Book Review: Graphic Women by Hillary L Chute

Title: Graphic Women
Author: Hillary L. Chute
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Release Date: 11/05/2010
ISBN: 9780231150637



If you ask the average person about women in comics or graphic novels, most will probably respond with a comment about their favorite Marvel or DC female superhero or the girlfriend of one. If you ask about women CREATING comics or graphic novels, some might be able to point out their favorite artists but sadly most might draw a blank at naming even the author of one of the local weekly comic strips in their local paper.

Luckily with female created comics such as Persepolis & others becoming more prevalent, hopefully more readers will start to take notice of women as both serious & talented artists. Chute attempts (and succeeds) to draw attention to not only this, but to also showcase several extremely talented women in the field.

Chute's words are interspersed with pictures from various comics that help illustrate her points. The end result is a more powerful reading experience for anyone who is looking to broaden their reading horizons. This book would make for an excellent add on book for any art class, especially now that more colleges are offering classes based around comics as an art & history form. (I dare someone to say that you can't see history in the comics!)

There will still be some readers who might be a little disappointed that this book takes more of an informative & educational standpoint, but they should stick with it- maybe it would help them develop a deeper appreciation for what they read!

(ARC provided by NetGalley)