Thread by @kellysue

The next #VisibleWomen is Monday, March 29. This is gonna be a thread about that.

I should probably start at the start -- the first #VisibleWomen day was in 2016. It started out of frustration at the perception that it was hard to find women who were qualified or wanted to draw mainstream comics. The first VW was for artists only. It went well.

So we did it again 6 months later. The goal was never just visibility; the goal was to get women work, to get them PAID. So we started producing a spreadsheet from the hashtag and offering it free of charge to any hiring professional in the publishing industry.

It wasn't long before expanded to include not just pencillers, but writers, inkers, colorists, letterers, designers, cover artists and editors. Not just comics, but publishing, and sometimes gaming and animation.

The incredible #drawingwhileblack started in September 2017 & soon thereafter we moved the winter #VisibleWomen from February (#BlackHistoryMonth) to March (#WomensHistoryMonth), where it made more sense & didn't risk pulling focus from dwb. It's been in March & August since.

It's vital that #VisibleWomen not become VisibleWHITEWomen or an instrument of whiteness. White is not a default, it should not be suggested by the absence of a modifier.

#VisibleWomen means to highlight WOC in its own work as well as to share the platform by spotlighting other hashtag initiatives such as the aforementioned #drawingwhileblack, #AsAmCreatorRollCall, #indigenousartists and #bipocartists. (Pls reply with others & we'll signal boost.)

As a culture, our understanding of gender evolves too. We used to get asked if we welcome trans women. The answer is--and has always been--emphatically yes! It's right there in the title: Visible Women--tall, short, cis, trans, etc.

We welcome (and have always welcomed) all other marginalized genders as well, but we respect that some folks are not comfortable under the banner of "women."

So we want to call your attention to #IAmNonbinary, #VisibleNBs and #transmascartists. (Pls reply with others and we'll signal boost.)

While we've got you, you should also know about the work of @marinaomi and her databases (in existence long before us): Queer Cartoonists Database @LGBTQcomics -- queercartoonists.com

Disabled Cartoonists Database @disabledcomicdb -- disabledcartoonists.com

and Cartoonists of Color Database @COCdatabase -- cartoonistsofcolor.com

We make progress by supporting one another. Avail yourself of ANY and ALL the resources that are appropriate to you. (To find out about MORE resources, consider joining us as members of @WinCNYC.)

FINALLY! (More on Monday, but--) we want to share the exciting news that #VisibleWomen is partnering with @BrinkLitProject for an issue of their F(r)iction anthology that will be drawn entirely by artists selected from #VisibleWomen. Details: frictionlit.org/visiblewomen/

It should go without saying that these are paid jobs, but just in case: these are paid professional gigs.

(Thanks to @Sallataire for all things, but in this case for her #VisibleWomen illo that we're still using.)

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but this is insanely long, so I'll leave it for now. Hope to see you here Monday! #VisibleWomen

Actually -- one more! If you're new to #VisibleWomen and want to read more (specifically, how best to participate) go here and find all that info: milkfed.us/events/save-th…

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