NOTE: This chapter has been ready for a while, but I'm only getting around to posting now because...
BORN January 22 at 4:11 am
My new daughter Zoey! (10 lbs 5.5 oz)
On with the show...
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Download the F.Y.O.C version here.
I'm Trying to Pass the Bechdel Test (as a good example for my kids).
(How appropriate to broach this topic near the birth of my daughter.)
When I first created Metropolis I erroneously thought that I could make the characters genderless. I consider myself a feminist and I thought (erroneously) that I could avoid gender issues in my story. Within the first few chapters it was obvious that it was all too easy to impose the male gender on the characters. Eg's top hat is a dead giveaway.
Frankly, I don't know of any good science-fiction that adequately conveys a true genderless society. I know a few stories about genderless societies, but they are always in relation to or told by a gendered main character. The only examples I can think of right now are that episode of Star Trek: the Next Generation called "The Outcast" and a book called "The Breeds of Man" by F.M. Busby. Are we even capable of envisioning what a genderless society might be like? If anyone can give me a better example of a story involving a true genderless society, please let me know.
So once I accepted that the characters in Metropolis had a gender, I was suddenly faced with the problem that my comic strip was a world of men. I didn't want that. I want to set a good example for my son and my daughter. I also didn't want my strip to fail the Bechdel Test. I immediately created the character of Tepper in Chapter 7.
Since then I have struggled to involve more female characters into the overall arch of the Metropolis storyline. It's been tough. I only get 8 pages a chapter, so there's not a lot of room. Regardless, I publicly apologize for not passing the Bechdel Test sooner.
The second female character to appear in Metropolis is the White Queen of Sarnia in Chapter 30. Bechdel Test requirement #1 is met.
A third female character is introduced in Chapter 34. Ms. Teschmacher, the executive assistant to the city of Metropolis. However, to date she has not spoken a word. That will be rectified. She's going to be a really fun character.
Chapter 39 introduces our fourth female; whom you will discover is named Tuck E. Rogers.
Four women, 39 chapters and so far they've never spoken a single word to each other. I'm happy to say that Chapter 40 will meet the second and third requirement of the Bechdel Test and officially passing it.
I hope you're enjoying the story.
Have a great day.
PS: A Note about the Bechdel Test.
I don't consider the Bechdel Test to be the "be-all and end-all" of literary analysis. However, I do consider it a good rule of thumb for the type of stories I would like to create. You can't apply the Bechdel Test fairly to a significant amount of literature from the past. But shouldn't it be the base line minimum for most of the stories we're creating today?
PSS: On a similar topic, please enjoy this video of Joss Whedon.
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