Disclaimer!!! Since I'm going to be talking about sexism and the objectification of women I am going to be using words like tits/boobs and there are gonna be images that Greg Land photo referenced that are of a sexual nature. No nudity, but pretty damn close.
I feel bad about this, but I really feel obligated to say something about this because it really is atrocious. And as much as I respect someone for putting themselves out there and making their living off their art, I can't respect something that is as blatantly sexist as Greg Land's art.
I'm not an artist, I have no technical skill and don't really know anything other than I know what I like and don't like. But I know I don't like Greg Land's art.
This is a fairly typical cover for Greg Land, and to me at least its obviously photo referenced off some model pose. And since I've clearly stated that I'm not an artist and I don't know anything about art I'll try not to throw out my opinion on photo referencing and how lame it is. What I'd rather talk about is what the picture says to me. First off the pose is fucking ridiculous and absurd. Every cover he does, is ass out, tits out. And I don't see or understand the point. I see no way in which "slutting" up a character adds to the storyline. Objectifying women in this manner is merely a marketing tactic to catch guy's eyes. How about covers that are actually good and interesting to catch our eyes instead of a rehash of some Maxim cover?
Different cover, different character, different universe even, and still it looks the same. Same ass out, tits out thing. Sue even has the same facial expression as Madelyne Pryor does in the cover above. Same sexy finger biting lust ridden angst face. I'm not stupid, I understand that comics are overwhelmingly read by men and with that in mind sex always sells. But it doesn't have to? What if we as readers, we as men, said stop this god damn bullshit. How does someone, who's art looks this bad, looks this boring and flat, and looks this sexist get to do interiors on Uncanny X-Men? The biggest X book there is and there he is.
Everyone looks the same. It's just static poses layered on top of each other. Same pose, same hair! How do we as readers let him get away with this? Blog about it, bitch about it, podcast about it. Tell people you don't wanna read Uncanny X-men if it's still going to have Greg Land interiors. Or for that matter read any book with his name on it. Everyone thinks of comics as being a "for dudes" kind of thing and it doesn't have to be, it shouldn't. But it's pretty damn hard to convince my girlfriend to read X-Men when all the female characters have a waist smaller than their biceps.
Here is one the most well known and perfect examples of shitty photo referencing, and also terribly sexist cover work.
Here Land rehashes his same stuff with his Jean Grey looking exactly like his Sue Storm (or Black Canary? It is hard to tell when every lady looks exactly the same).
One of the things about comics, and Marvel super hero comics at that, that I have always loved is that it feels progressive. It is an entertainment medium that has always seemed a step above the rest. Black Panther, The Falcon, and Luke Cage were all characters ahead of their time. The same is also true of Northstar and new characters like Wiccan and Hulking. There has always been so much potential to do great storytelling thats inclusive. That isn't based on cheap caricatures or stereotypes. But it's hard to tell that kind of story when every woman, is sexualized and objectified. I understand that it's rooted firmly in the industry but I hope by writing about this today that its made at least one person think the role sexism plays within the medium and the industry. And at the very least maybe it'll make some other geeky folks bitch about Greg Land's art and they'll stop buying books with his art.
Cheers.
Word!!
ReplyDeleteFYI, The sexy angst face is commonly called in feminist circles Sexyface TM.
ReplyDeleteI dig this post.
Pam Anderson is a pretty dated reference. That alone should be loosing this tool points.
Its called a come hither look in the real world, where only 18 percent of women identify as feminists. And that is the beauty of art and literature. Pam Anderson doesn't need to be young or current to get the point across. Unless youre a young teen being current isn't all that important.
DeleteHow funny. In feminist circles reality is what you pretend it to be. Damn straight that come hither look is sexy. So is the gothy fantasy chic thing. Why not just stay out of the comic industry if it annoys you? You know this is what makes people call you feminazis. Because just like actual nazis you simply can not abide creativity that you have not approved.
ReplyDeleteAnd seriously, asa girl I love looking at fantasy women pictures. They don't have to be realisatic to be beautiful. If your girlfriend is so insecure that simply seeing artwork of a woman with a better figure then herself makes her feel bad,m then she needs help. I mean she can read about people with cosmic powers, and the ability to live forever, things that would make anyone crazy jealous if they really saw it as reality. But no, forget eternal life, she is too busy being jealous of a small waist and big tits? What a dumb b1tch.
ReplyDelete