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Description
This thesis is an examination of the spaces available to comic book fans, the sexist experiences women face in these spaces, and the use of autobiographical webcomics as a way to share these stories online. I examine these spaces and webcomics with an intersectional approach, focusing on gender specifically, but also class and size. The primary objective is to show how these webcomics are one method of storytelling being utilized to bring attention to and resist the gender microaggressions women face within the comic book fan community. My research is significant because it contributes to the scholarship on fan cultures built around comic books by focusing on the experiences of women. It also contributes to the literature on the history of feminist art by analyzing contemporary autobiographical webcomics. The use of the Internet also adds to the research about girl and women focused spaces, since these webcomics were published online due to the fact that many female comic book fans are denied a space in comic book stores and comic book conventions. Reclaiming Space is organized into five distinct chapters. Chapter one is an introductory chapter that provides an overview of my own reasons for conducting this research. It also outlines the purpose of my research and my main research questions: Why do women turn to the Internet versus other spaces available for comic book fans? How do women share their experiences with others and what are the benefits of doing so? Chapter two provides a history of the current literature relevant to this research. It will focus on the work done about fan cultures, the history of feminist art, and the importance of girl and women focused spaces. Chapter three provides an overview of comic book stores and comic book conventions, with a focus on the sexist treatment women face in these spaces. Chapter four is an examination of the webcomics created by Noelle Stevenson, Paige Hall, and Meghan Lovell and an examination of the gender microaggressions women experience as fans. My final chapter summarizes my findings and presents possible directions this research can be taken in the future.
