“We don’t see strong women heroes, and we came up with this girl who is just the best in magic, but still has that tough edge, while still being very sexy for all readers. There will be a lot of humor in this title, too. Men and women alike will really get into it.”
That's comic book pseudo-legend Rob Granito, talking about what he believes to be the qualities present in the strong female archetype, to be featured in one of his upcoming projects which, much like the creator whose brain said idea was shat forth from, I'm certain will be highly original and successful.
I think I speak for everyone ever when I say, Rob, you're a train wreck. Quit talking.
But seriously though... what makes a strong female character truly stand out? How do you begin composing one? As with everything, I'm not an expert, but I know what's worked for me, and if nothing else, I get more compliments on the girls I draw and write about, than the dudes. Biased as people tend to be towards the sexy ones, it means so much more despite that, or because of that (remember, sexy people read too) when someone comes up to me and thanks me for creating not just a believable girl character, but one whom they can relate to and see in themselves.
Sexiness, power, and a tough edges are fine nuances if all you intend to do is follow what Mr. Granito and the mainstream would have you believe about what goes into a femme fatale, but there's oh so much more if you care to make someone that "men and women will really get into"...
Natural Leaders. Note that there's a difference between this trait and just being a leader... And what I mean in basic terms is, you can't just be crowned queen and expect people to like you. Natch, I get the most nods for successful femme-character craftsmanship these days, for my work in VARULV. Ragna and Greta are people I'd love to hang around with, and so would many of my readers. They are compassionate, well-capable warriors who are still learning as they go. I'm not saying you can't have a monarch, rich bitch, superstar or even a dictator as your female lead, but I am saying it's important to remember that, as in real life, positions of power don't bring with them experience, and often will simply make someone more able to become the person they already were going to be, without them... good or bad. Some people are just easier to follow around than others.
Images are near-finished profile pieces for VARULV.com.
Standing Alone. Or passed out on the floor alone as is often the case with this one. People like Caj, even though she started out as a lowly fan-character, because her personality is in no way strung onto her male counterpart. In fact, she hates him, and that provides even more opportunities to mess with her. She has her own history, her own sordid past, and her own problems to deal with -- none of which have to do with finding a kinship with anyone... and I'd go so far as to say that even includes herself.
Image is a pencil sketch which I'll be painting in Photoshop for the 100 Themes Challenge over at deviantArt.
Kicking Ass. Literally or figuratively. This is that element that I'm just not sure how to define, but it's there. Kilbash scares the shit out of me. She's undead, feels no pain, and exists only to crush skulls and spill blood. The way I have her laid out in my head (take that as you will), it'd be hard to remember that she's a girl. And I guess that's the key... Your strong!femme should probably be just as appealing to you, without hooters or short shorts, and as a character, should be able to work as something that needn't be defined by its gender.
Image is another work-in-progress which I'm coloring for the hell of it.
Heart. And with these powers combined, you'll get Captain Planet. No... And I realize I've just posted about strong females not needing to be sexy while littering the page with girls in skimpy dress and catsuits, but... Really though, would you give a damn about a character who doesn't have an effing heart? Keena, when I introduced her as a little girl in the PR comic I did over at tArt, was one of the youngest female heroes I ever created, but it didn't stop her from taking on a Tyrannosaur when it came to what she most valued: defending her tribe. It's so easy to shove girl characters into the usual pigeonholes: waiting for a hero, searching for something that is missing, being horribly unfulfilled... The reality is that people, real people, need to be driven to accomplish something, and in order to do that, as one of my track coaches used to say, they "gotta have that heart beating" -- they have to be pretty complete already.
This too is a pencil sketch, which will be used in another of the 100 Theme Challenge pieces, aptly titled "Drive".
...God, I love these artsy posts!
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