10 Shocking Cover Ups DC Comics Wants You To Forget
2. The Harley Quinn Art Submission Contest
Back in 2013, DC did something innovative, which was actually pretty cool. The company created a contest, which would enable one lucky fan by taking one of their drawings and publishing it in the forthcoming issue of Harley Quinn #0. It was an amazing opportunity, but it also crossed the line of good taste.
DC has a history of putting women in the refrigerator, which is especially true since it was DC who originally shoved a female character into a fridge in the first place. That highlighted the objectification of women in comics, and it seems the company didn't learn its lesson.
The contest solicited artwork from fans with the intention of portraying Quinn in a humorous situation. Specifically, the costume called for fans to draw Harley contemplating suicide by several different means across four separate panels. One of the panels needed to show her nude in a bathtub.
This didn't go over well with... anyone. DC didn't really justify their call for the images properly, and while the publisher was looking to lampoon the objectification of women in a comical way, all they did was do exactly that, but without the satire. Fans were angry, and so were artists, many of whom posted images calling out DC for the contest.