Ladies Buying Comics

Rachel Edidin - Comics Writer, Editor, Journalist, and Fan

I created the We Are Comics campaign to show—and celebrate—the faces of our community, our industry, and our culture;  to promote the visibility of marginalized members of our population; and to stand in solidarity against harassment and abuse.

I’m queer, female; 31 years old; 8-year industry veteran; lifelong reader. 

I am comics.

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My name is Sigrid Ellis. I am the editor of Pretty Deadly, by the Eisner-nominated team of Kelly Sue DeConnick, Emma Rios, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles. I have been nominated for two Hugo Awards, one for my editorial work on Chicks Dig Comics, and this year for editing Queers Dig Time Lords.

I am queer. I am a woman. I am feminist. I believe in the intersectionality of oppression, and I intend to work against same. In comics or anywhere else.

Comic Book Readers

Little girls read comics from the very beginning of their incarnation??

(<.<)

Comic Book Readers

Little girls read comics from the very beginning of their incarnation??

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this. At first, I was very wary.

I volunteered for Ladies Night at Strange Adventures last evening! The shop was open 2 hours later to ladies only and it was a huge success! Over 200 people showed up and I had a great time giving people comic recommendations and helping people find new things to read!  

Every year or so we put on Ladies Night at Strange Adventures and for the last two years I’ve had the pleasure of hosting it and putting it together. This year we had a lineup start an hour before the event opened and by the time it started, that lineup went down and around the block! It took 40 minutes to clear up! We haven’t had a crowd like that outside since Kate Beaton signed at the store.

I feel incredibly lucky to work somewhere that encourages events like this and trusts me with the organization of them. I love selling comics, but putting on parties, events and helping out with conventions is infinitely satisfying. I love being part of a shop that does things like this.

My coworker Natalie and I manned the counter while my boss’ wife, her daughter and Natalie’s mom helped manage the crowds. My lady-friends came to talk comics, help set up and remind me to breathe. We had snacks and drinks, prizes and Faith Erin Hicks signing her new Superhero Girl collection. Gift bags went out to the early birds, while everyone else got at least a few free comics (some went home with Ms Marvel or Spider-Woman Essentials!). My roommate made Lantern Corps cookies and sold all of our copies of Swamp Thing. All of them!

Overall, the biggest sellers of the night were pretty diverse - Locke & Key, Saga, Adventure Time, Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, Black Beetle, Avengers, Walking Dead, every copy of Hyrule Historia and ALL the My Little Pony blind bag toys! Many girls told me it was their first time in the shop, while others said they’d been waiting months to stock up. They came in droves, bought big (often coming back to the counter multiple times throughout the night) and decimated the shelves - I couldn’t be happier.

Next weekend the boss and I travel to Fredericton to help out with a charity auction and their own Ladies Night - my second one in that location. I’m grinning ear-to-ear this morning and so pleased at how it all went, and how awesome my friends, customers and coworkers are.

In today’s installment of Comics Noob Adventures: Elsajeni goes to a signing at Things from Another World! I met Kelly Sue DeConnick and Pete Woods, got both of their signatures on Avengers Assemble #12, and also got my Captain Marvel TPB signed. They were both super nice, and really made me forget how nervous I had been as soon as I got up to the table, and I left with a huge smile on my face.

(Things I remembered to say to Kelly Sue DeConnick: Hi! I’m so excited to meet you! I started buying comics because of your work on Captain Marvel!

Thing I forgot to say to Kelly Sue DeConnick: OMG YOU PUT THE MERCURY 13 IN YOUR COMIC BOOK I WAS SO THRILLED TO SEE THAT YOU ARE SO AWESOME)