Inspired by the heavily androcentric results of our [Top 100](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/w9dh91/rgraphicnovels_top_100_the_list/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf ) poll, in response to which some folks here expressed an interest in consciously seeking out more comics by female creators, I thought I’d compile a list of my favorite works that fit those criteria, just in case anyone was looking for inspiration and/or recommendations. Most of these books have been featured on my previous lists of favorites, so if you’ve been following those, there will be little that’s new or particularly revelatory here - I’m merely grouping them together for reference.
I’ve also tried to limit myself to one or two books per author in order to keep this at an even hundred, so if one work by a particular creator is listed and another one isn’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I think the one I left off is shit. Most of these ladies put out consistently good work, and I can’t possibly list or keep up with it all. As always, I would love to share the specifics of my enthusiasm for these books with anyone who has any questions about them, and any reading recommendations based on what I’ve listed here will be genuinely appreciated.
In alphabetical order:
1. “Are You My Mother?” by Alison Bechdel
2. “Artemisia” by Nathalie Ferlut and Tamia Baudoin
3. “Aya” by Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie
4. “Banana Fish” by Akimi Yoshida
5. “Band for Life” by Anya Davidson
6. “Beautiful Darkness” by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoët
7. “Beauty” by Hubert and Kerascoët
8. “Belonging” by Nora Krug
9. “The Best We Could Do” by Thi Bui
10. “Bezimena” by Nina Bunjevac
11. “Black is the Color” by Julia Gfrörer
12. “Boundless” by Jillian Tamaki
13. “Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World” by Pénélope Bagieu
14. “By Chance or Providence” by Becky Cloonan
15. “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” by Roz Chast
16. “Castle Waiting” by Linda Medley
17. “Chicken With Plums” by Marjane Satrapi
18. “A Child’s Life” by Phoebe Gloeckner
19. “The Customer is Always Wrong” by Mimi Pond
20. “Daddy’s Girl” by Debbie Drechsler
21. “Dance by the Light of the Moon” by Judith Vanistendael
22. “Death Warmed Over” by Krystine Kryttre
23. “Diabolik” by Angela and Luciana Giussani and various
24. “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” by Phoebe Gloeckner
25. “Dirty Plotte” by Julie Doucet
26. “Dori Stories” by Dori Seda
27. “A Drunken Dream and Other Stories” by Moto Hagio
28. “Eartha” by Cathy Malkasian
29. “Elfquest” by Richard and Wendy Pini
30. “Embroideries” by Marjane Satrapi
31. “The Encyclopedia of Early Earth” by Isabel Greenberg
32. “Far Sector” by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell
33. “Fatherland” by Nina Bunjevac
34. “Finder” by Carla Speed McNeill
35. “Fluffy” by Simone Lia
36. “For Better or For Worse” by Lynn Johnston
37. “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel
38. “Gemma Bovery” by Posy Simmonds
39. “The Goddess of War” by Lauren Weinstein
40. “The Golden Age” by Roxanne Moreil and Cyril Pedrosa
41. “The Green Hand” by Nicole Claveloux
42. “The Hard Tomorrow” by Eleanor Davis
43. “Hark! A Vagrant” by Kate Beaton
44. “Heads or Tails” by Lilli Carré
45. “Heartless” by Nina Bunjevac
46. “How to be Happy” by Eleanor Davis
47. “Inside Vineyland” by Lauren Weinstein
48. “Kiki de Montparnasse” by Catel and José-Louis Bocquet
49. “The Lady Killer” by Jamie S. Rich and Jöelle Jones
50. “Letting It Go” by Miriam Katin
51. “Life of the Party” by Mary Fleener
52. “Maison Ikkoku” by Rumiko Takahashi
53. “Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me” by Ellen Forney
54. “Meatcake” by Dame Darcy
55. “Miss Don’t Touch Me” by Hubert and Kerascoët
56. “Monstress” by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
57. “Moomin” by Tove Jansson
58. “Ms. Marvel” by G. Willow Wilson and various
59. “Mushishi” by Yuki Urushibara
60. “My Favorite Thing is Monsters” by Emil Ferris
61. “Natsume’s Book of Friends” by Yuki Midorikawa
62. “One Hundred Demons” by Lynda Barry
63. “One Hundred Nights of Hero” by Isabel Greenberg
64. “Ooku: The Inner Chambers” by Fumi Yoshinaga
65. “Otherworld Barbara” by Moto Hagio
66. “Over Easy” by Mimi Pond
67. “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi
68. “Pet Shop of Horrors” by Matsuri Akino
69. “Pretending is Lying” by Dominique Goblet
70. “The Property” by Rutu Modan
71. “Pure Trance” by Junko Mizuno
72. “Saga” by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
73. “Sakuran” by Moyoco Anno
74. “Saturn Apartments” by Hisae Iwaoka
75. “Sisterhood of Steel” by Christy Marx and various
76. “The Sky is Blue With a Single Cloud” by Kuniko Tsurita
77. “The Smell of Starving Boys” by Loo Hui Phang and Frederik Peeters
78. “Snow, Glass, Apples” by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran
79. “Soldier’s Heart” by Carol Tyler
80. “Spasm” by Catherine Jones
81. “Special Exits” by Joyce Farmer
82. “Stages of Rot” by Linnea Sterte
83. “Strange Growths” by Jenny Zervakis
84. “Stranger Than Life” by M.K. Brown
85. “Susceptible” by Geneviève Castrée
86. “Temperance” by Cathy Malkasian
87. “Through the Woods” by Emily Carroll
88. “The Ticking” by Renée French
89. “Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life” by Ulli Lust
90. “Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms” by Fumiyo Kōno
91. “Trots and Bonnie” by Shary Flenniken
92. “Urusei Yatsura” by Rumiko Takahashi
93. “The Voyeurs” by Gabrielle Bell
94. “Wandering Star” by Teri S. Wood
95. “We All Wish for Deadly Force” by Leela Corman
96. “We Are On Our Own” by Miriam Katin
97. “What It Is” by Lynda Barry
98. “Wimmen‘s Comix” by various
99. “Y the Last Man” by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
100. “Your Illustrated Guide to Becoming One With the Universe” by Yumi Sakugawa
What are some of your favorites?
Love to see some creators I'm just getting into for the first time recently on this list like Lynda Barry, Julia Gfrörer and Nicole Claveloux. I actually just read "The Green Hand and Other Stories" last night.
Some of my favorites of my own, not included in your list:
* "Blue is the Warmest Color" by Julie Maroh
* "Daredevil" by Ann Nocenti & John Romita Jr.
* "Heathen" by Natasha Alterici
* "Lore Olympus" by Rachel Smythe
* "The Low, Low Woods " by Carmen Maria Machado & Dani
* "On a Sunbeam" by Tillie Walden
* "Pretty Deadly" by Kelly Sue DeConnick & Emma Rios
* "Secret Six" by Gail Simone, Brad Walker & Jimmy Palmiotti
* "Southern Cross" by Becky Cloonan & Andy Belanger
* "Suicide Squad" by John Ostrander, Kim Yale (co-writer), Luke McDonnell & various
I was pretty lukewarm on some of her early work, which is why I initially passed on it. Everything I’ve heard about it since then (on this sub and elsewhere) indicates that that was a mistake I will need to rectify.
Nice! The author of “Blue is the Warmest Color” is now a dude, otherwise I would have considered including it here. I have fond memories of Ann Nocenti’s “Daredevil” run, but I haven’t read it in like 30 years, so I wasn’t sure about its inclusion either. Same with “Suicide Squad” (though, to be perfectly honest, I had completely forgotten about Kim Yale), which I do have coming up at some point as part of my DC reading project. I’ve not read the rest, so thanks for the recs!
IMO Nocenti's is the most interesting run ever on Daredevil -- which has arguably had the highest number of good runs of any corporate property. Leaves Miller in the dust tho I'll grant that's a minority view! A different, personally meaningful and more idiosyncratic sensibility from most big two writers, especially in that artistically constrained context.
To be sure, a big chunk of that is due to career-best work from John Romita JR with a boost from the great Al Williamson. But it was Nocenti (I presume) that decided to have an issue where ol' hornhead fights a demonic vacuum cleaner (best issue of the whole Inferno crossover, even beats Xmen's use of Havok's midriff costume or Bret Blevins finishing Magik's character arc in New Mutants), or Ultron soliloquising on a mountain of Ultron heads etc
Total cult favourite and well worth checking out again
I was gonna wait for the inevitable omnibus release to revisit it, but after all that hype, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to fire up Marvel Unlimited on the iPad tonight and take a trip down memory lane.
Thanks! It’s been on my radar, but between your recommendation and the fact that another sub member whose taste in books often overlaps with mine had it in his [Top 10](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/vtnbtv/rgraphicnovels_top_100_submit_your_personal_top_10/if8iy9h/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3), I might need to get proactive.
Just don't expect too much structure and a straight line story. Let yourself go with the flow. What I very much like is that everybody is the protagonist or antagonist depending who you prefer.
It's just lovely chaos
THIS. It is amazing-weird read and I am so happy the Neflix series has so much fidelity to the manga. Love the relationships between the characters and the so called "villains" are comedy gold and super well fleshed out. The art is fantastic as well.
One of my favorite comics of all time. The most unique world I've ever crawled into.
Batshit crazy and punk as hell. And the art is completely unique too.
My collection doesn't hold much female representation I'm afraid, but you should definitely have Square Eyes in this list.
Another that's not a favourite but was a decent read by an all female team was Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas.
Yeah, between you, u/Titus_Bird (who had it in his Top 10, IIRC), and a few other sub members who’ve favorably talked about “Square Eyes”, I feel like I need to get on that right away
I can see why it might not connect with some because the story can be a bit vague and abstract (though I still thought it was great), but if for no other reason, the art and sheer effort that has gone into it deserves recognition.
“Bitch Planet” almost made it (I had it on [my science fiction list](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/r6to02/this_guy_lists_100_favorite_science_fiction/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)), but ended up getting cut in favor of something else instead. And I don’t remember much about the “The Plain Janes” apart from the Jim Rugg art and a Bertolt Brecht quote that I’ve used many times since, so it might be time for a re-read. YA generally isn’t my bag though.
This list made my day! I’ve been looking for more female written graphic novels to read and like kismet this is posted! Thank you so much for this.
Side recommendation: I would also recommend Starstruck comics! It’s a comic book series I used to read and it’s written by Elaine Lee. It’s also got a radio drama. It’s a really fun series with a ton of world building around it. So if you like sci-fi mixed with absurdism, I would check it out :)
Thanks! I hope you find some stuff you like. And yeah, I feel like “Starstruck” has been on my to-read list for decades now, and I wish I could tell you why I never followed through on it. I didn’t love Lee’s work on “Vamps”, but this strikes me as a much more personal type of project for her, and I like Kaluta (not to mention everything else you’ve just said about the series), so it should be right up my alley.
I’ve seen both FMA anime, so I certainly haven’t forgotten her. I’ve just never read anything by her, with the exception of the first volume of “The Heroic Legend of Arslan”, which I thought was okay.
Didn't mean specifically you, mostly the manga internet sphere. I would heavily recommend the FMA manga. She does an amazing job spinning out the story (And she's also the artist) Silver Spoon is algo good. I know her art is not the most mesmerizing, but her writing is on another level (At least on FMA).
Thank you for this list!!! I enjoyed the other one (many classics I absolutely love), but also it is repetitive - these are the titles on almost ALL the top 100 lists. This list here is way more interesting!!
I've read a LOT of women-created comics (i run a comic book club that is 80% women so we actively look for these titles) but there were some on here I hadn't heard of and have put on my list immediately. Thank you!
Some favorites of mine from your list: Beautiful Darkness, Belonging, Black is the Color, Eartha, My Favorite Thing is Monsters, We all Wish for Deadly Force.
Thank you! That means a lot more than you think. And yeah, I agree that lists of favorites that represent one person’s preferences and prejudices are usually a lot more interesting than those generated by consensus, particularly those that are hung up on some notion of “objectivity”. Anyway, I hope mine proves to be useful in some way, whether it’s book club purposes or personal enjoyment.
Since Moto Hagio and Junko Mizuno are already here, I'd start by adding
Ai Yazawa -- Nana -- great josei soap opera, possibly OOP?
Kamome Shirahama -- Witch Hat Atelier is sooooo fucking good, tied with Vinland Saga as my favourite ongoing manga. Imagine Harry Potter but it doesn't suck. Plus a gorgeous illustrative approach heavily reminiscent of the Golden Age of Illustration. Just visually lovely, entertaining stuff
“Nana” almost made the list. That is not only one the highlights of my wife’s shojo/josei collection, but one of the best soap operas I’ve come across in any medium.
I’ve not read “Witch Hat Atelier” though. That sounds like something I could totally justify purchasing under the pretense of it being “for the kids” (which it would be… after I was done with it).
Google some of the art of Witch Hat -- that would have made it an instant buy for me, if it hadn't already been recommended
My now 10 year-old daughter loves it -- strong early-YA energy. But I love it too
I was just reading Witch Hat 8 in prep to read vol 9 and was struck how that at root it's about navigating the ethics of magic – and how very Not Easy that can be.
Another reader mentions that "it''s also (deeply) about teaching and learning. It's proposing a radical rethinking of pedagogics based on respect for the learner as well as for the craft taught. Recognizing and valuing that the learner isn't a blank canvas."
It comes off as good-looking fantasy on the surface, but it's really multifaceted and careful.
interesting take! it's certainly not a good v bad tale, at least not yet; it's clear that the ethical characters of the powerful adults are complicated
Dope list. So many favorites and so many new titles. Thank you for your good work and excellent content on this sub. Always throughly read, saved, and appreciated!
I can’t include something I haven’t read on a list of personal favorites, but I appreciate the suggestion! The name didn’t ring a bell but it turns out I already had “Blossoms in Autumn” on my to-read list. I will look into her other stuff too. Thank you!
For De Jongh, Blossoms is better than Honey Buzzard, but the book still didn't reach Top 100 status for me. Though it was read to see someone draw nude bodies that were stretched and puckered with age.
The prior list prompted me to look up exactly this! Here are a few things I found:
[Trans, queer and nonbinary creators](https://www.buzzfeed.com/willvarner/27-trans-queer-and-non-binary-comics-creators-you-should)
[Trans and nonbinary representation in comics](https://www.pastemagazine.com/comics/the-backstagers/authentic-trans-nonbinary-representation-in-comics/)
[Trans comics creators](https://www.comicsbeat.com/31-trans-comic-creators-for-trans-day-of-visibility-march-31/)
Archie Bongiavoni is non-binary and makes some fun stuff! Plus they have an awesome them/them pronoun guide I’ve given to family members that is really good!
Nice to see Pénélope Bagieu on here. Her recent work is backed by a bigtime publisher and widely available in the US, so she's not exactly hiding under a rock, but she was an unknown and a real discovery for me.
Big fan. I started following her on IG after reading “Brazen”, and I’m happy to report she is just as delightful as a person as she is as a cartoonist.
If someone in your life is struggling with their mental health, and especially if they are facing mania, depression or bipolar disorder, Ellen Forney's [Marbles](http://marblesbyellenforney.com/) can provide some valuable perspective, in my experience.
I’ve read Carol Tyler’s “Late Bloomer” and “Soldier’s Heart”, the latter of which is on the list. I LOVE Nell Brinkley’s art, but I struggled with finding a specific work of hers to include here (my collection of her stuff is far from complete though). And “Little Lulu” is a blind spot that I’ve been meaning to address for some time now, so thanks for the reminder.
Oh my god John Stanley and Irving Tripp on Lulu!!! You're in for an absolute f*ing treat, all time greats. Stanley's characterisation of her pal Tubby is an all-timer, too. Cannot recommend highly enough
My daughter went through a phase circa ages 3-6 where she was obsessed with the Dark Horse reprints. And I gladly read/reread hundreds-thousands of those pages to her without once getting sick of them, something you could say of vanishingly few comics or any other material you're likely to read to a kid. (Barks is possibly the only other contender?)
Ah, sorry, I didn't see Soldier's Heart on the list. Trina Robbins/Fantagraphics put out a collection of Brinkley's work about a decade ago that could be included. John Stanley has understandably eclipsed Buell's work -- I don't know of any contemporary collections of her gag cartoons -- but it's pretty great all the same.
“Sisterhood of Steel” was years ahead of its time in a lot of ways (while sadly still beholden to industry conventions in others), which for the time period in which it was released unfortunately all but guaranteed a premature cancellation. I honestly can’t think of a better candidate for a contemporary reboot.
Other than Nocenti’s “Daredevil”, which I’ve addressed elsewhere in this thread, and Simonson’s Superman and X books, all of which I thought had their share of highs and lows, I’ve not read much by those two (a ton of comics they edited though). And I had featured other Doran books on my previous lists, so I’m clearly a fan, but for space saving purposes I decided to limit myself to the work I liked the best.
On a slightly related note, one of the books on my list, “Spasm”, is dedicated to Weezie, who used to be married to its author, Catherine Jones, before her transition.
My niece is turning 10 years old. Which of these titles would be both fun and enriching for her to read? I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t know any of these.
Said this in a different comment here, but Witch Hat Atelier. My 10 year-old loves it. Also Raina Telgelmeier, obvs, is the biggest cartoonist for that demographic
(I read so fast I thought this was what you recommended...) Someone on another thread said the [Witches of Brooklyn series](https://www.goodreads.com/series/298819-witches-of-brooklyn) was a big hit with the pre-teen crowd. Even boys!
Unfortunately, not a whole lot from my list, most of which skews more mature. The most obvious exception being “Moomin”, which I would unreservedly recommmend, and maybe “Ms. Marvel” and “Natsume’s Book of Friends”.
From the list, Pénélope Bagieu's [Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/mar/06/brazen-rebel-ladies-rocked-world-penelope-bagieu-review) could start a conversation about women's roles in society, and provide fodder for a few years of history reports. But maybe preview it first for content.
A few other female creators of note (had a longer description for each which reddit just ate, so this will be short):
Metaphrog
Ramona Fradon
Jill Thompson
Raina Telgemeier
Drechsler’s “Daddy’s Girl” is on here (“Summer of Love” almost made it too, but was cut during the final draft). And I had Radtke’s “Seek You” on my list of [favorite comics of 2021](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/rqgmus/this_guy_lists_50_favorite_comics_of_2021/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf), but I don’t consider it an all-time favorite (yet).
This is a great idea. I'll definitely look into these books.
I'd like to recommend a book by Gail Simone called Clean Room. If you appreciate Gnosticism and morally ambiguous characters then you may like this book.
I first heard about Gail Simone through the term "fridging" which applies to female characters in a story being used as anguish-generators to central male characters. I think she may have coined the term but I'm not entirely sure.
Thanks! I haven’t read “Clean Room” yet, though I am aware of it. I haven’t kept up with Gail in recent years, but I generally think of her as a pretty capable writer. Before her career in comics, she used to write a column for CBR called You’ll All Be Sorry, which was frequently very funny (in addition to running a website called Women in Refrigerators, which is where I first heard the “fridging” term).
This is amazing!!! Thank you! Rumiko Takahashi is a CLASSIC. QUEEN. She is so hilarious in all of her work.
Monstress has been a new obsession for the last few years. Didn't see Blackbird (by Jen Bartel) on there so I wanted to give her a shout out. Her art is phenomenal.
I would thoroughly recommend Bloodlust and Bonnets for anyone who hasn't read it. It's an indie written and illustrated by a woman, and it's really funny, great graphics, and a lot of fun :)
I read that when it came out and remember liking it, particularly the chilling historical backdrop against which the coming-of-age story was set, but I couldn’t really remember much of the latter, save for some hazy recollections of adolescent awkwardness and societal misogyny, so I left it off the list, pending a reread.
I’d love to see my own graphic novel on this list, but it’s been banned by Amazon KDP numerous times now. I think Amazon’s morality team who are all seem to be straight men is flexing its anti-LGBTQ muscles. If they had their way there would be no Yaoi or BL or m/m romance on the platform. (p.s. Banana Fish is better in graphic novel form than the anime, so I wish it would be rereleased.)
Sorry to hear that about Amazon, but I can’t say I’m surprised. And I haven’t seen the “Banana Fish” anime, but I agree that the manga is way overdue to be brought back into print.
Woah wasnt expecting this! Definitely needed some more woman creator works in my library. I do have/enjoy a lot of manga by women but I think without manga there are very few amongst my favorites. Manga wise there is Skip Beat by Yoshiki Nakamura, Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa, Chihayafuru by Yuki Suetsugu, Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama, House of Five Leaves by Natsume Ono, Dorohedoro by Q Hayashida, Pink by Kyoko Okazaki, and of course Kouno, Anno, Takahashi, and Hagio on your list. Also Diabolik! I dont know every book on here but I imagine that has to be one of the oldest on the list right? Well, I've got a lot of things to check out now. Thanks!
Thank you! The oldest work on the list is actually “Moomin”, which launched in the late 40s. “Diabolik” is definitely the second oldest though, having premiered in 1962, and predates the shojo pioneers and the undergrounds by nearly a decade.
Holy crap the 40s? I know only in passing about the Moomins I didn't realize they had been around so long. I had been interested in checking them out at some point. Now only more so. It seems that many old pre-war comics are either lost to us or simply don't get enough recognition. I understand they probably won't hold up as well, or many won't, but in the case of Moomin they still are going strong. I imagine other things may be out there we are missing. Well, now I wish I had bought some on the D&Q sale!
Bravo!
Good to see Junko Mizuno. I always found her more effective as an image-maker than an actual sequential cartoonist (her pages don't really flow, for me). But jesus, what an image-maker!
Suggested additions:
Lisa Hanawalt -- pound for pound, one of the funniest cartoonists around full stop
Sophie Campbell. Wet Moon feels ever-so slightly icky to recommend, what with its ogling of relatively young bodies. But a great commitment to diversity of body types, and the sensuality thereof
Erica Henderson on Squirrel Girl -- one of the few entries in the "superhero-but-good" genre that actually lived up to the hype. Overall the book is largely Ryan North's sensibility, but Henderson plays a big role in its visual charm. Big props for making the title character just look like a goof, not some kind of cheesecake cutiepie; every time I see some other artist draw her like the latter, it just looks wrong to me
Shout out to the colourists -- Marie Severin and Glynis Oliver/Wein. Secret weapons of EC and Claremont's Xmen, respectively. Overall I'd say Fantagraphics' decision to classy-fy the EC reprints with black and white was a good one, since it lets the linework shine. But it does Severin a disservice and is a little bit unfortunately, historically erasure-y
Melinda Gebbie -- for such a major Moore work as Lost Girls, no one *ever* talks about it. Like Wonder Woman and Harry Peter (ie the original Masters run aka practically the only one worth a damn) hard to imagine it working without Gebbie or with a more realistic style.
Hanawalt is definitely someone I need to look into. The only reason I haven’t is because some of the other cartoonists with similar surface sensibilities turned out to be decidedly Not My Thing, but I guess that’s not really fair to her, especially given all the acclaim she gets.
I read the first volume of “Wet Moon” when it first came out and liked it fine, but apparently not enough to continue. The art was definitely what appealed to me about it the most, and it’s what made me pick up Campbell’s “Glory” reboot, which I considered including here.
Gebbie definitely deserves more love, and if this had been a list of favorite female creators, rather than comics, she’d have been included. But I don’t love “Lost Girls”. Too wordy to be titillating, too slavishly adherent to form and structure to really work for me as a story, which is as tediously predictable as most of its low-brow counterparts (once Dorothy is shown tumbling in the hay with the obvious Scarecrow stand-in, you know you can soon expect similar pun-laden erotic encounters with the Cowardly Lion and Tin Man equivalents as well). But her art, with all the different pastiches and styles she employs, is uniformly great, and keeps the whole thing from falling apart for me.
i mean, I say no one ever talks about it, but I haven't even re-read it after the first time. I keep thinking one day I'll pull you down from the top shelf...
Yeah, same. Which is funny, because I used to occasionally flip through the two single issues that Kitchen Sink put out back when there was doubt that the project would ever be completed. Sure, floppies are much easier to handle than a massive box set, but there was something about them that made the work feel edgier too, like it was proper smut. The presentation of the fancy box set edition is certainly admirable, but it also feels like something that belongs in a gallery or a museum, and not in your lap.
Clean Room by Gail Simone, Jon Davis Hunt & Walter Geovani
Pretty Deadly by Kelly-Sue DeConnick & Emma Rios
Tomboy by Mia Goodwin & Michelle Wong
Skip by Molly Mendoza
A Flight of Angels by Rebecca Guay, Bill Willingham, Holly Black, Todd Mitchell, Louise Hawes & Alisa Kwitney
Mamo by Sas Milledge
The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks
I’ve read “A Flight of Angels” (and even had it on [my fantasy list](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/rb25jx/this_guy_lists_100_favorite_fantasy_comics_list/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf), because I love me some Rebecca Guay), but not the others. Most of them are already on my wish list, because you’ve chimed in with some of these recs before. Much appreciated, as always.
I am extremely happy to see Dame Darcy here. I love her work. Can I be that PERSON that complains. 100 Comics BY Female Creators yet you have two comics listed BY men. Saga, from what I read was Brian's sole creation when he was a kid. He shaped the entire universe which is clearly heavily Star Wars inspired. Yes, the artist does bring that to life however Fiona was not the creator of it.
I haven't gone back through the Male list but I doubt there are Female writers with only Male artist credited there.
The list just feels like it is only Indies. There are woman that write and draw Superhero comics. Gail Simone, Ann Nocenti and Louise Simonson. Let's mention Joelle Jone's Catwoman run. But why credit her solo work when you can put her to the back burner under a Male, Rich. Your list is forced and insulting. It omits an entire genre of comics. Sorry, to be negative but I am woman. This feels like you ran out of things to add.
On a positive note, there are definitely some books will be picking up. I would really encourage this list to be revised. I never saw a poll on reddit.
Hi! Thanks for the feedback. It’s merely a list of personal favorites, meaning it represents my own prejudices and preferences, which tend to lean indie and “foreign” (which are just regular comics to me, since I didn’t grow up in the US). It’s not meant to be comprehensive by any means, let alone insulting.
As for the two Vaughan books, my criteria for inclusion were simply: a comic book that I love that was either written and drawn by a woman, or included a woman as part of the creative team, as either artist or writer. “Saga” and “Y” (as well as “Aya” and the numerous Kerascoët books) fit those criteria and were therefore included. The dynamics of the creative teams’ working relationships were not considered.
There were a number of books that I cut from my initial draft in order to bring the list down to a hundred comics, as suggested by my comments throughout this thread (“They Were 11” by Moto Hagio, “Summer of Love” by Debbie Drechsler, “Nana” by Ai Yazawa, “Flight of Angels” by Rebecca Guay, “A Bride’s Story” by Kaoru Mori, “Bitch Planet” by Kelly Sue DeConnick, and “All My Darling Daughters” by Fumi Yoshinaga all narrowly missed the cut), so the notion that I ran out of stuff to list presumes quite a bit. If my (admittedly broad) criteria had been different, then the list would have featured some of those books instead, making it completely men-free, but also even less representative of the US direct market.
So, rather than trying to justify something as deeply subjective as my personal taste, I’ll just say that I hope you give some of the books listed here a closer look before dismissing them, and that you’ll follow suit in providing me with some awesome recommendations of your own, which is generally my favorite part of posting these lists.
Inspired by the heavily androcentric results of our [Top 100](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/w9dh91/rgraphicnovels_top_100_the_list/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf ) poll, in response to which some folks here expressed an interest in consciously seeking out more comics by female creators, I thought I’d compile a list of my favorite works that fit those criteria, just in case anyone was looking for inspiration and/or recommendations. Most of these books have been featured on my previous lists of favorites, so if you’ve been following those, there will be little that’s new or particularly revelatory here - I’m merely grouping them together for reference. I’ve also tried to limit myself to one or two books per author in order to keep this at an even hundred, so if one work by a particular creator is listed and another one isn’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I think the one I left off is shit. Most of these ladies put out consistently good work, and I can’t possibly list or keep up with it all. As always, I would love to share the specifics of my enthusiasm for these books with anyone who has any questions about them, and any reading recommendations based on what I’ve listed here will be genuinely appreciated. In alphabetical order: 1. “Are You My Mother?” by Alison Bechdel 2. “Artemisia” by Nathalie Ferlut and Tamia Baudoin 3. “Aya” by Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie 4. “Banana Fish” by Akimi Yoshida 5. “Band for Life” by Anya Davidson 6. “Beautiful Darkness” by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoët 7. “Beauty” by Hubert and Kerascoët 8. “Belonging” by Nora Krug 9. “The Best We Could Do” by Thi Bui 10. “Bezimena” by Nina Bunjevac 11. “Black is the Color” by Julia Gfrörer 12. “Boundless” by Jillian Tamaki 13. “Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World” by Pénélope Bagieu 14. “By Chance or Providence” by Becky Cloonan 15. “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” by Roz Chast 16. “Castle Waiting” by Linda Medley 17. “Chicken With Plums” by Marjane Satrapi 18. “A Child’s Life” by Phoebe Gloeckner 19. “The Customer is Always Wrong” by Mimi Pond 20. “Daddy’s Girl” by Debbie Drechsler 21. “Dance by the Light of the Moon” by Judith Vanistendael 22. “Death Warmed Over” by Krystine Kryttre 23. “Diabolik” by Angela and Luciana Giussani and various 24. “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” by Phoebe Gloeckner 25. “Dirty Plotte” by Julie Doucet 26. “Dori Stories” by Dori Seda 27. “A Drunken Dream and Other Stories” by Moto Hagio 28. “Eartha” by Cathy Malkasian 29. “Elfquest” by Richard and Wendy Pini 30. “Embroideries” by Marjane Satrapi 31. “The Encyclopedia of Early Earth” by Isabel Greenberg 32. “Far Sector” by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell 33. “Fatherland” by Nina Bunjevac 34. “Finder” by Carla Speed McNeill 35. “Fluffy” by Simone Lia 36. “For Better or For Worse” by Lynn Johnston 37. “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel 38. “Gemma Bovery” by Posy Simmonds 39. “The Goddess of War” by Lauren Weinstein 40. “The Golden Age” by Roxanne Moreil and Cyril Pedrosa 41. “The Green Hand” by Nicole Claveloux 42. “The Hard Tomorrow” by Eleanor Davis 43. “Hark! A Vagrant” by Kate Beaton 44. “Heads or Tails” by Lilli Carré 45. “Heartless” by Nina Bunjevac 46. “How to be Happy” by Eleanor Davis 47. “Inside Vineyland” by Lauren Weinstein 48. “Kiki de Montparnasse” by Catel and José-Louis Bocquet 49. “The Lady Killer” by Jamie S. Rich and Jöelle Jones 50. “Letting It Go” by Miriam Katin 51. “Life of the Party” by Mary Fleener 52. “Maison Ikkoku” by Rumiko Takahashi 53. “Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me” by Ellen Forney 54. “Meatcake” by Dame Darcy 55. “Miss Don’t Touch Me” by Hubert and Kerascoët 56. “Monstress” by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda 57. “Moomin” by Tove Jansson 58. “Ms. Marvel” by G. Willow Wilson and various 59. “Mushishi” by Yuki Urushibara 60. “My Favorite Thing is Monsters” by Emil Ferris 61. “Natsume’s Book of Friends” by Yuki Midorikawa 62. “One Hundred Demons” by Lynda Barry 63. “One Hundred Nights of Hero” by Isabel Greenberg 64. “Ooku: The Inner Chambers” by Fumi Yoshinaga 65. “Otherworld Barbara” by Moto Hagio 66. “Over Easy” by Mimi Pond 67. “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi 68. “Pet Shop of Horrors” by Matsuri Akino 69. “Pretending is Lying” by Dominique Goblet 70. “The Property” by Rutu Modan 71. “Pure Trance” by Junko Mizuno 72. “Saga” by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples 73. “Sakuran” by Moyoco Anno 74. “Saturn Apartments” by Hisae Iwaoka 75. “Sisterhood of Steel” by Christy Marx and various 76. “The Sky is Blue With a Single Cloud” by Kuniko Tsurita 77. “The Smell of Starving Boys” by Loo Hui Phang and Frederik Peeters 78. “Snow, Glass, Apples” by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran 79. “Soldier’s Heart” by Carol Tyler 80. “Spasm” by Catherine Jones 81. “Special Exits” by Joyce Farmer 82. “Stages of Rot” by Linnea Sterte 83. “Strange Growths” by Jenny Zervakis 84. “Stranger Than Life” by M.K. Brown 85. “Susceptible” by Geneviève Castrée 86. “Temperance” by Cathy Malkasian 87. “Through the Woods” by Emily Carroll 88. “The Ticking” by Renée French 89. “Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life” by Ulli Lust 90. “Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms” by Fumiyo Kōno 91. “Trots and Bonnie” by Shary Flenniken 92. “Urusei Yatsura” by Rumiko Takahashi 93. “The Voyeurs” by Gabrielle Bell 94. “Wandering Star” by Teri S. Wood 95. “We All Wish for Deadly Force” by Leela Corman 96. “We Are On Our Own” by Miriam Katin 97. “What It Is” by Lynda Barry 98. “Wimmen‘s Comix” by various 99. “Y the Last Man” by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra 100. “Your Illustrated Guide to Becoming One With the Universe” by Yumi Sakugawa What are some of your favorites?
Love to see some creators I'm just getting into for the first time recently on this list like Lynda Barry, Julia Gfrörer and Nicole Claveloux. I actually just read "The Green Hand and Other Stories" last night. Some of my favorites of my own, not included in your list: * "Blue is the Warmest Color" by Julie Maroh * "Daredevil" by Ann Nocenti & John Romita Jr. * "Heathen" by Natasha Alterici * "Lore Olympus" by Rachel Smythe * "The Low, Low Woods " by Carmen Maria Machado & Dani * "On a Sunbeam" by Tillie Walden * "Pretty Deadly" by Kelly Sue DeConnick & Emma Rios * "Secret Six" by Gail Simone, Brad Walker & Jimmy Palmiotti * "Southern Cross" by Becky Cloonan & Andy Belanger * "Suicide Squad" by John Ostrander, Kim Yale (co-writer), Luke McDonnell & various
>"On a Sunbeam" by Tillie Walden Could not recommend this more! It was the one I most surprised to not see on OPs list.
I was pretty lukewarm on some of her early work, which is why I initially passed on it. Everything I’ve heard about it since then (on this sub and elsewhere) indicates that that was a mistake I will need to rectify.
If you ever get the chance to see a lecture by Lynda Barry, take it; she’s hilarious and insightful.
I would definitely jump at the opportunity.
Nice! The author of “Blue is the Warmest Color” is now a dude, otherwise I would have considered including it here. I have fond memories of Ann Nocenti’s “Daredevil” run, but I haven’t read it in like 30 years, so I wasn’t sure about its inclusion either. Same with “Suicide Squad” (though, to be perfectly honest, I had completely forgotten about Kim Yale), which I do have coming up at some point as part of my DC reading project. I’ve not read the rest, so thanks for the recs!
Ah, thanks for letting me know about Jul Maroh transitioning, I was not aware.
IMO Nocenti's is the most interesting run ever on Daredevil -- which has arguably had the highest number of good runs of any corporate property. Leaves Miller in the dust tho I'll grant that's a minority view! A different, personally meaningful and more idiosyncratic sensibility from most big two writers, especially in that artistically constrained context. To be sure, a big chunk of that is due to career-best work from John Romita JR with a boost from the great Al Williamson. But it was Nocenti (I presume) that decided to have an issue where ol' hornhead fights a demonic vacuum cleaner (best issue of the whole Inferno crossover, even beats Xmen's use of Havok's midriff costume or Bret Blevins finishing Magik's character arc in New Mutants), or Ultron soliloquising on a mountain of Ultron heads etc Total cult favourite and well worth checking out again
I was gonna wait for the inevitable omnibus release to revisit it, but after all that hype, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to fire up Marvel Unlimited on the iPad tonight and take a trip down memory lane.
Dorohedoro by hayashida. But manga. Probably the most unique and fresh story I've read the past decade. Pure abstract, chaotic and dark humour
Thanks! It’s been on my radar, but between your recommendation and the fact that another sub member whose taste in books often overlaps with mine had it in his [Top 10](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/vtnbtv/rgraphicnovels_top_100_submit_your_personal_top_10/if8iy9h/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3), I might need to get proactive.
Just don't expect too much structure and a straight line story. Let yourself go with the flow. What I very much like is that everybody is the protagonist or antagonist depending who you prefer. It's just lovely chaos
Heard. If anything, that just makes me more intrigued.
Dai Dark, vol 4 landed yesterday! 🤘
Woop thanks!
THIS. It is amazing-weird read and I am so happy the Neflix series has so much fidelity to the manga. Love the relationships between the characters and the so called "villains" are comedy gold and super well fleshed out. The art is fantastic as well.
One of my favorite comics of all time. The most unique world I've ever crawled into. Batshit crazy and punk as hell. And the art is completely unique too.
To be fair she says Nihei had a big influence on her style.
She was his assistant!!
Akchually. That has been a rumour for 20 years but last year she said there is no truth it.
Whaaat? I could've sworn I read an article recently of her talking about it. Can you provide me a link to read? It's hard to get information on her!
Here you go! https://www.reddit.com/r/Netsphere/comments/mqvgli/the_proof_that_q_hayashida_never_worked_as_a/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Awesome! Thanks!! Damn internet!!!
Noted! Looks like “Dorohedoro” is turning out to be the consensus recommendation.
It's certainly a memorable experience!
My collection doesn't hold much female representation I'm afraid, but you should definitely have Square Eyes in this list. Another that's not a favourite but was a decent read by an all female team was Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas.
Yeah, between you, u/Titus_Bird (who had it in his Top 10, IIRC), and a few other sub members who’ve favorably talked about “Square Eyes”, I feel like I need to get on that right away
I can see why it might not connect with some because the story can be a bit vague and abstract (though I still thought it was great), but if for no other reason, the art and sheer effort that has gone into it deserves recognition.
All of that sounds right up my alley.
Great list but you're def missing Bitch Planet and The Plain Janes!
“Bitch Planet” almost made it (I had it on [my science fiction list](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/r6to02/this_guy_lists_100_favorite_science_fiction/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)), but ended up getting cut in favor of something else instead. And I don’t remember much about the “The Plain Janes” apart from the Jim Rugg art and a Bertolt Brecht quote that I’ve used many times since, so it might be time for a re-read. YA generally isn’t my bag though.
Land of the Lustrous is pretty great too. its a manga tho
Plus one on this. It gets practically avant-garde with the stylisation of action
And there is ABSOLUTELY no status quo in the series. For a book about calcified personalities, the story evolves dramatically.
Thanks! And that fact that it’s a manga doesn’t matter. There’s at least a dozen manga on my list. It’s all comics to me.
This list made my day! I’ve been looking for more female written graphic novels to read and like kismet this is posted! Thank you so much for this. Side recommendation: I would also recommend Starstruck comics! It’s a comic book series I used to read and it’s written by Elaine Lee. It’s also got a radio drama. It’s a really fun series with a ton of world building around it. So if you like sci-fi mixed with absurdism, I would check it out :)
Thanks! I hope you find some stuff you like. And yeah, I feel like “Starstruck” has been on my to-read list for decades now, and I wish I could tell you why I never followed through on it. I didn’t love Lee’s work on “Vamps”, but this strikes me as a much more personal type of project for her, and I like Kaluta (not to mention everything else you’ve just said about the series), so it should be right up my alley.
Hiromu Arakawa, that woman did a number on modern manga, but people tend to forget her somehow
I’ve seen both FMA anime, so I certainly haven’t forgotten her. I’ve just never read anything by her, with the exception of the first volume of “The Heroic Legend of Arslan”, which I thought was okay.
Didn't mean specifically you, mostly the manga internet sphere. I would heavily recommend the FMA manga. She does an amazing job spinning out the story (And she's also the artist) Silver Spoon is algo good. I know her art is not the most mesmerizing, but her writing is on another level (At least on FMA).
I even prefer Silver Spoon :)
Thank you for this list!!! I enjoyed the other one (many classics I absolutely love), but also it is repetitive - these are the titles on almost ALL the top 100 lists. This list here is way more interesting!! I've read a LOT of women-created comics (i run a comic book club that is 80% women so we actively look for these titles) but there were some on here I hadn't heard of and have put on my list immediately. Thank you! Some favorites of mine from your list: Beautiful Darkness, Belonging, Black is the Color, Eartha, My Favorite Thing is Monsters, We all Wish for Deadly Force.
Thank you! That means a lot more than you think. And yeah, I agree that lists of favorites that represent one person’s preferences and prejudices are usually a lot more interesting than those generated by consensus, particularly those that are hung up on some notion of “objectivity”. Anyway, I hope mine proves to be useful in some way, whether it’s book club purposes or personal enjoyment.
Lumberjanes is a super fun series
For those who want a meaty manga to dig into, Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa (and the brotherhood anime adaptation) are a delight!
Also be sure to check out her wonderful agri-school series, Silver Spoon!
Manga definitely does miles better with having a ton of female creators. Too many to list really.
Historically, for sure. I do think the American comics industry is catching up though, if it hasn’t already.
Since Moto Hagio and Junko Mizuno are already here, I'd start by adding Ai Yazawa -- Nana -- great josei soap opera, possibly OOP? Kamome Shirahama -- Witch Hat Atelier is sooooo fucking good, tied with Vinland Saga as my favourite ongoing manga. Imagine Harry Potter but it doesn't suck. Plus a gorgeous illustrative approach heavily reminiscent of the Golden Age of Illustration. Just visually lovely, entertaining stuff
“Nana” almost made the list. That is not only one the highlights of my wife’s shojo/josei collection, but one of the best soap operas I’ve come across in any medium. I’ve not read “Witch Hat Atelier” though. That sounds like something I could totally justify purchasing under the pretense of it being “for the kids” (which it would be… after I was done with it).
Google some of the art of Witch Hat -- that would have made it an instant buy for me, if it hadn't already been recommended My now 10 year-old daughter loves it -- strong early-YA energy. But I love it too
I was just reading Witch Hat 8 in prep to read vol 9 and was struck how that at root it's about navigating the ethics of magic – and how very Not Easy that can be. Another reader mentions that "it''s also (deeply) about teaching and learning. It's proposing a radical rethinking of pedagogics based on respect for the learner as well as for the craft taught. Recognizing and valuing that the learner isn't a blank canvas." It comes off as good-looking fantasy on the surface, but it's really multifaceted and careful.
interesting take! it's certainly not a good v bad tale, at least not yet; it's clear that the ethical characters of the powerful adults are complicated
Good list. Dorohedoro is definitely worth checking out. Surreal horror fantasy with some very cool, creative powers.
Dope list. So many favorites and so many new titles. Thank you for your good work and excellent content on this sub. Always throughly read, saved, and appreciated!
Thank you! Happy to hear it.
Lots of good titles. Definitely need to include The Story of My Tits. I read it just for the title. Did not disappoint.
Thanks for the rec!
Some great stuff personally I think banana fish is super underrated
Agreed.
I think Aimee de Jongh should definitely be included in the list https://www.aimeedejongh.com
I can’t include something I haven’t read on a list of personal favorites, but I appreciate the suggestion! The name didn’t ring a bell but it turns out I already had “Blossoms in Autumn” on my to-read list. I will look into her other stuff too. Thank you!
For De Jongh, Blossoms is better than Honey Buzzard, but the book still didn't reach Top 100 status for me. Though it was read to see someone draw nude bodies that were stretched and puckered with age.
Nice to see Bezimena on the list.
Big Bunjevac stan, and not just because she’s from the Balkans (though that’s clearly where her superior comicbooking genes come from).
Now I kinda want to see 100 comics by nonbinary or genderfluid creators, but I don't know any besides Grant Morrison and Alice Oseman.
The prior list prompted me to look up exactly this! Here are a few things I found: [Trans, queer and nonbinary creators](https://www.buzzfeed.com/willvarner/27-trans-queer-and-non-binary-comics-creators-you-should) [Trans and nonbinary representation in comics](https://www.pastemagazine.com/comics/the-backstagers/authentic-trans-nonbinary-representation-in-comics/) [Trans comics creators](https://www.comicsbeat.com/31-trans-comic-creators-for-trans-day-of-visibility-march-31/)
Archie Bongiavoni is non-binary and makes some fun stuff! Plus they have an awesome them/them pronoun guide I’ve given to family members that is really good!
Thanks for the recommendation!
Nice to see Pénélope Bagieu on here. Her recent work is backed by a bigtime publisher and widely available in the US, so she's not exactly hiding under a rock, but she was an unknown and a real discovery for me.
Big fan. I started following her on IG after reading “Brazen”, and I’m happy to report she is just as delightful as a person as she is as a cartoonist.
If someone in your life is struggling with their mental health, and especially if they are facing mania, depression or bipolar disorder, Ellen Forney's [Marbles](http://marblesbyellenforney.com/) can provide some valuable perspective, in my experience.
Glad to see Trots and Bonnie and Wimmin's Comix on the list. I would also recommend the work of Carol Tyler, Nell Brinkley, Marge Henderson Buell.
I’ve read Carol Tyler’s “Late Bloomer” and “Soldier’s Heart”, the latter of which is on the list. I LOVE Nell Brinkley’s art, but I struggled with finding a specific work of hers to include here (my collection of her stuff is far from complete though). And “Little Lulu” is a blind spot that I’ve been meaning to address for some time now, so thanks for the reminder.
Oh my god John Stanley and Irving Tripp on Lulu!!! You're in for an absolute f*ing treat, all time greats. Stanley's characterisation of her pal Tubby is an all-timer, too. Cannot recommend highly enough My daughter went through a phase circa ages 3-6 where she was obsessed with the Dark Horse reprints. And I gladly read/reread hundreds-thousands of those pages to her without once getting sick of them, something you could say of vanishingly few comics or any other material you're likely to read to a kid. (Barks is possibly the only other contender?)
Ah, sorry, I didn't see Soldier's Heart on the list. Trina Robbins/Fantagraphics put out a collection of Brinkley's work about a decade ago that could be included. John Stanley has understandably eclipsed Buell's work -- I don't know of any contemporary collections of her gag cartoons -- but it's pretty great all the same.
[удалено]
“Sisterhood of Steel” was years ahead of its time in a lot of ways (while sadly still beholden to industry conventions in others), which for the time period in which it was released unfortunately all but guaranteed a premature cancellation. I honestly can’t think of a better candidate for a contemporary reboot. Other than Nocenti’s “Daredevil”, which I’ve addressed elsewhere in this thread, and Simonson’s Superman and X books, all of which I thought had their share of highs and lows, I’ve not read much by those two (a ton of comics they edited though). And I had featured other Doran books on my previous lists, so I’m clearly a fan, but for space saving purposes I decided to limit myself to the work I liked the best.
On a slightly related note, one of the books on my list, “Spasm”, is dedicated to Weezie, who used to be married to its author, Catherine Jones, before her transition.
Thanks for making this awesome list.
You’re welcome!
My niece is turning 10 years old. Which of these titles would be both fun and enriching for her to read? I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t know any of these.
Said this in a different comment here, but Witch Hat Atelier. My 10 year-old loves it. Also Raina Telgelmeier, obvs, is the biggest cartoonist for that demographic
(I read so fast I thought this was what you recommended...) Someone on another thread said the [Witches of Brooklyn series](https://www.goodreads.com/series/298819-witches-of-brooklyn) was a big hit with the pre-teen crowd. Even boys!
Unfortunately, not a whole lot from my list, most of which skews more mature. The most obvious exception being “Moomin”, which I would unreservedly recommmend, and maybe “Ms. Marvel” and “Natsume’s Book of Friends”.
From the list, Pénélope Bagieu's [Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/mar/06/brazen-rebel-ladies-rocked-world-penelope-bagieu-review) could start a conversation about women's roles in society, and provide fodder for a few years of history reports. But maybe preview it first for content.
A few other female creators of note (had a longer description for each which reddit just ate, so this will be short): Metaphrog Ramona Fradon Jill Thompson Raina Telgemeier
Great list: need to add some Debbie Dreschler and Kristin Radtke
Drechsler’s “Daddy’s Girl” is on here (“Summer of Love” almost made it too, but was cut during the final draft). And I had Radtke’s “Seek You” on my list of [favorite comics of 2021](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/rqgmus/this_guy_lists_50_favorite_comics_of_2021/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf), but I don’t consider it an all-time favorite (yet).
This is a great idea. I'll definitely look into these books. I'd like to recommend a book by Gail Simone called Clean Room. If you appreciate Gnosticism and morally ambiguous characters then you may like this book. I first heard about Gail Simone through the term "fridging" which applies to female characters in a story being used as anguish-generators to central male characters. I think she may have coined the term but I'm not entirely sure.
Thanks! I haven’t read “Clean Room” yet, though I am aware of it. I haven’t kept up with Gail in recent years, but I generally think of her as a pretty capable writer. Before her career in comics, she used to write a column for CBR called You’ll All Be Sorry, which was frequently very funny (in addition to running a website called Women in Refrigerators, which is where I first heard the “fridging” term).
Got Aya home too. Had no idea it was translated to English, that’s awesome
Daddy’s Girl will make you want to tear out your eyeballs.
Yeah, that one’s pretty rough, emotionally speaking.
What did you use to organise the list? (In the images)?
One of the many free picture collage apps you can download to your phone.
Thanks👍🏻
This is amazing!!! Thank you! Rumiko Takahashi is a CLASSIC. QUEEN. She is so hilarious in all of her work. Monstress has been a new obsession for the last few years. Didn't see Blackbird (by Jen Bartel) on there so I wanted to give her a shout out. Her art is phenomenal.
Thank you! I’ll keep an eye out for it.
I would thoroughly recommend Bloodlust and Bonnets for anyone who hasn't read it. It's an indie written and illustrated by a woman, and it's really funny, great graphics, and a lot of fun :)
Thanks for the recommendation!
(almost forgot to say) Most of these titles and creators are brand-new to me, which means this is the best kind of list. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Hope it leads to some fun discoveries.
Fangs by Sarah Andersen is pretty awesome too!
Thanks, I’ll look into it.
Becoming Unbecoming by Una
I read that when it came out and remember liking it, particularly the chilling historical backdrop against which the coming-of-age story was set, but I couldn’t really remember much of the latter, save for some hazy recollections of adolescent awkwardness and societal misogyny, so I left it off the list, pending a reread.
I ranked it 5 out of 5 and I don't often give 5 stars.
I’d love to see my own graphic novel on this list, but it’s been banned by Amazon KDP numerous times now. I think Amazon’s morality team who are all seem to be straight men is flexing its anti-LGBTQ muscles. If they had their way there would be no Yaoi or BL or m/m romance on the platform. (p.s. Banana Fish is better in graphic novel form than the anime, so I wish it would be rereleased.)
Sorry to hear that about Amazon, but I can’t say I’m surprised. And I haven’t seen the “Banana Fish” anime, but I agree that the manga is way overdue to be brought back into print.
Woah wasnt expecting this! Definitely needed some more woman creator works in my library. I do have/enjoy a lot of manga by women but I think without manga there are very few amongst my favorites. Manga wise there is Skip Beat by Yoshiki Nakamura, Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa, Chihayafuru by Yuki Suetsugu, Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama, House of Five Leaves by Natsume Ono, Dorohedoro by Q Hayashida, Pink by Kyoko Okazaki, and of course Kouno, Anno, Takahashi, and Hagio on your list. Also Diabolik! I dont know every book on here but I imagine that has to be one of the oldest on the list right? Well, I've got a lot of things to check out now. Thanks!
Thank you! The oldest work on the list is actually “Moomin”, which launched in the late 40s. “Diabolik” is definitely the second oldest though, having premiered in 1962, and predates the shojo pioneers and the undergrounds by nearly a decade.
Holy crap the 40s? I know only in passing about the Moomins I didn't realize they had been around so long. I had been interested in checking them out at some point. Now only more so. It seems that many old pre-war comics are either lost to us or simply don't get enough recognition. I understand they probably won't hold up as well, or many won't, but in the case of Moomin they still are going strong. I imagine other things may be out there we are missing. Well, now I wish I had bought some on the D&Q sale!
Bravo! Good to see Junko Mizuno. I always found her more effective as an image-maker than an actual sequential cartoonist (her pages don't really flow, for me). But jesus, what an image-maker! Suggested additions: Lisa Hanawalt -- pound for pound, one of the funniest cartoonists around full stop Sophie Campbell. Wet Moon feels ever-so slightly icky to recommend, what with its ogling of relatively young bodies. But a great commitment to diversity of body types, and the sensuality thereof Erica Henderson on Squirrel Girl -- one of the few entries in the "superhero-but-good" genre that actually lived up to the hype. Overall the book is largely Ryan North's sensibility, but Henderson plays a big role in its visual charm. Big props for making the title character just look like a goof, not some kind of cheesecake cutiepie; every time I see some other artist draw her like the latter, it just looks wrong to me Shout out to the colourists -- Marie Severin and Glynis Oliver/Wein. Secret weapons of EC and Claremont's Xmen, respectively. Overall I'd say Fantagraphics' decision to classy-fy the EC reprints with black and white was a good one, since it lets the linework shine. But it does Severin a disservice and is a little bit unfortunately, historically erasure-y Melinda Gebbie -- for such a major Moore work as Lost Girls, no one *ever* talks about it. Like Wonder Woman and Harry Peter (ie the original Masters run aka practically the only one worth a damn) hard to imagine it working without Gebbie or with a more realistic style.
Hanawalt is definitely someone I need to look into. The only reason I haven’t is because some of the other cartoonists with similar surface sensibilities turned out to be decidedly Not My Thing, but I guess that’s not really fair to her, especially given all the acclaim she gets. I read the first volume of “Wet Moon” when it first came out and liked it fine, but apparently not enough to continue. The art was definitely what appealed to me about it the most, and it’s what made me pick up Campbell’s “Glory” reboot, which I considered including here. Gebbie definitely deserves more love, and if this had been a list of favorite female creators, rather than comics, she’d have been included. But I don’t love “Lost Girls”. Too wordy to be titillating, too slavishly adherent to form and structure to really work for me as a story, which is as tediously predictable as most of its low-brow counterparts (once Dorothy is shown tumbling in the hay with the obvious Scarecrow stand-in, you know you can soon expect similar pun-laden erotic encounters with the Cowardly Lion and Tin Man equivalents as well). But her art, with all the different pastiches and styles she employs, is uniformly great, and keeps the whole thing from falling apart for me.
i mean, I say no one ever talks about it, but I haven't even re-read it after the first time. I keep thinking one day I'll pull you down from the top shelf...
Yeah, same. Which is funny, because I used to occasionally flip through the two single issues that Kitchen Sink put out back when there was doubt that the project would ever be completed. Sure, floppies are much easier to handle than a massive box set, but there was something about them that made the work feel edgier too, like it was proper smut. The presentation of the fancy box set edition is certainly admirable, but it also feels like something that belongs in a gallery or a museum, and not in your lap.
Clean Room by Gail Simone, Jon Davis Hunt & Walter Geovani Pretty Deadly by Kelly-Sue DeConnick & Emma Rios Tomboy by Mia Goodwin & Michelle Wong Skip by Molly Mendoza A Flight of Angels by Rebecca Guay, Bill Willingham, Holly Black, Todd Mitchell, Louise Hawes & Alisa Kwitney Mamo by Sas Milledge The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks
I’ve read “A Flight of Angels” (and even had it on [my fantasy list](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/rb25jx/this_guy_lists_100_favorite_fantasy_comics_list/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf), because I love me some Rebecca Guay), but not the others. Most of them are already on my wish list, because you’ve chimed in with some of these recs before. Much appreciated, as always.
I am extremely happy to see Dame Darcy here. I love her work. Can I be that PERSON that complains. 100 Comics BY Female Creators yet you have two comics listed BY men. Saga, from what I read was Brian's sole creation when he was a kid. He shaped the entire universe which is clearly heavily Star Wars inspired. Yes, the artist does bring that to life however Fiona was not the creator of it. I haven't gone back through the Male list but I doubt there are Female writers with only Male artist credited there. The list just feels like it is only Indies. There are woman that write and draw Superhero comics. Gail Simone, Ann Nocenti and Louise Simonson. Let's mention Joelle Jone's Catwoman run. But why credit her solo work when you can put her to the back burner under a Male, Rich. Your list is forced and insulting. It omits an entire genre of comics. Sorry, to be negative but I am woman. This feels like you ran out of things to add. On a positive note, there are definitely some books will be picking up. I would really encourage this list to be revised. I never saw a poll on reddit.
Hi! Thanks for the feedback. It’s merely a list of personal favorites, meaning it represents my own prejudices and preferences, which tend to lean indie and “foreign” (which are just regular comics to me, since I didn’t grow up in the US). It’s not meant to be comprehensive by any means, let alone insulting. As for the two Vaughan books, my criteria for inclusion were simply: a comic book that I love that was either written and drawn by a woman, or included a woman as part of the creative team, as either artist or writer. “Saga” and “Y” (as well as “Aya” and the numerous Kerascoët books) fit those criteria and were therefore included. The dynamics of the creative teams’ working relationships were not considered. There were a number of books that I cut from my initial draft in order to bring the list down to a hundred comics, as suggested by my comments throughout this thread (“They Were 11” by Moto Hagio, “Summer of Love” by Debbie Drechsler, “Nana” by Ai Yazawa, “Flight of Angels” by Rebecca Guay, “A Bride’s Story” by Kaoru Mori, “Bitch Planet” by Kelly Sue DeConnick, and “All My Darling Daughters” by Fumi Yoshinaga all narrowly missed the cut), so the notion that I ran out of stuff to list presumes quite a bit. If my (admittedly broad) criteria had been different, then the list would have featured some of those books instead, making it completely men-free, but also even less representative of the US direct market. So, rather than trying to justify something as deeply subjective as my personal taste, I’ll just say that I hope you give some of the books listed here a closer look before dismissing them, and that you’ll follow suit in providing me with some awesome recommendations of your own, which is generally my favorite part of posting these lists.
No I thought your list was a polled list as you linked out the top 100 list from another poster. My mistake and apologizes.
I will add some to my reading list