Denver Comic Con 2015: The Cause and the Controversy

Written by Julia

The night before Denver Comic Con I sat on my hotel bed excitedly going through the list of panels happening over the weekend. I soon came across a panel about women in comics. I thought it had an interesting premise because it was about the history of women in comics as well as the women currently writing. The description seemed a little discombobulated, but I kept reading it and was relatively intrigued. Then I got to the bottom of the page. All of the names listed were male names. I thought maybe I was mistaken and though they were traditionally used as male names, maybe in this case they were representing women who would be on the panel. Nope. After further investigation I was sure that the Women in Comics panel consisted solely of men. “Well, think I’ll pass on that one” I said to my dad and then continued to read about science panels and Muppet panels and family panels.

Having a completely male panel about women in comics was a big mistake. No amount of explanations or apologies can change that. And the aftermath of this event could have been handled better as well, but that’s not what I want to talk about today. There have been several articles and discussions about this topic already and this is important! But I also strongly believe that it is important to talk about good steps that are being made and positive things that are happening. Having acknowledged that structuring the panel in this way was unacceptable, I want to address a big worry I have. I worry that the Women in Comics panel will overshadow all the great work that the Pop Culture Classroom did at Denver Comic Con 2015. On the day of the infamous panel, my Twitter was filled with people tweeting about the mistake and how disappointed they were. Again, this is an important discussion, but I wish I would have seen it side by side with a discussion about the great kid’s area that Pop Culture Classroom set up in the center of the Con floor and the fun, interesting NASA panels that were full of science and nerdiness. I wish I would have seen more tweets about the smiling children that were enjoying a convention bursting with activities directed specifically at them.

Denver Comic Con is a non-profit convention whose proceeds are used by Pop Culture Classroom to fund curriculum that is written using comics, graphic novels, and other pop culture materials. And this is so cool!! I am an incredibly antsy person and school has always been frustrating for me because sitting through class can be draining and exhausting. I’ve always found, however, that when I can connect what I’m learning to something else I’m interested in, class becomes fun and exciting! This isn’t a new concept at all, but Pop Culture Classroom has taken this idea a step further than most education professionals dare to go. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, comic books can be amazing learning tools if in the right hands. Pop Culture Classroom understands this fact and is using a medium that is often frowned upon to create fantastic opportunities for students to learn and have fun in the process! There is a stigma surrounding comics that they are less intellectually challenging than books, but this does not need to be the case! As with all media, there is a depth and a range to comic content. Yes, there are some comics that are just plain silly and some that just seem to be violent for violence sake. But so many comics, a plethora of comics in fact, are educational, thought-provoking, and engaging! Pop Culture Classroom knows this and is working incredibly hard to bring the fun of comics to children in a genuine educational format.

Pop Culture Classroom and Denver Comic Con’s commitment to education and to getting kids excited about comics was apparent all throughout the con. With the programming and activities offered all three days, children were left without a moment of dullness. Not only did kids benefit from this, but the whole con had a really awesome, optimistic feel to it. I’ve never seen so many happy families at a con and it was an absolute joy. The show floor was buzzing with life and enthusiasm and this atmosphere permeated into every room I entered at the Colorado Convention Center. There were phenomenal family cosplays and a significant lack of tears as children didn’t have time or reason to be bored and upset. But the happy feeling of the family focused con was not the only benefit. You can bet I was excited to go to a panel about real robots in space and the practicality of our sci-fi favorites like R2-D2 and C-3PO. And I was right in the mix of all ages of fans ogling a table full of incredible Lego artwork. Denver Comic Con had the perfect balance of directing activities at the younger generation while still making it an unforgettable experience for every age.

So long story short, yes Denver Comic Con made a glaring mistake, but it is my sincerest hope that this does not overshadow all of the good that Denver Comic Con and Pop Culture Classroom are doing. Denver Comic Con has only been around for four years and I am astounded by how far it has grown in this short time. I hope that the Women in Comics panel will be a learning experience for Denver Comic Con and that they will be given the opportunity and support to keep moving in a direction of education and acceptance. Denver Comic Con and Pop Culture Classroom have so much potential to change children’s lives and make their days a little better. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s so true. I know that I, as a child, would have been thrilled to experience Pop Culture Classroom's curriculum and it could easily be a turning point in a student’s life, helping them realize how fun learning can be. Here’s to many more years of family friendly conventions and an atmosphere of awe at Denver Comic Con.

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