THE EXPERIMENT PART TWO: STILL "POWER GIRL" AFTER ALL THESE YEARS ~ Joseph Illidge

[Blake Petit]

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THE EXPERIMENT: Part Two of a multi-column limited series

STILL “POWER GIRL”, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS


The visual image of the DC Comics’ character Power Girl is a good example of one of the superhero genre’s biggest problems.

Sexism, both overt and covert.

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/915/SHOWCASE_99.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/915/SHOWCASE_99.jpg" align="left" border="0"></a>Power Girl was first introduced in ALL-STAR COMICS, but it was the cover of SHOWCASE #99 that caught my attention. I was in the second grade (or was that third grade?), and I remember as a kid seeing an ad for the book in some other DC comic book. Here was this blonde Caucasian woman coming right at me wearing a one-piece with cape, boots, and her unusually large breasts.

Well…as a kid, I had to have almost any comic I saw the cover of in an ad, and since in those days my Mom used to take me to the newsstand every Friday after school so I could get my weekly stash (and she could buy soap opera magazines), getting SHOWCASE #99 was a shoe-in.

Now who’s to say that the image on the cover was not the primary influence on my decision in some way, shape or form, but suffice it to say, that was my first major exposure to Power Girl, Earth-2’s Supergirl.

Fast forward to the late nineties, and I’m editing the DC title BIRDS OF PREY.

Power Girl made a surprise appearance in issue 12, leading me to talk with then-writer Chuck Dixon about making PG a recurring character and making a cool back story out of it. Chuck, being an editor’s dream writer to work with, was cool with the idea, and immediately brought PG back for the first storyline in the year 2000, done by the amazingly-talented Butch Guice.

When I read the scripts for BIRDS OF PREY issues 15-17, and knew that Butch would be bringing his A game to the book, I saw it as an opportunity to expand on the character of Power Girl. In my eyes, she was much more than a big-breasted Supergirl knockoff. She was a normal sized-breasted Atlantean goddess, meaning she projected royalty, culture, and magic.

In those days, to use a character that was not under your editorial supervision in your book, you had to get permission from the governing editor. Since Power Girl was Atlantean, she was part of the Aquaman office, then headed by now-EXILES and SPIDER-MAN: BREAKOUT-scribe Tony Bedard. Tony gave me the go-ahead with no problem.

And then I committed the crime of the ages.

I allowed Butch Guice to draw Power Girl with normal sized breasts, and took her out of that dated, chest-revealing outfit and put her in a full body uniform, the same uniform that Bart Sears created for her when he drew JUSTICE LEAGUE EUROPE. Butch made Power Girl look quite majestic. Fitting for a child of Atlantean magic, no?

Well, then-Executive Editor Mike Carlin didn’t think so.

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/915/BIRDS_OF_PREY17.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/915/BIRDS_OF_PREY17.jpg" align="left" border="0"></a>The day he came into my office, and saw an 11”x 17” copy of the inked cover to BIRDS OF PREY #17 on my wall, the dialogue between he and I went something like this:

MIKE: Who’s that?

ME: Oh, that’s Power Girl.

MIKE: No it isn’t. That’s not her costume.

ME: Sure it is. It’s the one Bart Sears had her in from Justice League Europe.

MIKE: Well, you can’t just go and do something like that without permission.

ME: I asked Tony if it was okay, and he said “yes”.

MIKE: Yeah, but you can’t just change her costume. There are licensing concerns.

ME: Well, I did ask permission, and that costume is from DC continuity.

MIKE: Well, you can’t just do that.

Mike said a few more words, I think, and then walked out.

As an aside, once I was out of DC Editorial, Power Girl’s costume immediately went through transformations and changes. Props to Brian K. Vaughan for being a talented enough writer (who clearly had experiences with women) to come up with a good reason established in the GREEN LANTERN: CIRCLE OF FIRE event, with PG attributing it to the fact that women don’t wear the same clothes every day, so why should she be expected to wear the same outfit? But anyway, it was eventually changed back to the one-piece sexist outfit, and somewhere out there hard core fanboys were having slow emotional build-ups that hit nostalgia orgasm when PG was returned to her ersatz Supergirl status in some comic or other.

Back to the Carlin incident. When Mike walked out, I remember thinking he was an idiot.

I was wrong. Mike Carlin was not an idiot. He was acting as a high-ranking officer of the creative component of a company governed by the sensibilities and philosophy of older men who loved their nostalgic ideas of the DC characters so much that EVOLUTION and…wait for it…CULTURE were considered anathema to them.

As an editor, the concept of character evolution was important to me. As a Black man, the concept of culture was important to me. And as the BIRDS OF PREY editor, responsible for a book with strong female characters that were not portrayed in sexist or semi-misogynistic fashion, the idea of positive, complex women was important to me.

Bad editor. Bad Joe Illidge. How dare I.

And so, the insulting look of Power Girl was preserved for action figures, bedsheets, television shows, movies, coffee mugs, and--

Hold on. You mean there were no Power Girl bedsheets, television shows, movies, or coffee mugs? Holy crap…

…YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!
So Power Girl was kept looking like a hooker with ginormous superhuman breasts for some action figures?????????

I wonder how many Power Girl action figures were sold.

Doesn’t matter. It’s disgraceful no matter how you slice it.

Sexist. Disgraceful. Insulting. Appalling. Pathetic. Embarassing. Unnecessary. Unreasonable.

And just plain stupid.

And then they ask “Why aren’t more women buying superhero comics?”

Sigh.


So, staying on the subject of Power Girl…

Why does she still call herself Power GIRL anyway?

I mean, first off, Power Girl is in her thirties. Any code name ending in the word “girl” is hardly applicable or appropriate.

Second, I’ve been in conversations with women where I’ve mistakenly referred to grown women as “girls”, and I received looks that could burn through steel, along with some unkind comments in return. So in the real world, women don’t want to be called “girls”, so why in the DC Universe do women call themselves “girls”?

Well, I guess you could say “Because Power Girl isn’t real, you idiot. And besides, “Power Girl” is a DC trademark.

To which I would say “Well, no shatootie Power Girl isn’t real, but since one of the supposed inherent goals of the DC Universe is to provide stories of human-like characters in a world not too different from our own in terms of social dynamics, the trials and hopes of mankind and so on, then Power Girl should be portrayed as someone convincingly similar to real women, and as such should be calling herself “Power Woman” without Mark Waid and Alex Ross crafting an alternate future miniseries as a reason.

Then I would say “And about that pesky trademark, yes, yes, I know about that, but I have an easy solution.”

And so, my solution, and pay attention, because I’m about to give DC Comics a money-making idea which they will not use, because they very likely have one in place already.

Have Power Girl start calling herself Power Woman. Then, create a whole new Power Girl and launch a new comic book series starring her.

Okay, that was the easy part. Here’s where it gets tricky.

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/915/LATINA.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/915/LATINA.jpg" align="left" border="0"></a>Make the brand new Power Girl a LATINA. Why Latina, you ask?

Because according to latest reports from the United States Census Bureau, Latinos make up twelve point five percent of the American population, which is another way of saying that ONE OUT OF EVERY EIGHT AMERICANS ARE OF HISPANIC DESCENT.

That’s a hell of a lot of buying power, and any leader of an American company creating product intended for mass audience consumption would be stupid to ignore that.

Now we’ll get even trickier.

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/915/SEVENTEEN.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/915/SEVENTEEN.jpg" align="right" border="0"></a>Let’s be straight. The argument could be made that the average girl doesn’t buy comic books, but they do buy magazines like, oh say, Seventeen. And Seventeen has a website called seventeen.com

So if DC Comics, owned by the all-powerful Time/Warner, joined forces with seventeen.com to start a contest to recruit a young Latina to write a superhero comic starring a Latina, that would almost guarantee lots of attention and publicity inside AND OUTSIDE of the American comic book industry, and the discovery of a new talent that would create a book unlike any other in the genre.

Notice I said “almost”.

Almost because a) it would be up to the DC Comics hierarchy and marketing teams to FULLY exploit such an opportunity, and b) it’s quite likely that the girl discovered through this contest would not be savvy on comic book script rules and story structure, to which I say…

…enter the seasoned writer that DC Comics can pair up with the girl to co-develop and co-write the book, thereby solving that problem.

Now, I could go into format and distribution ideas and all that, but I’ve been generous enough already. Let’s see what happens next.

What we can all be certain of is that DC Comics will not use the idea I just posed.

Why?

Because DC Comics either

a) already has a great Power Girl idea in development that will be respectful to potential female consumers, thus not perpetuating images and ideas that may feed into the worst character aspects of some members of its potential male consumer base, or…

b) will get a great Power Girl idea cooking right now, something ten times better than what I just proposed, and it will sell huge numbers, and be groundbreaking, and act as a perfect companion book to the upcoming A-list talent-produced ALL-STAR WONDER WOMAN monthly series.

Waitaminit…you mean there is no upcoming A-list talent-produced ALL-STAR WONDER WOMAN monthly series coming out?

Hmmm…so even though Wonder Woman is a top-tier DC character, both Superman and Batman will get the “All-Star” treatment, but not Wonder Woman.

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/915/JOE_face.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/915/JOE_face.jpg" align="right" border="0"></a>I wonder what that’s about.

Next time on THE EXPERIMENT: Why Warren Ellis is a genius, and more comic book stories need to be 22 pages long instead of being decompressed (read: sometimes diluted) “sagas”.

[Cardiac]

Great column, again.

While I agree completely that Power Girl's costume is ridiculous, and needs a rethink desperately, it does lend itself to jokes accenting the very reasons it needs a redesign. For example, in Superman/Batman they sent Power Girl to talk the new, and very stubborn, Toy Man into helping them because 'he's a 12 year old boy'. I can't remember any other times specifically but I've been aware that many DC writers have been mocking it for years.

I also like the idea of a Hispanic girl superhero. I had no idea so many Americans were of Hispanic descent, and I think it's important for superheroes to refelct that, hopefully without resorting to the tokenism and stereotyping of the past.

[Cardiac]

Originally Posted by Blake Petit

Waitaminit…you mean there is no upcoming A-list talent-produced ALL-STAR WONDER WOMAN monthly series coming out?

Hmmm…so even though Wonder Woman is a top-tier DC character, both Superman and Batman will get the “All-Star” treatment, but not Wonder Woman.

Probably just that she's less popular than Batman and Superman.

She also has a costume I can't help but think of as degrading.

[Chapel]

Hmmm…so even though Wonder Woman is a top-tier DC character, both Superman and Batman will get the “All-Star” treatment, but not Wonder Woman.

I wonder what that’s about.

Next time on THE EXPERIMENT: Why Warren Ellis is a genius, and more comic book stories need to be 22 pages long instead of being decompressed (read: sometimes diluted) “sagas”.

I would have to agree with you on the whole "girl" thing. It does seem dumb.
The Invisible girl became the invisible woman...why can't Power Girl grow up.

As for the costume argument...I cXm has had this argument so I guess we will have to agree to disagree.-I do think it is bull crap that they wouldn't let you change it though.

WW is not getting the All-Star treatment because she sucks. Its not that I don't like her character as much as it is that her placement in the "trinity" seems forced.

I can't wait for your next collumn. I hate decompression so very much.

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by Chapel

As for the costume argument...I cXm has had this argument so I guess we will have to agree to disagree.-I do think it is bull crap that they wouldn't let you change it though.

WW is not getting the All-Star treatment because she sucks. Its not that I don't like her character as much as it is that her placement in the "trinity" seems forced.

What makes it worse is that he didn't even change the costume, he just used a costume change that someone else had already done.

I've GOT to disagree with your assessment of Wonder Woman, though. She's owed a place in the three, she's one of the most well-known comic book characters in the WORLD. When the entire superhero genre died after World War II, she was one of only THREE characters to survive. The ONLY (American -- I don't know about European) comic book superheroes that have been consistently published since the 1940s are Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

[Cardiac]

Originally Posted by Blake Petit

What makes it worse is that he didn't even change the costume, he just used a costume change that someone else had already done.

I've GOT to disagree with your assessment of Wonder Woman, though. She's owed a place in the three, she's one of the most well-known comic book characters in the WORLD. When the entire superhero genre died after World War II, she was one of only THREE characters to survive. The ONLY (American -- I don't know about European) comic book superheroes that have been consistently published since the 1940s are Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

We don't have the same tradition of home-grown, incredibly long-running superheroes that you do. There's much more focus on traditional sci-fi themes like dystopic futures as allegories for modern issues, at least in 2000 AD. That pretty much covers all there is of mainstream comics in the UK anyway.

[Andrea Speed]

Great column, Joe, and I agree with you completely. (I still don't get guys who defend Power Girl's costume, with that huge stripper slash revealing her very large ... "talents" as not sexist. I'll take 'em down to a strip club and show 'em how non-sexist it is... )

[DocDoom]

And they are even too big for their own good, it doesn't look sexy, it looks slightly "freakish".

[AMBROSECHASE]

Quote:

Originally posted by Blake Petit
I've GOT to disagree with your assessment of Wonder Woman, though. She's owed a place in the three, she's one of the most well-known comic book characters in the WORLD. When the entire superhero genre died after World War II, she was one of only THREE characters to survive. The ONLY (American -- I don't know about European) comic book superheroes that have been consistently published since the 1940s are Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Hey, Blake.

Nah, man, you misunderstand.

I agree that WW is deservedly one of DC's top three.

Apparently, DC Comics doesn't agree, or else, we'd be hearing about All-Star Wonder Woman written by Warren Ellis and pencilled by Adam Kubert, but we ain't, 'cause it doesn't exist.

If Rucka wasn't writing the character now, I'd say the company was totally disrespecting WW.

Oh, and the reason they keep publishing WW is because, from what I understand, the rights to the character would revert to the Marston empire if they stopped for a series of months, and Levitz would die if Wonder Woman started getting published by Marvel Comics.

Unfortunately, DC basically treats WW like a character they HAVE to publish, not one they're proud to.

Again, Rucka as writer being the only saving grace, in my book.

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by AMBROSECHASE

Quote:




Hey, Blake.

Nah, man, you misunderstand.

I agree that WW is deservedly one of DC's top three.

Apparently, DC Comics doesn't agree, or else, we'd be hearing about All-Star Wonder Woman written by Warren Ellis and pencilled by Adam Kubert, but we ain't, 'cause it doesn't exist.

If Rucka wasn't writing the character now, I'd say the company was totally disrespecting WW.

Oh, and the reason they keep publishing WW is because, from what I understand, the rights to the character would revert to the Marston empire if they stopped for a series of months, and Levitz would die if Wonder Woman started getting published by Marvel Comics.

Unfortunately, DC basically treats WW like a character they HAVE to publish, not one they're proud to.

Again, Rucka as writer being the only saving grace, in my book.

Oh, I agree with YOU. I was disagreeing with CHAPEL, when he said that Wonder Woman doesn't deserve a place in the "Trinity." You're right on the money, man.

[Joe Illidge]

Sorry for the confusion.

I posted under my old alias pre-Experiment.

That last reply to you about WW, Blake, was my sentiment.

I am such a virgin to this whole thing:-)

[Blake Petit]

LOL -- No problem, man.

[Joe Illidge]

Originally posted by Andrea Speed

Great column, Joe, and I agree with you completely. (I still don't get guys who defend Power Girl's costume, with that huge stripper slash revealing her very large ... "talents" as not sexist. I'll take 'em down to a strip club and show 'em how non-sexist it is... )

Thanks, Andrea!

Yeah, this particular issue's been bugging me for years, so it's great to get it out into the open.

And guys who defend Power Girl's costume, well...they gots issues.

[Andrea Speed]

Obviously.

Or, perhaps they have a thing about "tradition" ... but it's change or die, isn't it? And as a woman, I can tell you seeing Power Girl in that costume is a major turn off. I would never buy an issue with that on the cover. I'm sorry, but I wouldn't. I'll forgive a lot of things, but you have to draw a line somewhere.

(Nice to have you on the staff.)

[AmazingMattMan]

hmm...wouldnt be against the law to hold a contest that only a latina girl can win? i mean, they dont have to say thats who they are choosing or anything but still.

[Joe Illidge]

Originally posted by Chapel
WW is not getting the All-Star treatment because she sucks. Its not that I don't like her character as much as it is that her placement in the "trinity" seems forced.

I can't wait for your next collumn. I hate decompression so very much.

Nah, dude.

Wonder Woman's cool.

DC Comics sucks because they don't fully exploit her potential.

To paraphrase a popular line, "There are no small characters, only small writers, editors, and comic book companies."

And yeah, I hope you like next week's column. I'm tired of elongated storylines, especially after just reading PLANETARY #23 yesterday. Complete story, complete experience.

[Chapel]

How is Power Woman's costume any more sexist than her (or any female in Birds of Prey's) street clothes?

What about Raquel Ervin's(Rocket Milestone comics) costume? Was her costume sexist?

Personally I like the interpretation of Power Girl as a woman with big breast who has to deal with the problems it can create. Because she is a big breast blond, she has to deal with not being taken seriously by the men she interacts and the jelousy of the women in her life. The fact that Power Girl seems more to me like a tomboy just makes it all the more interseting to me. IMO Power Girl is the only truely "gifted" woman in the DCU(Maybe Marvel to). All the rest are just drawn that way by certain artist.

[kgirl]

Great column, Joe!

Yes, Wondy never got a whole hell of respect, did she? Starts off her career in the 40s at the mercy of some twisted writer-dude with serious *ISSUES*. Sappy crappy stories disinfected by Dr. Wertham in the 50s. Then she enters this weird period where she loses her powers, has to share the spotlight with Egg Fu & I Ching, and touts "women's lib" at the same time starring in a series of pointless fetish covers. George Perez was a bright light in her past, and though Phil Jimenez's take on Perez was not my personal cup of tea writing-wise, he put his entire heart into the book & really loved the character. Last I remember her at the company she was a *starter* book for new Associate Editors.

You put Jim Lee or Michael Turner on the book for a brief run, collect your cash, it should be easy right? But the conventional comic book (un)wisdom is: "Female characters don't sell." Which is why Red Sonja from an indy publisher just sold 200,000, I suppose.

I do have to address one thing in the "Great Supeheroine Tit Debate." When judging these well-endowed female characters we should take care to specify what specifically is offensive about the character and not simply say that "big 'uns are gross." There are a lot of nice ladies out there who, through no fault of their own, have breasts that are not petite. And when they read something comparing a large breast size to unsavory things, their feelings might get hurt.

Then again, in an attempt to prevent all those horny JLAers from staring at her boobies, maybe good ol' P.G. shuld invest in a nice, tasteful vest. ('cause you *know* Guy Gardner was starin'!)

Anxiously awaiting you next column,
Your fellow exile from Gotham,
--Valerie D'Orazio
(read Kamikaze Girl @ http://www.silverbulletcomics.com/news/story.php?a=590)

[Andrea Speed]

When judging these well-endowed female characters we should take care to specify what specifically is offensive about the character and not simply say that "big 'uns are gross." There are a lot of nice ladies out there who, through no fault of their own, have breasts that are not petite. And when they read something comparing a large breast size to unsavory things, their feelings might get hurt.

Oh yes. My sister is ... uh, "well endowed", and I wouldn't offend her (because she'd probably both thump me and sue me. ) I just hate the way that they tell us "Power Girl is the most powerful female" etc., and yet whenever we see her, they seem to be selling her solely on her physical assests. If she was such a "tomboy" who wanted to be taken "seriously", she wouldn't run around in a bikini with a huge gash across the front, positioned just so. She would indeed put on that vest, and remind the guys where her eyes actually are.

My sisters agree with this. And no, I'm not jealous - are you kidding? I have no idea how my sister manages. How could I slither through the crawlspace if I had to deal with a pair of those? I'm happy to be traveling light, so to speak.


(Thanks for dropping by, Valerie!)

[Joe Illidge]

Originally posted by kgirlI do have to address one thing in the "Great Supeheroine Tit Debate." When judging these well-endowed female characters we should take care to specify what specifically is offensive about the character and not simply say that "big 'uns are gross." There are a lot of nice ladies out there who, through no fault of their own, have breasts that are not petite. And when they read something comparing a large breast size to unsavory things, their feelings might get hurt.

Hey, Val! Thanks for the kudos!

I'm not meaning to bust on endowed women. Perish the thought, and thanks for pointing out my oversight on the potential offense. But you KNOW the madd MALE heads reading comics aren't going "That Power Girl has the coolest personality out of all the DC heroines. Better than Diana's, even."

And maybe if DC had some women writers tackle PG, then the authentic humor from such a "burden" as upper endowment could be touched upon, but we both know what's up at 1700 Broad.

It's the empire of man-children, guest-starring Vertigo and Joan Hilty, and a female assistant editor.

Glad you broke outta there.