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Some of my favorite memories as a little girl involve stealthily (so I thought) sneaking across my room after lights out and flipping on my closet light, and pulling my Betty and Veronica comics out from under the bed. Would Betty or Veronica win Archie's heart this month? Who would wear the cuter dress to the prom? I enjoyed poring over every detail, from the outdated slang to their weird little triangle-noses.
As much as I enjoyed Betty and Veronica, their adventures were missing…something. It wasn't until I got older that I figured out that as adorable as they were, they weren't really doing anything but fighting over boys and competing with each other. With friends like that…right?
I put down comics for a few years as I got busier and older, but I am happy to say that when I went to library school about four years ago I came back to that world with a vengeance. And fortunately, there is a treasure trove of comics about women who work together, have a purpose in life besides looking cute, and have compelling adventures.
Here is the first part of a short guide to some of my favorite comics and graphic novels that feature women and girls who are strong leads, written and drawn by both women and men. These characters don't scream for help from the highest tower; they rescue themselves, and a few other people along the way.
Title: Blue Monday (four volumes)
Artist: Chynna Clugston
Age range: Teen-Adult
Available through: Oni Press
Artist's Blog: Far Gone and Out
Chynna Clugston typically draws comics about young people that have a punk or mod flavor to them, with a nod to Japanese manga style. She winds song lyrics and titles through her work, giving the panels a "soundtrack" or mood. One thing that is consistent throughout her work is her hilarious writing and the visual humor present in the art.
Blue Monday is set in the 1980s and revolves around the life of high-schooler Bleu Finnigan. There is a strong emphasis on her close friendship with two other girls, and how friendships can evolve in unexpected ways. Of course there are boys and the confusion that surrounds them, the thrill of seeing your very favorite band live, and social awkwardness. Clugston writes very frankly about what life in high school can be like and skates the line between funny and raunchy. I remember in particular a subplot about being addicted to masturbation, as well as a series of over-the-top pranks the kids play on each other.
Title: Inverloch (five volumes)
Artist: Sarah Ellerton
Age range: Young teens-Adult
Available through: Seven Seas or read online at Seraph Inn (artist's website)
Artist's Blog: Artsangel
Australian artist Sarah Ellerton's webcomic Inverloch is a newer discovery for me, and I am somewhat sad to say she has just ended it, though the final strips haven't gone online yet. Inverloch is a fantasy story set in a world where humans, elves, and a race of wolfy-goatlike creatures called "Da'kor" tensely co-exist. The main character is a sensitive young Da'kor named Acheron who sets forth to solve a mysterious kidnapping for an elven friend.
At the end of Volume One, the story gets really interesting as Acheron is joined on his journey by a mysterious elven thief-hunter named Lei'ella. She has a fierce exterior and a complicated past, and her street smarts and toughness go a long way to keep the main character alive, which I feel makes her one of the most interesting characters in the series. Inverloch is a good mix of fantasy adventure and sweetly written moments between the main characters, who grow to care for each other over the course of the series. I recommend this for young teens on up, but I also read it in print form to my six-year-old daughter, who got a huge bang out of it. There is a some fighting and wounds, but it is certainly not gory. I can't wait to see how it ends!
Title: Girl Genius (six volumes and counting)
Artist: Kaja and Phil Foglio
Age range: Teens-Adults
Available through: Airship Entertainment/Studio Foglio (also updates as a webcomic MWF)
Artist's blog: Diary of a Cartoon Girl
Bonus: Othar Tryggvassen's Twitter (Othar is a recurring character in Girl Genius)
Hoo boy. How to describe Girl Genius to a potential reader? Broadly speaking, it falls under the category of "alternative history." The Foglios bill it as a "gaslamp fantasy," which is similar to steampunk, but not right on the nose.
