We spoke to a female comic book enthusiast about working in the comic industry

Comics aren’t just for nerdy guys

This semester I am taking a class on graphic novels. Yes, I mean comics. I know what you’re thinking, a class on comics? So I’m being forced to analyze superheroes and manga? No. Not at all.

Comics come in many different forms and topics. When I arrived at Kings Comics on our first class field trip, I was prepared to find interest in one comic and one comic only: Harley Quinn. I was pleasantly surprised to be directed to a comic about a serial killer by Kings Comics’ very own Siobhan Coombs.

A life-long comic lover, Siobhan has been working in the store for years. She listened to me explain my interest and with my growing excitement and intrigue, she showed me a wide range of comics I might find interesting. I even found a comic about sex crimes. Yes, the comic Sex Criminals is about a couple who stop time by having sex and then commit crimes. I highly recommend it.

After some chatting, I decided that because Siobhan was so easily able to turn me on to comics after I had quite low expectations, perhaps an interview with her might help me inform on this overlooked genre.

Why did you get into comics originally? Were you the only girl in your peer group?

Comics have been a lifelong love for me – I was introduced to Tintin by my parents and friends and I swapped Archie comics with my friends. When I discovered superhero comics as a teenager, I was lucky that I had a few female friends who also loved them, but there were definitely more guys.

How old were you when you started reading comics/working at the comic store? What were some issues you faced early on?

I started reading comics really early on, but I probably became more obsessed when I was about 14. Kings was an awesome place to find new stuff and figure out what I liked, because there were always women behind the counter so I never felt intimidated. I was 17 when I first started working there. Early on I definitely got a bit of a hard time from some male customers – I got hit on a bit and asked out a few times, which is always very uncomfortable at work! Guys would just get overexcited that there was a girl who could talk to them about comics – not realizing that there are heaps of us out there! I also got guys saying “do you really like comics?” or quizzing me to prove I was a “real comic book fan” — this is my favorite thing because they would think that I was pretending to like comics to impress them. As if they were worth impressing. Lol.

How has your environment and treatment as a woman in comics changed over the years?

Over the years its gotten WAY better, on both a local and international level. I think now that comics are more mainstream, people are more used to the idea that this is something women like. There’s more women in positions of power at the big companies, more high profile female writers, and more high profile female characters, and that all filters down (although there’s definitely still an imbalance that needs work). There’s an amazing group called The Valkyries which was started by writer and artist Kate Leth which is for women who work in comic book stores. The industry is now more aware that women are a force both as professionals and fans.

Do you think the comic community is changing and becoming more open to women? If so, how?

Definitely. As big changes happen at a high level, it gets better. And the cool thing is, if we don’t feel welcome at some community events, we just make our own and let the other events feel the loss of our money! All Star Comics in Melbourne just had their first ever Women In Comics Festival which was AMAZING, and there are women’s groups everywhere (like the one I run, Queens of Kings). There is still work that needs to be done – especially in terms of visibility and involvement of women of color and the LGBT community, and there is is still always going to be resistance and people behaving badly, but I do really think things are getting better.

Do you have any advice for women in the comic community about joining or overcoming prejudice?

My advice would be: Don’t let ANYONE tell you that you can’t or shouldn’t like something because you’re a woman! If people try to shut you out of spaces, make your own! Find your people – contact your local comic shop and find out if they run a women’s group. Lots of stores in the US do it and even in Australia we have a bunch! And don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not a “real fan” or a “real geek” because you just like different things to them – people will try to say that manga fans aren’t comic fans, as if American comics are the only ones that matter. Ridiculous! Just like what you like and don’t feel like you have to conform to anyone’s idea of what a comic fan is.

Photo courtesy of Siobhan Coombs

You can check out Siobhan’s podcast here.
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