ramrod straight, but she curves and leans just a little bit in the same pose?

Now onwards to the chapter "Sultry Women". It even cautions you against overposing! Yes, it's not as if Wizard wasn't aware of the problems! (Their definition and mine of which poses are already overposed might differ slightly though, heh.)

Next, Michael Turner explains "Sex Appeal". (Or what he thinks sex appeal is.) Incidentally it also illustrates the meaning of "overposed" that was brought up in the previous chapter very effectively...

Finally for compare and contrast purpuses the chapters on "Superheroic Men" and "Superheroic Women". For the male superhero it is all about more or less ridiculously enlarged muscles as we learn:

Female superheroes don't have it that easy, they need to worry about tilting their shoulder, nipple and pubic lines attractively at all times, not to mention legs, breast size, eye make-up and hair:

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As for the broken spines and impossible poses, Laura J. DePuy described that in pain-inducing detail at Sequential Tart (http://www.sequentialtart.com) - parts one (http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/feb01/bb_0201.shtml), two (http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/mar01/bb_0301.shtml), three (http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/apr01/bb_0401.shtml), and four (http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/may01/bb_0501.shtml). The examples are taken from Image Comics, but it's not as if these principles couldn't be applied to comics from other companies...

There's also been a lot of discussion about the appearance and costume of the new (and extremely skinny, not to mention having more vertebrae than usual) Supergirl (http://images19.fotki.com/v22/photos/1/178468/3988744/sg05cov-vi.jpg), but unfortunately I don't have any links to offer.

The term "porn face" (in the comicworld sense...) stems from Greg Land's habit to trace his art and use porn / lingerie photographs for reference, as well as pictures like (http://amphisbaena.com/lj/scans_daily/greg_land/%2323_03.jpg) these (http://amphisbaena.com/lj/scans_daily/greg_land/%2323_25.jpg). For further clarification, read this blog entry (http://www.girl-wonder.org/girlsreadcomics/index.php?entry=entry060630-230506).

Also, there's this huge difference between "beautiful" and "objectified", which many people don't get. There's always someone who points out that "men are just as objectified as women in comics", because the men are all so well-built and strong. They are missing the point - the exaggerated muscles of superheroes are not intended to titillate (although sometimes they do), but as a power fantasy. The superheroines, though, are... well, about sex. Not power. [Tangential: If they are meant to be strong, why aren't more of them drawn muscular or wiry, especially when they are supposed to work out? If they are meant to kick the villain's butt and fight crime on rooftops, why are they wearing high heels, fishnets, have long hair you could easily get a grip on to bring them down, or expose a ridiculius amount of skin when they could get shot, stabbed, or otherwise get severely hurt? If they are meant to be intimidating, why are they facing the reader with a "come hither, sexy" look, hip-swaying, smiling, looking soft and curvy? - See also this (http://digital-eraser.livejournal.com/16180.html) enlightening post on body language and how artists change it according to the "Fer chrissakes, just show some T&A!" formula.]
Well, if the men were just as objectified as the women, the result would probably look like this (http://odditycollector.livejournal.com/97166.html)... or this (http://www.gayleague.com/gay/characters/display.php?id=68)... or this (http://www.patrickfillion.com/).

Um. I hope these were somewhat helpful. Sorry if I rambled too much, this is a topic where I could blather on and on.

I'm afraid, though, if this Vampirella fan just loves cheesecake and DD-cups and "sultry looks", you probably won't be able to do much about it. It's not his body, metaphorically speaking, that gets objectified; whereas female-bodied persons don't have this privilege. The rest of it might boil down to simple aesthetic preferences - personally, I think oversized breasts and collagen lips are ugly (just like oversized muscles and... penii?), whereas characters like Jack Phantom or Peregrine from Top Ten - the first a mix of tomboy and cabaret singer, the second short-haired and very muscular - are bound to get my fannish adoration.

That's all terrific stuff, just what I was looking for. Thanks!
I know there's a good chance I won't be able to change his mind, or even get him to see that I have a point, but I feel I have to try. Perhaps, at the very least, I can get him to see that this is a big deal to me, whether or not he understands it.
I actually don't have a problem with big tits and pouty lips in and of themselves -- I've got G-cups and full lips myself -- it's that I object to them in such poor context -- there's no way Vampy has those; I weigh more than 200lbs. They don't look real, they just look stupid. I'm attracted to women, yes, but I'm attracted to real women, not pneumatic blow-up dolls. Ditto the men; even bodybuilders don't look that way all the time, just for shows.
I haven't seen Jack Phantom, but I'm with you on Peregrine.
Oh, and the Latin plural of penis is penes, which is why it's usually just penises in English, except for when it refers to critters who have a pair of hemipenes or "half-penises" (yes, they exist).

how to draw female comic characters (according to Wizard)...

My apologies for the late reply...

Re: My apologies for the late reply...