Marvel Swimsuit Specials

[el_bryanto]

Interesting article by Brett White on the Marvel Swimsuit Specials from the late 1990s - which are weirdly all over the map. The late 90s were a bit of a high water mark for sexism in comics, and yet after the first one (there were 4) they seem to have devoted nearly as much time to male figures as to females. And they also included their two most prominent gay characters at the time.



But of course there are some really terrible images as well - he does a good job of taking down a shot of Cable and Domino (Cable a big masculine cyborg dude, and Domino a sultry femme-fatale type), and explaining how even in a similar situation, the male characters are treated one way, and the females treated another.

Kind of an obscure subject, I admit, but I find it fascinating when a lot of impulses bubble up together in mass media. It's one thing when you can see that something is just terrible or just wonderful, but it's in some ways more interesting when you look at the conflicting impulses that bring you something that is pretty terrible but with some good bits too. Most interesting one here is - if they really did believe that only young males were buying these comics, why so many pictures of hunky male superheroes? A couple of theories spring to mind I suppose.

Bryant

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Guys still like to look at muscles.

Remember that one of the strongest storylines in comics is the 'average guy' who is somehow magically handed enormous power. When you're a teenager, the world controls you, you don't control it. And actually going to the gym and working out all the time is a lot more effort than most people are willing to put in, so you want to imagine yourself in the place of the superhero. Get bitten by a spider, find a magic ring, be given a 'super serum', and wham, you're the muscly guy who isn't the one being bullied by jerks. Most women I've known enjoy looking at a well-built guy, but not so much at the completely musclebound Mr Olympia types.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. I think this is why some people find it to be an issue. It is the hyper-sexuality

of both genders that further reinforces the stereotypes.

I wonder if children are even still the target market for such.

Anybody have the breakdown of demographics?

meh.

[el_bryanto]

3. Comics Journal used to do work on that

I don't know if they still do. But I think it's taken as a fact that the audience for Comic Books, particularly superhero comics, is no longer kids, but adults. Comics companies are trying to reach out to kids on and off - but the books don't usually last too long unfortunately, unless they also pick up adult readers.

Bryant