Man, we are trying to get away from all the Gender Wars, but all the good links seem to circle back around, like Michaela Reid’s write up on the “Having Our Say: Black Women Discuss Imagery” panel at the ECBACC a few weekends back.

4. What would an ideal state look like?

* RL: “There should be a gazillion small companies putting out what needs to be said, however they need to get the truth out. When you tell your own truth, people follow.”
* LAB: In an ideal world “every major publishing house would be giving Anne Rice dollars to people writing speculative fiction.” She said that 60% of all paperback sales are romance novels, and that publishers tend to put all the money and promotions and good distribution deals into a few big authors. “They’re all putting Danielle Steele in her Rolls Royce. There’s a huge pay disparity.”
* CLE: “Utopia? I’m so used to just fighting for the most minute recognition. Just to walk into a comic book store and see a diverse range.”
* RL: Talked about how there is often a defensive backlash against comic book creators of color: “When you do start bringing things to the light, people get upset.” She said she had gotten a lot of negative reactions to making the main characters in her Sand Storm comic books, which are set in ancient Egypt, black instead of fititng into the “Elizabeth Taylor” white Cleopatra that so many people are comfortable with.

Reid has more coverage of the show here.