The Women of Marvel, a bi-weekly podcast, hosted a panel featuring female Marvel creators and characters.
The panel was hosted by Judy Stephens (producer and host) and Sana Amanat (VP Content and Character Development at Marvel), with guests Kathleen Wisneski (Assistant Editor at Marvel), Margaret Stohl, Leah Williams, colorist Rachelle Rosenberg and Jen Bartel.
Stephens opened the panel by noting that they have been doing this panel for years and how far representation of women in comics has come in that time saying, “We had one female led title nine years ago, and it’s such a marked difference from there to where we are now.
The panel debuted a cover for the upcoming Captain Marvel series that will be out in January.
There was also an exclusive announcement about the return of a standalone Black Widow comic in January, which will be written by Jen and Sylvia Soska, the writer/directors known as The Soska Sisters, with art from Flaviano Armentaro.
Margaret Stohl was asked about The Life of Captain Marvel and what the story means to her. She said that the work has been a labor of love and that “Marvel is so good at the human side of superhuman that was really what we wanted to focus on.”
She also gave a nod to the fans of Captain Marvel and how amazing they are.
“This (the comic book) is a hero’s journey that we are all on together and the Carol Corps are the most special fandom in the world and they are the most empathetic.”
The other panelists were asked a bit about their work and more covers and panels of their various comics were shown.
The energy at this panel was great, and it was awesome to see the large room fill up. There was diverse crowd and a lot of positivity, and it was hopeful to see so many people supporting women in comics. The panelists and hosts were very inspiring and encouraging and wanted to urge other women to enter the industry and work together to do so.
Jen Bartel touched on social media and how important it is to connect with other fans and creators. She noted that “now is a great time for not only women but also fans of female characters”
One of the best moments of the panel was when Stohl discussed how important it is for women to believe in themselves and their work, saying, “you have to be the first person to take yourself seriously. You’ve got to believe in yourself first.” She noted that sometimes women hold the bar so high for themselves and don’t think they are good enough, but that women should work together to encourage other creators and also believe in themselves.
