10 Comics Changed Due To Fan Backlash

5. More Women In Creative Positions At DC Comics

Clone Saga
DC Comics

Not a single comic book title or comic book arc, but fan backlash in 2011 saw the comic book industry look at ways to change its very make-up.

For decades, the comic book industry was one accused of sexism both in terms of how it presented its characters and in who was involved on the creative side of the industry. And rightly so, for the industry is one that was for so long dominated by men in positions of power, and likewise there was the creepy way that so many female characters were sexualised in their appearance or in what their roles were.

Thankfully, fan backlash to this sexism became so hot in 2011 that DC Comics had to publicly come out to address these issues and promise to push forward with change. Back then, Jim Lee and Dan DiDio released a statement admitting that they'd "heard from fans about a need for more women writers, artists and characters" and that they would be taking these concerns seriously and addressing them as a matter of urgency.

Name such as Gail Simone and Kelly Sue DeConnick have led the charge in this regard, although there is still a long way to go. In 2011, stats showed that around 10% of all comics creators were female. More recently, that figure is now closer to 20%.

While fan backlash caused the heavy-hitting publishing houses to actively seek for more creative input from women, there is still so much more than can be done.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.