“Comix Creatrix: 100 Women Making Comics” at the House of Illustration in London is the UK’s largest ever exhibition dedicated to the work of pioneering female artists working in the comics medium.The exhibition brings together the work of 100 artists from the UK and 22 other countries including US, France, India, Israel, Chile, Japan and Nepal.Co-curated by House of Illustration curator Olivia Ahmad and guest curator Paul Gravett, Comix Creatrix spans the genres of humour, surrealism, fiction, autobiography, and sci-fi/fantasy,According to the House of Illustration, the exhibition recognises the extraordinary variety of comics by women, debunking the myth that women have a limited stake in the world of comics.Highlights include Audrey Niffenegger’s “The Night Bookmobile,” Isabel Greenberg’s “Encyclopaedia of Early Earth,” and Nadie Redlich’s self-published “Ambient Comics.”Other notable inclusions are works by 19th century pioneers such as Marie Duval as well as 20th century innovators such as Trina Robbins and Nicola Lane.As well as showcasing the work of 21st century British creators such as Posy Simmonds, Kate Charlesworth, and Simone Lia, some 50% of the exhibition is devoted to the work of influential international practitioners including Tove Jansson and Nina Bunjevac.To find out more about the exhibition, which is on show until May 15, BLOUIN ARTINFO got in touch with House of Illustration curator Olivia Ahmad and asked her a few questions.What was the motivation and inspiration behind the Comix Creatrix exhibition?Paul Gravett (the exhibition co-curator) and I wanted to recognise women creators from history who have been overlooked and to challenge the popular belief that comics today are made and read by men. We also wanted to celebrate the rich diversity of the medium by showing work representing a range of themes and approaches.How did you select the artists in the exhibition and what criteria did you use?The show features 100 artists and focuses on work that is aimed at an adult readership. However, we do have some pieces that were produced for girls' comics (including the only surviving original artwork by Shirley Bellwood for “Misty”) because comics made for young people in the mid to late 20th century have been so influential on their successors.As House of Illustration is based in London, half of the artists were/are working in the UK and the rest are by artists who worked/are working internationally.The exhibition largely comprises contemporary work, but it begins by looking at comic pioneers-the earliest piece is an etching from 1775 by Mary Darly, who was one of the first professional caricaturists in England. Marie Duval’s iconic Victorian character Ally Sloper and her surreal comic “Ghostesses” is on display. Defining early 20th century strips such as Tove Jansson’s “Moomins” and Dale Messick’s “Brenda Starr Reporter” are also highlighted.A selection of original works by Aline Kominsky, Trina Robbins, Nicola Lane and others introduces the countercultural “Underground commix” of the 1960s and 70s and later irreverent humorous strips by cartoonists such as Manjula Padmanabhan.The largest part of the exhibition is made up of works made in the last 15 years. These pieces are grouped according to theme; humour, satire, autobiography, history, fiction, erotica and the surreal-we aimed for an even balance between different subject areas.Paul and I looked to show as broad a range of work as possible, and so we chose artists with a unique approach that were completely different from each other. It was important to us to feature outstanding work by established and acclaimed artists, but also by emerging practitioners - we wanted to acknowledge that the comics community is inclusive, vigorous and constantly evolving.What are some of the threads that link the artists and the works in the exhibition?Women create all kinds of comics and there isn’t one clear line that links them through history. However, there are some connections between different artists evident in the exhibition.British cartoonist Posy Simmonds is represented with original pieces from Tamara Drewe, a graphic reworking of Thomas Hardy’s “Far from the Madding Crowd” that was originally serialised in The Guardian. Simmonds’ first strip for the newspaper was “The Silent Three of St Botolph’s” which was a parody of a comic strip called “The Silent Three,” a girls’ comic about plucky boarding school girls drawn by Evelyn Flinders in the 1950s.Trina Robbins is a comic artist and writer; we are showing artwork from her Underground comic strip Panthea from 1969. Although Robbins’ work parodied the conventional comic strip from a feminist viewpoint, “Panthea” (a human and lion hybrid) was clearly inspired by the glamorous ‘Jungle Girl’ comics of the 1940s, like those drawn by Marcia Snyder. Snyder drew “Camilla”; an animal skin bikini-clad character for publisher Fiction House, whose comics were criticised for their hyper-sexualised images.Nicola Lane is a British creator whose “Beril in Peril” was published in London’s International Times in the 1970s. Lane’s strip imagined the grown-up characters from the Beano leading rebellious lives. Her work shares a subversive edge with those creating alternatives to mainstream adventure and superhero comics in the USA at the same time. These included San Francisco-based Robbins and Aline Kominsky. These “commix” dealt with adult and “taboo” themes, and paved the way for the alternative comics scene and zine culture of the later 1970s and 80s, and the powerful literary form that we recognise today.How has the comic medium evolved and developed over the years and what is its current status and position in the context of the wider art scene and market?Comics first became popular in Britain in the 18th century through publications like William Hogarth’s “Progresses.” Their popularity continued into the 19th century when they were read by people of all ages. In the 20th century, this changed-it was thought that comics should only be read by children. There was a moral outcry about the supposed “bad influence” of comics and the industry began to censor itself. Comics became a compromised medium.This changed in the 1960s and 70s, when artists began to create comics as part of the countercultural movements of the time. These “Underground” comics tackled previously off-limits subjects like sex and drugs and were firmly anti-establishment. From this point, comics changed completely-any subject could be addressed. As well as mainstream superhero comics that continued to flourish in the late 20th century, comic creators created candid autobiographies, researched historical accounts and surreal allegories.In the 1980s, the graphic novel gained critical acclaim and since then comics have been very visible. Major publishers now have long lists of graphic novels, and comics are available in most book shops, as well as specialist outlets. Comic conventions are growing, and festivals like East London Comic Art Festival are offering up platforms for independent and experimental publishers and creators. The internet has also allowed for a proliferation of experimental comics - artists can now create and distribute their work on their own terms and seek out supportive networks online.I think that despite increased awareness of the value of comics and recognition in academic studies, books and exhibitions, it is still considered by many as a ‘low’ artform when compared with other literary or visual art forms. In my opinion, this view is unjustified and needs to be challenged.What does the exhibition reveal about the comic medium and the contribution made by women?One of the really striking things about the exhibition is the range of approaches to sequential narrative. A comic can create a frightening vision of the future with a dynamic interplay of text and image, like Fay Dalton’s artwork for Warren Ellis’ “Reaper Files,” or it can present a wordless rumination on present-day anxieties like Marion Fayolle’s “The Collector.” They can even focus on minute, mundane moments, like a crack spreading over a wall in Nadine Redlich’s “Ambient Comics.”The exhibition makes clear that there are and always have been women creating outstanding comics and that women creators work with all kinds of subject matter, and not just gender-specific issues.What are some of the most significant works in the exhibition that typify and exemplify the work of women artists in the comic medium?I don’t think it’s possible to typify works by women in comics, or in any other medium! Women are creating comics in all genres, and defying genres too. Though the works in the exhibition are all completely different, combined they represent the vitality and apparently limitless potential of the medium for visual and literary expression.The 100 artists are: Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Alison Bechdel, Alison Sampson, Angie Hofmeister, Angie Mills, Anke Feuchtenberger, Anne Harriet Fish, Annie Goetzinger, Art is a Lie, Asia Alfasi, Audrey Niffenegger, Aurélie William-Levaux, Aya Morton, Barbara 'Willie' Mendes, Barbara Yelin, Blackjack, Brigid Deacon, Carla Speed McNeil, Carol Swain, Cat O'Neil, Catherine Anyango, Chantal Montellier, Charlotte Salomon, Chie Kutsuwada, Claire Bretecher, Claudia Davila, Corinne Pearlman, Dale Messick, Denny Derbyshire, Donya Todd, Eleni Kalorkoti, Ellen Lindner, Emma Vieceli, Evelyn Flinders, Fay Dalton, Florence Cestac , Francesca Ghermandi, Hannah Berry, Hwei Lim, Isabel Greenberg, Jackie Ormes, Jacky Fleming, Joana Estrela, Josceline Fenton, Julie Doucet, Karrie Fransman, Kate Beaton, Kate Brown, Kate Charlesworth, Kate Evans, Katie Green, Kaveri Gopalakrishnan, Kripa Joshi, Laura Callaghan, Laura Howell, Leela Corman, Leila Abdul Razzaq, Lily Renee, Lizz Lunney, Lorna Miller, Lynda Barry, Lynn Paula Russell, Manjula Padmanabhan, Marcia Snyder, Maria Stoian, Marie Duval, Marion Fayolle, Mary Darly, Maya Wilson, Miriam Katin, Nadine Redlich, Naniiebim, Nell Brinkley, Nicola Lane, Nicola Streeten, Nina Bunjevac, Pat Tourett, Patrice Aggs, Philippa Rice, Posy Simmonds, Rachael Ball, Rachael House, Ramona Fradon, Reina Bull, Reshu Singh, Roz Chast, Rutu Modan, Sarah Lightman, Shirley Bellwood, Simone Lia, Sophie Standing, Suzy Varty, Tarpe Mills, Tijuana Bibles by Horizontal Press, Tillie Walden, Tove Jansson, Trina Robbins, Tula Lotay, Una.
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