Being a fangirl is ‘more socially acceptable’ than years ago (CCC feature)

Jill Pantozzi has no problems with putting comic book fans who test her knowledge in their place.

“Some people are shocked to learn I read comic books or love sci-fi, but most people, if they’re into the same thing, will just think it’s cool. Of course every once in a while you’ll get a smart aleck who thinks you must be lying and tries to test your knowledge of said culture.

“I take great pleasure in flexing my giant geeky brain to put them in their place,” she said.

For the 26-year-old New Jersey comic book fan, it’s important for the public to know dedicated fans aren’t just males — aka the so-called “fanboys.” Pantozzi, a radio DJ, writes the appropriately titled comic book blog, “Has Boobs, Reads Comics.”

“There are tons of girls in geek culture and they are still being underrepresented. If you want proof, just got to any comic or fan convention — you’ll see them standing right next to you,” she said.

Pantozzi, who has dressed as DC Comics magician Zatanna and a villainous Red Lantern for conventions, said it’s possible there are more “girls around than in the past … because it’s become more socially acceptable these days to be proud of your geeky interests.”

“Now this doesn’t mean that the girls are into the exact same fan categories as the boys; people in general have very different tastes, but there is a lot of overlap. People just don’t realize it,” she said.

Stephanie Carmichael, 20, of the Pittsburgh, Penn. area, is “waiting for the day when people realize how overrated it is” to be a female fan in a culture seemingly dominated by males. She writes the blog “What Is Techno Again?,” full of her thoughts on comics, related films and gaming.

“Yes, girls read comics,” said Carmichael, who doesn’t mind being called a “fangirl.”

“We do a lot of other things, like watch and read science fiction, gush over gory horror films, and play video games for hours straight,” she said.

Women with ‘unrealistic bodies’
The Norwalk Reflector, in an e-mail interview, asked both fans about their thoughts on the overt sexuality with female comics characters, either through the way artists draw females, or the content.

“For the most part, the portrayal of females in comic books doesn’t bother me. Just like most actors and actresses, these characters are meant to be appealing to the eye for the sake of the audience,” Pantozzi said.

She pointed out male characters often are “drawn with similarly unrealistic bodies and almost no one ever mentions that.”

“I have to say a lot of my dislike comes down to the artist working on a book. In my opinion, some (artists) just go overboard, but most of the time it doesn’t bother me,” Pantozzi said.

The sexually exaggerated depiction of women in comics generally doesn’t bother Carmichael “that much,” either. However, the writer for The Girls Entertainment Network said it’s unfair.

“It plays into what was once a tremendously male-dominated industry, but it’s not something that’s worth getting outraged over when so much in our society does the same thing. Women and young girls are bombarded with impossible ideals by the media and advertisements and there’s much more pressure on us than men in that regard. Portrayal of women in comics is the least of that giant problem,” Carmichael said.

Power Girl, a DC heroine infamous for being drawn with large breasts showing a lot of cleavage, is a character Pantozzi said she has “recently grown to love.”

“I’ve always thought she was a cool, tough chick, but since Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Amanda Conner started her solo book she’s really become one of my favorites. Some people, men and women alike, shy away from her because she’s famous for her rather large cleavage that’s out there for the world to see and gawk at. But if people actually took the time to read the book and get to know the character you’d see past the giant chest,” Pantozzi said.

“More importantly, it’s a fact of life. There are women in this world with large breasts and yes, some of them choose not to hide them,” she added.

Pantozzi pointed out “not every female comic character is portrayed as the stereotypical sexy female.” She used Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her supporting cast as an example.

“(Buffy) and most of the other slayers in the book are as normal looking as you can get. They’re your daughter, your sister, your best friend or the girl you pass by on the street. It all depends on the type of story you’re trying to tell,” Pantozzi said.

While Carmichael doesn’t consider herself “a hard-core feminist or anything,” she said she finds it “annoying” when female comic characters have “generous features.”

“But it doesn’t make me throw down the comic in anger. A lot of people try to defend those depictions by saying that men are treated the same way — superheroes are muscle powerhouses, after all, and can be serious eye-candy for women,” she said.

Carmichael believes male heroes “were drawn that way” in the early days of comics “because they represented the ideal man that every man wanted to be.”

“And I think that’s still embedded in today’s comics or action movies (and) what have you,” she said.

Reflector staff writer Cary Ashby ponders the comic book industry in his twice-monthly column, “Cary’s Comics Craze.” A portion of his interview with Stephanie Carmichael and Jill Pantozzi appeared in Thursday’s Norwalk Reflector. E-mail your feedback to cashby@norwalkreflector.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This feature originally appeared on page B-3 of the Dec. 14 edition of the Norwalk Reflector. It has been unavailable online until now.