I surprisingly really enjoyed this book! The 2-3 page capsule biographies were perfect to pique my interest and give more information on women artists, especially as I do not know much about many of these comic creators, publishers, and editors. I now have a list of comics/graphic novels to check out!

*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.* ( )

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s She Changed Comics: The Untold Story of the Women Who Changed Free Expression in Comics! features 71 interviews with or profiles of women in the comic book industry arranged into the categories of Golden Age; Silver Age; Underground Comix; Alternative Comics and Cartooning; Bronze and Modern Age; Manga; Women in Charge; and Women at Risk. In her introduction, editor Betsy Gomez writes, “Women have been making comics since their inception, and there was even something resembling gender parity in readership prior to the implementation of the Comics Code in 1954. But as the mainstream comics industry focused increasingly on superhero comics – a genre that appealed mainly to boys – to survive the Code, many women had to find other spaces in which to express themselves. They turned to underground comix, alternative comics, and webcomics” (pg. v).

These profiles focus on artists such as Ramona Fradon and Marie Severin, two of the only women to survive the industry contraction following the enactment of the Comic Book Code. Other profiles include Trina Robbins, who co-created Vampirella and Wimmen’s Comix. The profile on Gail Simone discusses how “she uses the medium to address, deconstruct, and overcome sexism. She also uses her formidable social media powers for good, fearlessly calling out misogyny in comics and pop culture” both in comics’ portrayal of women and in toxic masculinity in the fandom (pg. 89). Turning to Jenette Kahn, Gomez writes, “under Kahn’s 26 years of leadership, DC Comics subverted the self-censorship of the Comics Code [through imprints like Vertigo], strengthened creator rights, and attracted a wider audience that included more women and people of color. Many of the titles that Kahn published proved that comics could be used to tell sophisticated stories and fostered unprecedented acceptance of comics as literature” (pg. 108). As part of its commitment to free expression, the CBLDF profiles women like Atena Farghadani, who was imprisoned by Iran for a satirical cartoon, and Megumi Igarashi (professional name, Rokudenashiko), who was prosecuted for obscenity.

She Changed Comics is a must-read primer for those interested in the history of comics as it disabuses the reader of the notion that the medium is by male creators for male consumers. It proves that women have always played a role in this art form and will continue to do so for as long as it exists. For interested readers, there’s also a further reading list at the end. ( )

Short informative profiles of, or interviews with, seventy-one female cartoonists, script writers, editors, and publishers who have worked in the medium of comics, graphic storytelling, or sequential art, depending on how you choose to define the artform, make up this compendium of groundbreaking women. They pushed the boundaries of social norms, free expression, and the patriarchy in both their lives and their art. The women represented are mostly North American or Japanese. Also included are four women, Indian, Egyptian, Lebanese, and Japanese whose works have been challenged, censored, fined. Two of them were imprisoned. ( )