Fanzine Spotlight: Women Write About Comics

First of all, I’m blogging at Galactic Journey again today, where I report about a theatre scandal that rocked my hometown in 1966.

Futhermore, it’s time for the next entry in my Fanzine/Fancast Spotlight project. For more about the Fanzine/Fancast Spotlight project, go here. You can also check out the other great fanzines and fancasts featured by clicking here.

So today, I’m pleased to feature Women Write About Comics, a site where women and people of marginalised genders write about comics and related subjects.

Therefore, I’m happy to welcome Wendy Browne of Women Write About Comics to my blog:

Tell us about your site or zine.

WWAC (pronounced “Wuh-Whack, according to the poll results) is an Eisner Award-winning online journal that offers diverse insight into the world of comic book culture and the comic book industry at large by amplifying the voices of women and people of marginalized genders. We’re committed to giving our readers diverse, interesting, critical, and fun content on comic books, the comic industry, books, comic book culture, and a look into differing geeky lifestyles.

Who are the people behind your site or zine?

More than 300 women and people of marginalized genders have written for WWAC since its inception. Right now, our main editorial team consists of:

Wendy Browne, Publisher; Nola Pfau, Editor-in-Chief; Kayleigh Hearn, Big Press Reviews Editor; Kate Tanski, Comics Academe Editor; Kat Overland, Small Press/Webcomics/Indie Editor; Adrienne Resha, Comics Academe Assistant Editor; Gretchen Smail, Moving Pictures Editor; Corinne McCreery, Pubwatch and Assistant Editor; and Zainabb Hull, Editorial Assistant.

Why did you decide to start your site or zine?

The site was founded by Megan Purdy in response to the age-old question, “Why don’t more women write about comics?” which she and her friends would hear and read regularly as part of their time spent on comics forums. WWAC was initially a fan blog with a particular interest in Carol Danvers but has since expanded significantly.

What format do you use for your site or zine (blog, e-mail newsletter, PDF zine, paper zine) and why did you choose this format?

We’ve maintained a blog format and shifted into an online journal. We now offer reviews, reports on mainstream and local conventions, comic book-inspired recipes and crafts, features discussing socio-political happenings in and around the comic book industry, and much more. As part of an overhaul a few years ago, we added a newsletter to help expand our readership and make sure our readers aren’t missing out on all the good content that we produce each week.

The fanzine category at the Hugos is one of the oldest, but also the category which consistently gets the lowest number of votes and nominations. So why do you think fanzines and sites are important?

Fanzines offer critical perspectives that invite fans to engage with the media in new and different ways. Fanzines foster meaningful discourse and encourage the respective industry to adapt to the needs of a growing, diverse fanbase.

In the past twenty years, fanzines have increasingly moved online. What do you think the future of fanzines looks like?

Fanzines will continue to adapt to the online world, venturing into such media as podcasts and video blogs and more, but I believe there’s still a place for physical works, even if only for the novelty.

The four fan categories of the Hugos (best fanzine, fan writer, fan artist and fancast) tend to get less attention than the fiction and dramatic presentation categories. Are there any awesome fanzines, fancasts, fan writers and fan artists you’d like to recommend?

Any of our writers at WWAC deserves all the kudos for their passionate writing on the subjects of their choosing. I’d also like to spotlight sites like Shelfdust, Xavier Files, and Comfort Food Comics for their work.

Where can people find you?

www.womenwriteaboutcomics.com
https://twitter.com/wwacomics
https://www.facebook.com/womenwriteaboutcomics
https://www.instagram.com/wwacomics/

Thanks, Wendy, for stopping by and answering my questions.

Do check out Women Write About Comics, cause it’s a great site.

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Do you have a Hugo eligible fanzine/-site or fancast and want it featured? Contact me or leave a comment.