in thinking Alan Moore, and the best graphic novels generally, are more of a male thing?

[BelfastBloke]

I know on MN there will be female fans of:

-Watchmen
-The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
-V for Vendetta
-The Killing Joke
-From Hell
-Lost Girls

but would you say that in general, it's a male thing? If so, why is that?

i wouldn't say so. Im quite girly, but i like my comics and films. Love Alan Moore, and a lot of other graphic novels. As does one of my best friends (also female). My husband does too but they dont strike me as male/female at all.

I've never seen/read any of them, I remember particularly avoiding the League of Extrodinary Gentlemen because it just looked crap, not because it looked like it was aimed at men

Sarsaparilla, you're talking about the films, aren't you?

Alan Moore has dissociated himself from all of them and takes no money from hollywood.

they are different, esp League.

It's cos he worships a snake.

Interesting question!

A lot of what you've mentioned is sci-fi/fantasy genre, which is traditionally a male-dominated area, I suppose. And there is a certain snobbery about needing pictures in the books you're reading, maybe men have less of a problem with that?

I've just finished reading the Preacher series, which was awesome, but it was very violent - unnecessarily so IMO, I don't feel close-up pics of people getting shot in the face really added anything. So that sort of thing might turn women off.

A fair bit of my collection is more female-friendly, but still what I would class as very good graphic novels, off the top of my head:

Persepolis
Maus
Joe Sacco stuff
Fun Home
Stuck Rubber Baby
Ghost World

...that sort of thing. I suppose those are all either biographical, or at least set in the real world, avoiding the whole women-turned-off-by-fantasy-genre problem.

(BelfastBloke - you don't work in comics yourself do you?)

Good points, The Heathen.

I'd agree that most of that list are very good, and I'm not sure the snobs you mention realise how comics cover all genres, not just sci-fi fantasy. I've seen the US govt official 911 report produced in graphic novel form.

I don't work in comics, no.

Has anyone read Alan Moore's The Lost Girls? Alice from Alice in Wonderland, Wendy from Peter Pan, Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, all meet up as adults and describe how their lives turned out, in very pornographic detail.

I haven't read it, and the big hardbacks in the shops are, obviously, sealed. Expensive to buy for something so sex-focussed, when my interest is more in how he tells a complicated story.

Good points, The Heathen.

I'd agree that most of that list are very good, and I'm not sure the snobs you mention realise how comics cover all genres, not just sci-fi fantasy. I've seen the US govt official 911 report produced in graphic novel form.

I don't work in comics, no.

Has anyone read Alan Moore's The Lost Girls? Alice from Alice in Wonderland, Wendy from Peter Pan, Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, all meet up as adults and describe how their lives turned out, in very pornographic detail.

I haven't read it, and the big hardbacks in the shops are, obviously, sealed. Expensive to buy for something so sex-focussed, when my interest is more in how he tells a complicated story.

Comics are a bit geeky. There are more geeky men than geeky women.

Have you read the latest Alan Moores - the Promethea series? Very, very hard going, though seriously erudite. I like his early stuff - Watchmen, Swamp Thing etc.

I think men require more visual stimulation than women (which also explains why visual porn is so prevalent over say written porn), so graphica taps into that.

In my case I grew up relatively isolated in the countryside and my older brother and I were thrust into each others company. He read comics so I did too. So even though I am a diehard fan I picked up the habit from a man.

As an adult he's stopped but I am still an avid follower of certain writers, like Neil Gaiman, Garth Ennis, the aforementioned guru Moore, Mike Mignola etc etc. And 200AD characters from the 90s and early 00s like Nikolai Dante.

I frequently get obsessed with certain series and have to have them all, which is normally a male trait I know. I'm currently deeply in love with The Boys. God I do sound geeky, don't I?

Anyway, you can borrow my copy of Lost Girls if you want. There's altogether too much spanking in it for me

DH and I were both like giddy schoolkids when we went into a proper comic book store in New York.
We picked up some first editions of brand new comics that may or may not go into publication < geek alert>

I like the ruder ones myself,the artwork is stunning, DH is more oldschool and loves Marvel/Judge Dredd/2000ad etc.

We've got photos with all the X-men characters in Universal studios.

It's a bit of a chicken and egg thing isn't it? Being geeky isn't exactly seen as a good thing (although maybe that perception is changing a bit now) but it's slightly more socially acceptable to be a geeky boy than it is to be a geeky girl. If it had a better press maybe more girls would give them a try?

I'm not a big graphic novel reader (they're too short! I read fast and I tend to feel vaguely unsatisfied after) but I do love Hellblazer, Preacher and Buffy Season 8. DH is more into the Death Note/Naruto side of things, but I just can't get into them.

Massive hijack here, but can anyone recommend graphic novels for a 10 year old boy (year 5)??

He's keen on Tin Tin, and loves cartoons such as Garfield and Peanuts, so I think something with humour, adventure, Sci-Fi. He's also into Lego, Hornby trains .......

TIA

Lazy generalisation, much?

I LOVE Alan Moore and all his works (Miracle Man, anyone? F-ing Genius!!) and have done ever since I came across him in 2000AD and worked out it was him that wrote all the stories I really enjoyed reading. Of me and my brother it was me who pushed to get Mum to buy us 2000AD (still have issue no.1!) instead of my brother's Victor comic...

DH likes Sci-Fi but has no interest in 'comics', he thinks they're silly. He enjoyed the Watchmen film but couldn't get why I was so pissed off that they'd missed out the Black Freighter sub-plot except for one tiny makes-no-sense-out-of-context bit at the end between the newsvendor and the boy!

I finally got my own copy of The Dark Knight part 2 for Christmas (another work of genius) and again there was much shaking of DH's head at my obsession with 'comics'...gah!

If we're talking about visual stimulation, anyone come across Michael Manning (ooer)? His artwork is just.... amazing. Deeply, deeply porno though, better warn you before you google!:)

I don't get why it is a male thing. I love graphic novels (except Alan Moore's, I think he's crap)

I love things like Sandman, Black Orchid, Tank Girl, Lenore, JTHM.. etc.

Malificence - photos with X men characters - now that IS geeky!

lovecat - I don't think it is a lazy generalisation - just because us lot are women and love comics, does not mean we aren't in a minority.

I agree it isn't a male 'thing' but still, more men read comics than women. (unless you're talking about Buffy etc as a PP has pointed out).

Whenever I go to Forbidden Planet it's about 80% men in there buying stuff. (and yes, sometimes it does smell of BO)

Unless you're in Japan. When I lived there all the young, regardless of sex, used manga as their main source of reading material.

Sorry, 3 posts in a row!

omg Lovecat I forgot about Michael Manning! I have indeed come across him...

Thanks Kenobi for the offer of Lost Girls, and for engaging with the question, and for engaging with LoveCat about generalisations. She doesn't seem to have actually read my OP.

I'm trying to decide between Promethea and Swamp Thing for my next purchases. Any advice?

Kaloki, care to say why you think Alan Moore is crap? You're clearly in a minority....

And any advice for meeeee?

It is a largely male-oriented genre but there are exceptions; Sandman and Ghost World have been mentioned but I would put in a huge recommendation for the Hernandez brothers' Love and Rockets which is absolutely magical.

Jamie - you are very limited in English language I'm afraid. Is he doing French at school? If so, there is HUGE range of French language BD (Bandes Dessinées) suitable for every age. Even if his French reading isn't great, the beauty of BD is that you can pretty much work things out as you go along - it would certainly help his French reading!

At that age, I loved (and still love):

Tintin
Asterix
Spirou et Fantasio
Gaston (maybe when he is a little older)
Lucky Luke
Joe Bar Team (mayhe when his is older, and into bikes)
Achille Talon
Yoko Tsuno
Léonard
Oumpah-pah

YABU I love graphic novels.

If I didn't have 3 small children (and consequently a million and one things to do, constantly) then I'd still read them.