Something for the girls

The romantic comics came in for particular criticism. In the 1950s, the American titles were hammered for being immoral, salacious and un-Christian, and, as we have seen, suffered badly when the Code was introduced. Later, with the rise of Women's Liberation in the late 1960s, the romance titles that remained in existence were attacked from another perspective, with feminist critiques emphasizing that there might just be more to life than 'catching a man'. Similarly, in Britain, Jackie became the focus for feminist scorn.
In the 1980s, these various controversies were reassessed, and new theories about reading comics were suggested - especially with regard to female audiences. It was shown, for example, that readers develop a relationship with 'their' comics, and that stories can be interpreted in wildly differing ways. For example, a plot that may have appeared to be 'sexist' according to traditional feminist viewpoints may in fact have been empowering for the reader, depending on how it was received. Also, it was argued that by looking closely at the comics themselves, rather than starting from an entrenched ideological position, it was possible to see how storytelling changed with time, and thus how it was impossible to generalize about stereotypes. This new theorizing did not imply by any means that feminist critiques were no longer valid, merely that the debate surrounding comics for girls and women has become more sophisticated.
As we shall see later, the position of women in comics has changed a great deal in the post-196os period. Today, there are more women creators than ever before, and more positive images of women depicted. Paradoxically, there are also more sexist titles than ever, and the gender profile of the industry is still overwhelmingly male. Meanwhile, the new mainstream comics market has become confined to specialist 'fan shops', which are male enclaves, and the traditional 'girls' comic' on the news-stands has virtually disappeared. So far as this latter market is concerned, in the age of cheaply produced, high-quality 'pop' magazines, a revival of this once-thriving genre seems very unlikely.