Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2023
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Illustration & Visual Culture
Degree Type
Thesis
Abstract
Now more than ever the comics industry is welcoming diversity in its creators and stories, but with its historically misogynistic past, what legacy are creators inheriting? This essay seeks to explore that history, delving into the various eras of American Comics and how sexism shaped them. From the earliest heroines of the 40s, the ground-breaking feminist indie comics of the 70s, and the rampant female sexualization of the 90s, examples of brilliance and drudgery will be investigated in order to gain a better understanding of how comics became what they are today.
Language
English
Program Chair
John Hendrix
Recommended Citation
Bray, Britain, "Perils of the Heroine: The Historic Role of Woman in Comics" (2023). MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture. 13.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mfa_illustration/13