By Shruti Sunderraman
I wept in joy when The Incredibles (2004) hit the screen. Not only is it a superhero movie with a heartwarming narrative, it also has one great superpower – realistic costumes for its women. Here was a movie where the female superhero actually had a costume that suited function over glamour. No double DD push up corsets, no heels (WHAT IS EVEN THE POINT OF HEELS FOR A SUPERHERO???) and no objectifying angles.
But, sadly, The Incredibles is an exception. The objectification of female heroes in comics is legendary. In conversations of trying to de-objectify female heroes, we often hear arguments like ‘hey, but it’s just fantasy’ and ‘it won’t be just as interesting without the sexy angle’. But comic book writer and artist Renae De Liz disagrees.
In a Twitter thread, she has listed a guide for drawing female superhero characters without objectifying them.
https://twitter.com/RenaeDeLiz/status/755605004296200192
She’s used the DC hero Power Girl as an example sketch.
https://twitter.com/RenaeDeLiz/status/755616272444891140
Liz’s reimagined Power Girl reflects functionality and power. She has drawn comparisons between a traditional sketch of Power Girl and how drawing her differently, without changing her outfit can go miles in putting the focus back on the superpower and personality in female superheroes, rather than their sexuality.
She addresses a very important point of breast support. Have you never wondered how female superheroes are supposed to save the day with supposedly large breasts with little to no support, as shown in general comics?
https://twitter.com/RenaeDeLiz/status/755607722964377600
https://twitter.com/RenaeDeLiz/status/755608585162272768
She goes on to comment about little details that go a long way in depicting female superheroes, like posture.
https://twitter.com/RenaeDeLiz/status/755610795723984897
One of the best things about her thread is how she compassionately draws people into her reasons rather than shaming other artists who have taken the more traditional route. If only more artists could think and work like this, it would not only enhance the comic book experience for a lot of readers but also be educative to a younger audience (who form a large portion of comic book readership) on lessons in respecting women everywhere.