Meet the Brain Janes

Mainstream fans made a beeline for Jessica Alba at an autograph signing for "Good Luck Chuck" on the show floor tonight.

But upstairs, off in a small meeting room a few hours later, a tiny but powerful group of women editors, artists and writers gathered to honor the Jessica Abel's of the world. Meaning, they celebrated the best work by women in the comics field at the annual Friends of Lulu Awards.

Photo: S. Crabtree LAT

(From left, Jennifer de Guzman, editor, Slave Labor Graphics; and Mary Kate Reed, co-editor, "The Girls' Guide to Guys' Stuff.")

Despite a grim convention room backdrop, Friends of Lulu organizers did what they could to personalize the scene. A cold lemonade dispenser and a bowl of cubed ice with tongs sat next to a covered table chock-a-block with frosted brownies, trays decorated with tiny purple flowers. The sweet nothings were a 360-degree switch from Comic-Con's standard grubby Mountain-Dew-and-cold-pizza affair.

Obviously, organizers of the Friends of Lulu Awards are not rolling in the rewards of porn-ish, breast-baring, Girls Gone Wild commercial success. Run as a nonprofit, Friends of Lulu is a national organization whose main purpose is to promote and encourage female readership and participation in the comic book industry. This year is the first time they opened voting to non-Lulu members, resulting in over 1,000 nominations and votes, their biggest response to the Lulu Awards to date.

Jennifer de Guzman, editor at Slave Labor Graphics and winner of this year's Woman of Distinction Award, described the sense of isolation women can have trying to make it in the world of graphic novels.

"I remember being a teenager and reading Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' and seeing Colleen Doran's name and realizing there is a place for women in comics," de Guzman said. "Working in the field is rewarding and frustrating, but it makes me want to keep fighting the good fight."

Doran won the Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame Award. For Lulu of the Year, Abby Denson beat out Alison Bechdel and Donna Barr with "Tough Love: High School Confidential." Rachel Nabors won the Kim Yale Award for Best New Female Talent for "Crow Princess" and "Rachel the Great."

Friends of Lulu just published an anthology of over 50 women artists called "The Girls' Guide to Guys' Stuff." It's on sale in booth 832 and available for pre-order on the FOL site.

-- S. Crabtree

Comments

[Isabella Clark]

This is such good news! Thank you so much for covering the women! My ovaries are grinning. Cheers to Friends of Lulu, too!

[WaterFaerie]

Yay! Congrats Rachel, I'm glad you won. We're celebrating back on MP for you!