Final

Portfolio
Girls & Goddesses
Comic Books and the Politics of Gender

Heather Anne Tolliver

Publishing Inside/Out -- RHET 5347

Table of Contents
Reflective Essay

Book Proposal

Book Contents

10

Chapter Outline

11

Development and Design

13

Cover Design

16

Marketing Plan

17

Reflective Essay
I think, for me, second times the charm.
Im so glad that I was able to repeat this class as a graduate student. At times, it felt like a
completely new course for meI had fallen so far behind in the assignments in my first attempt. I
particularly appreciated the textbook this time around. While I greatly enjoy the multimedia
aspects of the course, it was nice to be able to refer back to the printed material as well.
In this second attempt, I took advantage of the scaffolding assignmentsbuilding this final
portfolio has been a joy. As I worked over these weeks, Ive learned much about the publishing
process. All books start with an idea and a writer, but the book isnt anywhere near finished at that
point. Acquisitions editors, copy editors, designers, publicists and marketing consultants, and so
many others contribute to the creation of a bookand the success of the book depends on them as
well. While I dont plan to pursue a career in the industry, I appreciate the complexity of the
industry as well as the many people who contribute a small part toward the publication of a
nonfiction book or novel.

The Book Proposal

Im very proud of the proposal that Ive created this semester. It blends three of my favorite topicscomics, feminist theories, and history. Its evolved over time, but theres still work to be done.
Once the dust of the semester clears, I plan to review and revise the proposal again. I very much
hope to write this book somedayor a book inspired by my writing this semester.

The Book Outline

I found this assignment to be quite complicated as I struggled over how to construct the book I
envisioned. I think the outline provides a nice combination of the history of the genre as well as
the women behind the scenes. However, Im not completely satisfied with itIll likely return to
this section to refine it further if I decide to pursue publication in the future.

The Chapter Outline

I love this sample chapter. Its an overview of how the most famous female characters at DC
Comics and Marvel Comics have been reimagined for a new agean age filled with diverse creators
as well as the demands of diverse readers. I think it would be a good basis for a journal article
representations of women in visual rhetoric since 1985.
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Development and Design

Simplicity is the name of my game in designeasily-read black fonts on white paper, black and
white images, a single column. Im pleased with my work on this assignmentit works well with
my subject matter. At times, I wished Id tackled a subject a bit more fanciful and less
academically-inclined. I would have loved to create a more interesting design. Alas, my Photoshop
skills are weak so simple really is better.

Cover Design
I was so pleased by how this cover design turned out. I wanted the dominant image to show both
the girls (Supergirl) and the goddesses (Wonder Woman). I spent quite a few days online looking
for an image of just those two characters, but when I saw this cover image from an issue of DC
Comics Bombshells, I knew it would work perfectly.
I wanted my cover to be fairly simple. White text on a darker background fits that criteriaas least
for me. Id considered using a script-style font but reconsidered fairly early in the process. I didnt
think academically-inclined books would use such a fanciful font.

Marketing Plan
My marketing plan was one of the more difficult assignments, and I think its one of my weaker
contributions. While I think that I would do well at conferences and conventions, I know that my
social media skills need work. Unfortunately, I really dont understand how people get followers on
platforms like Twitter and Tumblr. I enjoy reading bothI follow quite a few people (some writers,
celebs, academics, and more), but I dont have many followers at all. It was so much easier when all
I had to manage was email.

A Note to Professor Greer

I appreciate all of the support, advice, and encouragement that youve given me throughout the
three semesters weve worked together. My first attempt at this class is slowly becoming my thesis.
In fact, Im submitting an article on superheroes and disability for publication this summerwhich
also arose from the first attempt at this class. I cant wait to find out what this project becomes.
Thanks again!

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Book Proposal
Target Publisher
Founded in 1949, Rowman & Littlefield strives to be one of the leading independent publishers
and book distributors in the world, specializing in academic textbooks and non-fiction trades in a
wide variety of subject areas including media studies, cultural studies, literary criticism, and gender
studies. Their primary markets include undergraduate and graduate students, scholars and
academic professionals, and university libraries as well as general readers.
Girls & Goddesses: Comic Books and the Politics of Gender would be a good match for Rowman &
Littlefield as they have an excellent reputation for publishing scholarly works and have published a
number of books with similar themes. Moreover, Rowman & Littlefield provides prospective authors with submission guidelines for book proposals, both solicited and unsolicited, expressing a
desire to work with new authors.

Book Title and Subtitle

Girls and Goddesses: Comic Books and the Politics of Gender

Description
Wonder Woman, instantly recognizable in her American-flag inspired bustier and skirt and arguably
the most famous feminist icon of the last 80 years, was the brainchild of male psychologist William
Moulton Marston. Should that fact change our view of her feminist sensibilities and iconology?
How might Wonder Womans appearance, origins, or storylines differ if she had been created by a
woman?
Since the creation of the modern comic book in New York City in the 1930s, men have dominated the roles of writer, artist, editor, and publisher in the industry, ensuring that the most enduring
comic images and stories about women have been created and controlled by men. However,
women have been joining the comic book industry in increasing numbers, taking control of a few
classic female superheroes but also creating some new heroes of their own.
Girls & Goddesses: Comic Books and the Politics of Gender places the appearance of female heroes
alongside sweeping changes in American culture, revealing how these heroes have become a
cultural touchstone through which fantastic expressions of feminist thought are presented. Girls &
controlled by men. However, women have
Tolliver - Gods & Goddesses 5

Goddesses explores femininity and feminist ideologies through an extensive examination of characters, stories, and art, tracking the evolution of the female hero and the many representations of her
mind and form through long-lived heroes like Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Sue Storm as well as
newcomers like the female inmates of Bitch Planet and the teenage campers of Lumberjanes.
However, Girls & Goddesses does not focus on the page alone; it moves behind the scenes as well,
examining the emerging roles of women in the comic book industry through interviews with Sana
Amanat, Gail Simone, Kelly Sue DeConnick and otherswomen who have taken over the roles of
editor, writer, artist, and illustrator for some of the best-selling comics in the industry today.

Target Audience
As Girls & Goddesses is primarily a scholarly examination of the intersection of comic books and
gender, blending the fields of cultural studies, mass media, literary criticism, and gender studies, its
primary audience will be filled with undergraduate and graduate students, scholars and academic
professionals, and university libraries as well as general readers.
Readers interested in comic book history and its related cultural relevancy will appreciate the indepth exploration of the evolution of the female hero through the characters, stories, and art as well
as profiles of the writers, artists, and editors that have shaped the world of comic books for more
than 80 years.

Survey of Related Titles

The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore
Vintage Books, 2015. 464 pages.
In The Secret History of Wonder Woman, Jill Lepore explores the creation and evolution of the worlds
most famous comic book heroine, focusing on how the character remade American feminism in her
image. In order to fully explore Wonder Womans origins, Lepore examines the life of her creator
William Moulton Marston, a Harvard graduate, avowed feminist, and practicing psychologist, as
well as a polyamorist and bondage enthusiast. Lepore balances these two avenues of investigation
while also addressing a short survey of female cartoonists, the claims of a direct correlation between
juvenile delinquency and comic books, and a brief history of the feminist movement.
Girls & Goddesses: Comic Books and the Politics of Gender looks beyond the worlds most famous
heroine and her creator as the ultimate in comic feminism, focusing on the evolution of female
characters as female writers, creators, editors, and artists become more commonplace in the industry. Gender diversification in traditionally male-dominated roles have created a new standard for
feminism in comics.
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Heroines of Comic Books and Literature: Portrayals in Popular Culture

by Maja Bajac-Carter, Norma Jones, and Bob Batchelor, Editors
Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. 274 pages.
In Heroines of Comic Books and Literature: Portrayals in Popular Culture, editors Maja Bajac-Carter,
Norma Jones, and Bob Batchelor have assembled a collection of essays by award-winning writers
that offer a variety of perspectives on the representations of heroines and the gender expectations
and stereotypes in todays society. Focused on printed media, this collection explores leading female
characters as depicted in modern adult and young adult literature, comic books, graphic novels, and
manga.
While Girls & Goddesses: Comic Books and the Politics of Gender also addresses some of the same
issues, namely female representation and gender expectations in comic book heroines, it focuses
solely on the comic book industry. It pushes the conversation in a new direction, addressing the
changing demographics of the comic book industry and the influence of gender diversification on
the creation and development of new comic book heroines and the continuing stories of classic
comic book superheroines.
X-Men and the Mutant Metaphor: Race and Gender in the Comic Books by Joseph J. Darowski
Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. 242 pages.
In X-Men and the Mutant Metaphor: Race and Gender in the Comic Books, Joseph J. Darowski analyzes how the powerful mutant metaphor found in Marvel Comics title The Uncanny X-Men
became a way for comic books to address themes like societal prejudice and discrimination. He
provides an extensive examination of the titles history, including the creators and general plot lines
as well as the principle characters and key events. He adds insights gained from interviews with
comic book creators and writers as well as illustrations from the comic book series.
While Girls & Goddesses: Comic Books and the Politics of Gender embraces the X-Men as a metaphor
for societal prejudices and discrimination, it focuses solely on gender representation in comic books,
addressing race only in the cases of black heroines. Beyond the X-Men metaphors and even Marvel Comics, gender politics have dominated the conversation about comics in recent years. Girls
& Goddesses expands beyond traditional comics like The Uncanny X-Men and explores a variety of
titles from a number of independent publishers.
Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines
by Mike Madrid
Exterminating Angel Press, 2009. 334 pages.
In Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines, Mike Madrid
Tolliver - Gods & Goddesses 7

explores comic book heroines through a chronological analysis of their cultural history. He draws
comparisons between the changing faces and features of feminism in comic books and the evolution
of feminism in American society.
Like Supergirls, Girls & Goddesses: Comic Books and the Politics of Gender explores the features of
feminism in comic books and American society. However, Girls & Goddesses pushes beyond the
women on the page to the women behind the scenes, addressing the implications of hiring diversity
on the stories and illustrations of comic books and the evolution of the industry.
Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors: Superwomen in Modern Mythology
by Jennifer K. Stuller
I.B. Tauris, 2010. 272 pages.
In Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors: Superwomen in Modern Mythology, Jennifer K.
Stuller explores how the female hero has become an archetype in modern mythology, focusing on
modern-day heroines in number of genres like literature, comic books, film, and television. Stullers
work is an extensive and thought-provoking guide to these heroines and their creators, directors,
writers, and performers.
Girls & Goddesses: Comic Books and the Politics of Gender addresses some of these same issues, exploring how the female hero has evolved over the years as well as the influence of creators and writers on
the portrayal of feminism. However, by focusing solely on the comic book industry, Girls &
Goddesses can embrace characters, creators, writers, and illustrators outside of the mainstream publishers like DC Comics and Marvel Comics, allowing a more in-depth analysis of how gender influences the comic book industry.

Book Outline
Part I. A History of Superheroines: Wonder Woman to Kamala Khan focuses on the history of
female representation in superhero comics, exploring character histories, origin stories, art design,
and storylines as well as significant cultural inspirations and creator influences.
Part II. Beyond Superheroines: Uncommon Comics with Female Leads investigates female representations beyond superheroines, examining a number of female-created titles and exploring how
strong feminine direct affects representations of gender, world-building, character design, art design,
and storylines.
Part III. Shifting Sensibilities: Behind the Scenes with Comic Book Women explores the increasing gender diversification of the comic book industry through interviews with the women who
write, illustrate, and edit some of the best-selling comic book titles of recent years and how these
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changes have affected the demographics of comic book readers and the industrys efforts to retain
them.

Special Features
Girls & Goddesses includes comic panels and book covers from an array of comic book titles. These
images fall under the terms of fair use as detailed in 17 U.S.C. 107:US Code-Section 107: Limitations on Exclusive Rights: Fair Use which allows the use of copyrighted images for criticism and
comment with the understanding that the number of images will be small in relation to the work as
a whole. All of the images are included in a list of illustrations as well as an appendix which allows
the reader to search the discussed comic books by character or title.

Author Biography
Heather Tolliver was a nerdy kid, and now shes a nerdy adult.
She thought that she would eventually outgrow the love that she held for comic books. Characters like Wonder Woman and Batgirl grabbed her imagination at a young age. As she grew older,
she became more curious and critical of her hobbies, wondering what these beloved characters
said about her and how she sees the world. Questions like these fueled her drive to study comic
booksone of the truly American art forms.
At her most basic, Heather is a thirty-something freelance writer and graduate student. Shes currently working on her masters degree in professional writing at the University of Arkansas at Little
Rock, where she previously earned her undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in professional writing, history, and philosophy. Since beginning her academic study of
comic books, shes given numerous lectures on minority representations in DC and Marvel Comics,
justifying her monthly spending on comic book titles.
controlled by men. However, women have

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Book Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I. A History of Superheroines: Wonder Woman to Kamala Khan

1.
Intrepid Reporters and Amazons: The Golden Age (1938-1955)

2.
Invisible Girls and Femme Fatales: The Silver Age (1956-1972)

3.
Murdered Girlfriends and Military Officers: The Bronze Age (1973-1984)

4.
Reimagined Lives and Teenage Heroes: The Modern Age (1985-present)
Part II. Beyond Superheroines: Uncommon Comics with Female Leads
5.
Saga: An Epic Space Opera
6.
Pretty Deadly: Magical Realism and Western Brutality
7.
Rat Queens: Foul-Mouthed Adventurers
8.
Lumberjanes: Wailing on Monsters and Solving Mysteries
9.
Jem and the Holograms: Glamour, Glitter, Fashion and Fame
10.
Bitch Planet: A Women-in-Prison Sci-Fi Exploitation Riff
11.
Nimona: A Shapeshifting Fantasy
Part III. Shifting Sensibilities: Behind the Scenes with Comic Book Women

12. Gail Simone and Babs Tarr: Redefining the Life of Batgirl

13. Sana Amanat and G. Willow Wilson: Shaping the World of Ms. Marvel

14. Erica Henderson: Designing Unbeatable Squirrel Girl

15. Marguerite Bennett and Marguerite Sauvage: Crafting the Retro Feel of DC
Comics Bombshells

16. Kelly Sue DeConnick: Voicing the Women of Captain Marvel, Pretty Deadly,
and Bitch Planet

17. Fiona Staples: Imagining the Space Opera of Saga

18. Noelle Stevenson: Developing the Fantasy Worlds of Lumberjanes and Nimona

19. Kelly Thompson and Sophie Campbell: Reimagining Jem and the Holograms
Conclusion
Notes
Appendix
Bibliography
Index
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Chapter Outline
Chapter 4: Reimagined Lives and Teenage Heroes:
The Modern Age (1985-present)
Chapter 4 explores the evolution of female characters in the Modern Age of Comics. While some
of these characters were born during the Modern Age, many of these characters were
created during the Golden and Silver Ages. Therefore, older characters have been reimagined and
relaunched as American culture and society adapt to new ideas about femininity and the role of
women. In addition, the Modern Age of Comics reflects changes within the comic book industry
itself as a number of these newly created or relaunched characters and books are helmed by women
writers, artists, or editors.
Note: WOMEN IN ACTION breaks into the main narrative to discuss comic book titles where
female characters have created super-teams of female heroes.
1.

Introduction

2.
Gotham City Makeovers: Heroes and Villians

a.
Barbara Gordon as Batgirl

1.
WOMEN IN ACTION: Birds of Prey (1995)

a.
Dinah Lance as Black Canary

b.
Helena Bertinelli as Huntress

b.
Kate Kane as Batwoman

1.
WOMEN IN ACTION: DC Comics Bombshells (2015)
1.
Diana Prince as Wonder Woman

2.
Kara Zor-El as Supergirl

c.
Harleen Quinzel as Harley Quinn

d.
Selina Kyle as Catwoman

i.
WOMEN IN ACTION: Gotham City Sirens (2009)

1.
Pamela Isley as Poison Ivy
3.
Female Avengers Assemble: Earths Mightiest Heroines

a.
Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel

i.
WOMEN IN ACTION: Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps

b.
Jennifer Walters as She-Hulk
i.
WOMEN IN ACTION: A-Force

c.
Jane Foster as Thor

d.
Jessica Jones as Jewel
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4.

Weaving a Tangled Web: Women of the Spider-Verse

a.
Jessica Drew as Spider-Woman
b.
Cindy Moon as Silk
c.
Gwen Stacy as Spider-Gwen
d.
WOMEN IN ACTION: Spider-Women Alpha

5.

Books, Boys, and Crimefighting: Teenagers Take Center Stage

a.
Kate Bishop as Hawkeye
b.
Doreen Green as Squirrel Girl
c.
Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel
d.
Faith Herbert as Zephyr

6.

Conclusion

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Development & Design

Title: Girls & Goddesses: Comic Books and the Politics of Gender
Length: 365 pages
Trim Size: 6.0 x 9.0 inches, trade paperback

Logline
Girls and Goddesses: Comic Books and the Politics of Gender explores the impact of women on the
comic book industryboth on the page and behind the scenes.

Synopsis
Since the creation of the modern comic book in New York City in the 1930s, men have dominated the roles of writer, artist, editor, and publisher in the industry, ensuring that the most enduring
comic images and stories about women have been created and controlled by men. However, women have been joining the comic book industry in increasing numbers, taking control of a few classic
female superheroes but also creating some new heroes of their own.
Girls & Goddesses: Comic Books and the Politics of Gender places the appearance of female heroes
alongside sweeping changes in American culture, revealing how these heroes have become a cultural
touchstone through which fantastic expressions of feminist thought are presented. Girls &
Goddesses explores femininity and feminist ideologies through an extensive examination of characters, stories, and art, tracking the evolution of the female hero and the many representations of her
mind and form through long-lived heroes like Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Sue Storm as well as
newcomers like the female inmates of Bitch Planet and the teenage campers of Lumberjanes. However, Girls & Goddesses does not focus on the page alone; it moves behind the scenes as well, examining the emerging roles of women in the comic book industry through interviews with Sana Amanat,
Gail Simone, Kelly Sue DeConnick and otherswomen who have taken over the roles of editor,
writer, artist, and illustrator for some of the best-selling comics in the industry today.

General Nature and Intended Market

As Girls & Goddesses is primarily a scholarly examination of the intersection of comic books and
gender, blending the fields of cultural studies, mass media, literary criticism, and gender studies, its
primary audience will be filled with undergraduate and graduate students, scholars and academic
professionals, and university libraries as well as general readers.
Tolliver - Gods & Goddesses 13

Readers interested in comic book history and its related cultural relevancy will appreciate the
in-depth exploration of the evolution of the female hero through the characters, stories, and art
as well as profiles of the writers, artists, and editors that have shaped the world of comic books for
more than 80 years.

General Appearance
In general, the design of the book should clean and modern. The aesthetic should make it clear that
this is a scholarly text that examines the comic book industry through a number of academic lenses.
Each chapter will feature a full page image from a comic book discussed in that chapter. Additional
comic book images will be interspersed throughout the text.

Basic Page Layout

Girls and Goddesses will utilize a single column layoutone large text column centered on the
page with small outside and gutter margins.
Some pages will display comic illustrations. Larger illustrations will be centered on the page with
text above and below. Smaller illustrations will be placed to one side with the text wrapping around
the images.
Special features will be enclosed in a separate box that extends across the page between the margins.

Color Palette
The interior pages will be black ink on white paper. All images will be in black and white. Special
features will be enclosed in a gray text box.

Typographical Elements

BODY TEXT: Adobe Garamond Pro 10pt with a 13pt leading

SECTION TITLES: Adobe Garamond Pro 11pt set in caps with 13pt leading
CAPTION TEXT: Adobe Garamond Pro 8pt
PART TITLES: Geomanist or a similar font style 22pt with 28pt leading
CHAPTER TITLES: Geomanist or a similar font style 22pt with 28pt leading
SPECIAL FEATURES TITLES: Adobe Garamond Pro 14pt combined with a script
style font 14pt
SPECIAL FEATURES TEXT: Adobe Garamond Pro 10pt with a 13pt leading
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Adobe Garamond Pro is a highly readable serif font that will be used as the primary text font
throughout the main text and the special features text. Section titles will also use this serif font in
all caps to denote transitions in the text. The part and chapter titles will use Geomanist or a similarly clean and modern style sans serif font. The only script style font will be used in the special
features titles in order to set them apart from the rest of the text.

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Cover Design

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