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Are 50% of the People Reading Comics Women??

Started by sundrycollect,

78 posts in this topic

MetalPSI

MetalPSI

Posted
Posted
:gossip:
While results vary slightly across reputable studies, the consensus is that the mean human is in the range 12.9–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) in length with a 95% confidence interval of (10.7 cm, 19.1 cm) or, equivalently (4.23 in, 7.53 in) — that is, it is 95% certain that the true mean is at least 10.7 cm but not more than 19.1 cm
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SquareChaos

SquareChaos

Posted
Posted
:gossip:
While results vary slightly across reputable studies, the consensus is that the mean human is in the range 12.9–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) in length with a 95% confidence interval of (10.7 cm, 19.1 cm) or, equivalently (4.23 in, 7.53 in) — that is, it is 95% certain that the true mean is at least 10.7 cm but not more than 19.1 cm

 

I've never been more glad to be American - I'm so thankful that I don't know the metric system!

 

 

 

:jokealert:

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dupont2005

dupont2005

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This reminds me of when a stat floated around that something like 50% of gamers were women... turns out they were counting all types of gamers as 'gamers' - if you'd played a game of Angry Birds on your phone, you were counted.

 

What does a woman have to do to be counted here? Have read Sally Forth once in 1983? Maybe she's read XKCD once? Maybe her parents used to buy her Donald Duck comics when she was a kid?

Hey, at least we're doing our part to make all woman comic fans extremely uncomfortable and chase them away from our hobby, right?

 

I don't know, are you?

 

I immediately ignore most stats if I can't determine how they're compiled. It's easy to make statistics say anything you want them to say, and only 85% of the people that take them at face value are likely to be 60% skeptical.

Being skeptical of stats is one thing. Your post was another.

 

That is not the case - if you read further down, I factually state this industry has never been more welcoming, and I say it is a good thing.

 

One thing I've noticed when you post... you always seem ready to judge and jump on things as being 'against' something. Typically you feel the need to constantly defend 'indie', which is fine, but in this case you're actually attacking a perfectly factual statement that I made ridiculing some number picked out of the air.

 

I'm all for female inclusion in our hobby, but just because some statistic, or some NYTimes article you read ranked certain types of trades higher than others, doesn't make that original statement any more true.

 

My point is, why even talk about it until we know how the number was derived. All it is at this point is click bait.

I took your post as saying people who read Duck comics, or webcomics, aren't "real" comic fans. As if you have to be reading superhero comics to count. That type of attitude has been expressed more than once online in my presence, so forgive me if I jumped tot he wrong conclusion here. It just seemed like "GIRL comic book fans? Yeah right! Cyanide And Happiness isn't comics!"

 

That isn't what I'm saying.

 

To be a comic 'fan' takes some longevity. If I read one comic and never read another, am I a comic fan? No.

 

If I read a comic every now and then, maybe one this week, and another a month later? Am I a fan? Dubious... I'm not sure? Maybe?

 

What statistics did they use? Real studies tend to define their pool:

 

Has read at least one comic before: #A

Reads at least 1 comic a week: #B

Reads 1 to 4 comics a week: #C

Reads more than 5 comics a week: #D

 

Etc.

 

I myself read web comics - SMBC is probably my favorite at this point - and I like Duck comics. My examples are drawn from instances where people who would never self identify as comic fans have interacted with comics. The Sunday funnies, Duck comics, a Facebook link to a popular web comic - almost all of us have interacted with comics on this level.

 

I wish the industry was more inclusive, but it isn't, there are still comic shops where a woman most likely wouldn't feel welcome (I've been to many of them)... and for all of these female fans to be reading via graphic novels and trades... I find that hard to believe too.

 

I know more women are reading comics, but to claim that number is 50% without some significant proof is absurd... that is where I'm coming from.

I don't entirely agree with your point, but I do apologize for jumping to a conclusion that you weren't making :foryou:
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dupont2005

dupont2005

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I have read 8 comics so far this year. I still like to think of myself as a real comic fan. I think most people who aren't comic fans would consider me a complete comic nerd since I have several boxes and bookshelves full of them, discuss them online daily, and have comic related stuff hanging on my walls.

 

I don't qualify people's self reported fandom. If someone says they read comics, I'll go ahead and believe them. For marketing purposes, only readers of current comics count. And readers of second hand comics, library comics, ect, do not count.

 

But we're not a market research team. There are plenty of people on these boards who don't like reading anything newer than the Silver Age, and do not like trades or reprints. They're effectively outside the market of all current publishers. They're still comic fans though.

 

So if someone reads webcomics that cost them nothing, but they love those webcomics, they're comic fans. And those webcomics are ad supported anyway, so their readers do help them get paid. Now, this does not mean that 50% figure is accurate. That wasn't my point, but I can see how my responses could be interpreted that way. My point is the response to the possibility that girls read comics could be viewed as hostile or insensitive if there were some female comic fans reading these boards.

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SquareChaos

SquareChaos

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Posted
I have read 8 comics so far this year. I still like to think of myself as a real comic fan. I think most people who aren't comic fans would consider me a complete comic nerd since I have several boxes and bookshelves full of them, discuss them online daily, and have comic related stuff hanging on my walls.

 

I don't qualify people's self reported fandom. If someone says they read comics, I'll go ahead and believe them. For marketing purposes, only readers of current comics count. And readers of second hand comics, library comics, ect, do not count.

 

But we're not a market research team. There are plenty of people on these boards who don't like reading anything newer than the Silver Age, and do not like trades or reprints. They're effectively outside the market of all current publishers. They're still comic fans though.

 

So if someone reads webcomics that cost them nothing, but they love those webcomics, they're comic fans. And those webcomics are ad supported anyway, so their readers do help them get paid. Now, this does not mean that 50% figure is accurate. That wasn't my point, but I can see how my responses could be interpreted that way. My point is the response to the possibility that girls read comics could be viewed as hostile or insensitive if there were some female comic fans reading these boards.

 

I agree with all of this - people are comic fans if they are involved with comics for pleasure, and it is an ongoing relationship. That is my definition. I have no idea what the definition of the people who arrived at the 50% number is.

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jimjum12

jimjum12

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Who is saying that female readership is 50%? I find that number preposterous.

 

... most likely, Manga is included.... in which case, it may be closer than you would think. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

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slym2none

slym2none

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I've had women tell me some manga is girl porn.

 

True story.

 

And I still have no idea what to really think about that.

 

It tells me they have never read manga other than hentai. They might not understand there is manga for EVERYTHING, for kids of all ages, to sports, romance, sci-fi... basically, they are obviously ignorant of all things comics, and must think American comics are just porn as well.

 

*sigh*

 

 

 

-slym

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dupont2005

dupont2005

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I've had women tell me some manga is girl porn.

 

True story.

 

And I still have no idea what to really think about that.

 

It tells me they have never read manga other than hentai. They might not understand there is manga for EVERYTHING, for kids of all ages, to sports, romance, sci-fi... basically, they are obviously ignorant of all things comics, and must think American comics are just porn as well.

 

*sigh*

 

 

 

-slym

Or they're using the slang differently. Food porn, car porn, shelf porn, ect.
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dupont2005

dupont2005

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I'm not a fan of a whole lot of manga. Or at least the type of manga that gets translated for us. None of the Tokyopop or Dark Horse stuff. There's a few series I liked and a few that look interesting, but for the most part not my thing.

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thehumantorch

thehumantorch

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I saw something the other day that stated 50% of all comics readers are women.

 

I find that impossible to believe based on who I see at my LCS, at conventions etc.

 

Is there any data to support this?

 

We've certainly talked about an increase in female buyers at shows. Dramatically up over the last 5 years. I couldn't imagine 50% though.

 

You'd think that there would be a significant increase in the number of female board members but I haven't noticed that.

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slym2none

slym2none

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The male "stink" of all these comic fanboys in one place drives all but the bravest off, I'd say... skypinkblu sticks around, nocutename still drops in, and of course, comicdonna...

 

:P:ohnoez: :lol:

 

 

 

-slym (knows comicdonna is a man, folks)

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HarrisonJohn

HarrisonJohn

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On a recent visit to Midtown Comics I was shocked how many females I saw looking at the new releases. As many or more than males. It's not always like that but I can remember a time when I could go years without seeing a female in a comic store. I also recently went to the trade section of B&N and two girls were on the floor flipping through books. They're just random incidents but they stood out to me.

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