Feature Chance for Women’s History Month

Thank you for the opportunity!

2.
Beck is an anxious, overweight outcast suffering through the last semester of highschool. Desperate to escape from her small town hell, but unsure how due to family financial struggles. She is frequently bullied, and only talks to her close friends. Beck's goal is to survive until the end of the year, not sure what her plans are after that. Things change quickly when a new student arrives.

3.
Running my hands through my hair, I stand there for what feels like ages as I slowly pull myself out of the spiral. I just need to make it to the end of the day. I just need to keep breathing. Until the bell rings I stay hidden away in the stall, barely holding all my jagged pieces together.

4.
My goal is to write strong, realistic women that struggle with their issues, but ultimately make it to the other side. I want my writing to be relatable and to not gloss over the trauma that makes us into the people we are. I have suffered through anxiety and depression, and I want to help others feel a little less alone.

Thank you! 🖤

Nowadays, one of the tropes in fantasy, sci-fi and historical fiction is “women who kick men's asses”. But real women's personalities and passions are so varied that disregarding their others types of strength would not do them justice.

I am a female author of a series of illustrated short-stories entitled “Tales from the North” set in medieval Scandinavia. It challenges the norms of historical fiction by focusing on characters and social attitudes. Thus, the historical aspect is only a backdrop for themes like gender, love and sexuality, friendship, parenthood, anxiety, death, social class, etc.

A strong “Viking” lady is not only a kick-ass warrior who wants to defeat a bad guy, but she can also be a teenager who strives to stay in control of her life while juggling the roles of “lady of the house”, warrior and lover (Rannveig from “Husfreyja”). She can be the bold, witty and unpredictable businesswoman who seeks independence from a dull marriage (Sif from “Holmgang”). She can be the introverted artist for whom the line between reality and fantasy blurs, her son being the only grip on reality (Merwyn from “The Enchanted Isles”). She can be the mature woman who looks back with nostalgia upon a missed romantic opportunity from her teenage years (Agnes from “The Linden Trees”). She can be the witch who, in her desire to keep the prestige of her family, pushes her husband and son into doing great but terrible deeds (Valdis from “Spafinna”).

With such themes and female protagonists, my stories seek to subvert those tropes and bring something new to the genre.

https://tapas.io/episode/20066132

Logline: After five years in a cell, Ava finally manages to blast her way free. On her way out, she gathers up the other prisoners, leading a rag-tag band of maltreated children on a desperate quest to somehow reach home, avoid recapture... and not kill each other first.

Quote: published quote "They ain't gonna use me anymore" but if I can use an unpublished quote "let

What it means to me:
I like being able to create adventure comics that I would like to read but without the constant sexualisation of female characters. Male characters experience this too but a lot of comics you'll find in shops sexualise females which can be very off putting. In manga there's plenty of "Boobs" jokes and underwear shots in otherwise very interesting stories. I want to be able to create stories where that isn't there and they are more than just a girl with boobs. If sexy girls are your thing, that's totally fine, enjoy them! But It's important to me to create stories, that gives the option for other girls (and boys too) to read something that doesn't contain that.

Logline: We all know the stories of Vampires, werewolves and witches. Alex Hunt knows this well, she has been raised with the knowledge to fear and kill them. But what if all we know is just a lie created by them? So we are looking in the shadows with fear while they remain safe. It is 1930, in a small lumber town near the British Columbia border. Alex is about to find out just how far the lies go.

Quote: "But that is changing tonight! I'll follow him and find out what other secrets those monsters are hiding."

Creating a series within the webcomic industry means that I can have a voice where many people would shut me down base on the fact I'm a women. Many times people never gave my work a chance, instead hated on me. This behavior from people left me being unable to complete an art diploma, while leaving me almost broken unable to draw for three and half years. Webcomics is a place where I can express my ideas, show my creativity and share my stories within the worlds I have created. Where your judged based on your style and story, not your gender or how you look.

https://tapas.io/series/Olga-the-sexologist2

A sexologist that has no compromise in giving her patients satisfactory answers.

"Confucius say: women fake orgasm, men fake foreplay."

Making comics is a part of how I express myself, but making Olga's comic strips goes beyond my need to speak, it's a way of talking to other people, specially women, who are in need of laughing a little about the hard things of life. While I'm writing and drawing I think about others who have been in these situations and may recognize themselves, but I also have in mind those who might have some sexual education between one and other laugh. Making comics means to me giving back to the society what I have to offer.

1. From Farsi/ Persian, meaning "to build, to make or to create", Menmar tells the story of Nadhine, a maiden living in an empire in the brink of a political revolution, whose life is saved by Raheem, a being whose existence seemed to belong only to human myths and children's tales. Together they join forces and decide to help each other in dealing with a human Revolution and a mystical journey to uncover seven magical daggers which might be able to save the entire race of Djinns from extinction.

2. "The Janni are pawns in the hand of a tyrant that no longer looks out for his people... And it's up to us, the people, to restore that which is rightfully ours: the freedom of choosing who will rule us. Be this ruler a rightful heir or someone with a completely different background."

3. Creating a series means the world to me; it means raising my voice to the subjects I hold dear in my heart. It means exposing and talking about cultures and ways of life which are frequently overlooked, ignored or frowned upon, and bringing them to the spotlight in a respectful, deserving way. It also means being the precedent which many young women sometimes need to look upon and realize they can also be a webcomic artist and use this media as a means to make a stand. Being a female creator means opening the doors to many others which have a lot to say and can't well up those stories anymore.

Thanks for this opportunity!

1.

1. Logline: When an ordinary office worker finds herself unexpectedly reborn as the heroine of the novel she was reading just before she died, she sets out to change the plot of the original novel in order to save her favorite character, the villainess!

2. Inspiring Quote: "I don’t want you to dedicate your life to my service. I want to be equals. Allies. Friends, even."

3. What creating a series means to me: As a butch lesbian woman, I rarely see myself depicted in any media at all, let alone in the kind of fantasy romance that I enjoy reading. Eventually I came to realize that, as a writer, I would have to fill that gap myself. My series is a love letter to fantasy romance webnovels as a whole, but it's also an invitation into that space to readers who have not previously felt welcomed or included by the genre. It means a lot to me to have the opportunity to explore and share my love for the genre this way, and I'm grateful for all the readers who have connected with my work so far.

Dewclaw1

Logline: Join Lilly and Milo, a girl and her dog, as they adventure through life with a little imagination and a lot of love.

Quote: “To the moon and back… isn’t even a fraction of how much I love you all."

What it means to me:

Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, and… Dewclaw. I like how this sounds.

Man, man, and … woman? Oh yes.

And guess what. All of our comic strips are great. So remember my name, too.

Being a woman in the webcomic industry means that I’m helping to move comic strips from the male dominated newspaper strips of the past, to the future. It means that women can take chances and be bold, too. Being a woman in this industry means that I’m pursuing my dream of being a great woman comic strip artist and also empowering other women and girls to take chances and pursue their dreams as well.

Bisexual teen girl confronts biphobia from her LGBT community when she starts dating a boy.

“Of course I talk to myself; sometimes I need expert advice!”

I think there is power in being able to put things "on the page" without having an intermediary deciding which voices will be heard. Being a web creator allows me to own my voice as a bisexual woman and a person living with a serious mental illness. Bi visibility is a real issue in novels as is mental illness rep. I have appreciated not having to wait for a publishing deal to bring my ideas to the wider world.

Pakora has been summoned home for the Winter Harvest Festival, and must make the long journey down the mountain to join her family for the celebrations. Her parents will be awaiting elegant offerings of spices, silks, gold, and copper to honor them. As a temple guard, Pakora has none of these expected riches, and with her only company the acolytes of the Stone Garden Temple, she also has no bride for the winter wedding ceremony. Perhaps only the Matriarch Goddess can help her now…

"I don’t want to feel “as if” I’m close to you. I would like our closeness to be a reality." - Lady Audra

To me, creating webcomics as a woman means I can create inviting stories. Personally I like to create comics for women like me: for lesbians. It’s a niche that I love to write for, and as a side effect I’m able to show other groups what our rich inner lives can be like. There can be self doubt, loneliness, familial struggles, but there can also be a great amount of kindness, support, and love. There’s a lot to share!

Series link
https://tapas.io/series/WayfindersOffCourse

Series logline

The peace ship that should have ended a war, sinks in the middle of the ocean.

Three unlikely adventurers wash ashore on a mysterious island, find a mysterious compass (the "Wayfinder"), and embark on an impossible journey to keep war from breaking out again.

Oh, and magic is sick, navigation is all hecked up, and the gods are NO HELP!

An inspiring/powerful quote that showcases the characters’ strengths (max 100 characters)
We don't have a lot of quotable moments at the moments, but we have a lot of strong moments

Tell us what creating series means to you as a woman in the webcomic/webnovel industry.
As a child there where not many options for fantasy stories with women in the lead. I have distinc memories of me, reading a story and making the male lead into a girl.
Since webcomic are so "low stake" it is possible to make the story I want to make, since there are no stakeholders, no producers noone who pours in money, so it frees up the possibility to make the stories I miss in my life!

https://tapas.io/series/Serpent3

Logline:

Serpent is the story of a girl born into a guild that does not accept her, in a land where women are no more than property.
Through determination and deceit, she leaves her home and infiltrates the assassin’s guild, rises up through the ranks to become the king’s personal assassin; only to be betrayed and extradited to the enemy land of Dane, where she’ll fall in love and help bring about a revolution in her homeland.

Quote:

“No one, not even our closest ally at Nate knows their highest-ranking assassin is a woman. And you know their opinions of women there. They are hardly more than property.”

Why this series:

I’ve been creating comics for many years, most of which have been written by men and with a male protagonist and a man’s point of view.
I wanted to create a female led fantasy comics with a mostly female cast of characters — All of which are unique and diverse, both in appearance and in personality and motivation.
As a girl who grew up reading fantasy, even when there was a female protagonist, she was usually alone in a male dominated world. My series ‘Serpent’ changes that.

2) Series logline:
A noble girl rescues a homeless boy and offers him food and shelter in exchange for becoming her helper. She is smart and should inherit her father's business in the future, but this is not so easy since Joseon is the era of patriarchy.

3) Quote:
"Just because you're a woman doesn't mean you have to obey."

4) This comic book means a lot to me. I created a strong heroine who opposes the patriarchal world, her father supports her, but society is not ready for such changes. Men say that a woman should give birth to heirs and be a housewife. No, they're wrong. A woman doesn't owe them anything.

I live in a patriarchal society. Some men are often aggressive, disrespectful, and like to use sexist jokes when I'm around. They don't understand that it's bad or unethical.

Through this story, I want to tell my readers that a woman is not an object. She is a living being who has her own desires and rights. It doesn't matter if she lives in a Joseon or in the 21st century.

Dear Princess...2
https://tapas.io/series/Dear-Princess2

2.Series logline

Calandiel is the classic princess trapped in the tower. Rosa is the complete opposite, more adventuress than princess. Their lives change completely when Rosa decides to visit the elven kingdom, Celegorm.

3.An inspiring/powerful quote that showcases the characters’ strengths (max 100 characters)

From a future episode: "We're not living a fairytale, I have responsibilities. I won't leave my kingdom for you!"

4.Tell us what creating series means to you as a woman in the webcomic/webnovel industry.

Since we were little we've dreamed of fantasy universes. We've always wanted to tell our stories and hoped they would affect and inspire them in the same way that so many authors did for us in our trajectory. Recently, women have been reaching new spaces in the artistic field, that used to be predominantly male, and we are in the most diverse literary genres. It is with immense pride that we both decided to be part of this group of talented women, seeking to fulfill the dream of spreading stories and art around the world.

Logine:

Hailey is an erratic and foul-mouthed flight attendant who somehow managed to work in a five star airline. She's been staying in this company for a long time in hopes of getting back an important piece of her life that was taken away from her back when she was just a child in exchange for an ability that tortures her everyday life, and is connected to hidden transactions that affect millions of people around the world.

Quote:

"I never wanted revenge, I just wanted to have you back. I did everything I could. And since it will still take a lot of me to have you, I will continue to fight everyday."

This series holds a special place in my heart because I wanted to share what I learned and realized through battling my anxiety and difficulties in life through this story. I chose an erratic, but strong female protagonist to show an amplified version of how it feels to battle inner turmoil while facing your fears, and choosing to go for the truly important things in life. I want people to know, especially women, who are feeling hopeless and lonely in the chaotic world that binds us today, that we can find solace, peace, and joy while trudging through the materialistic and worldly environment that face us in this generation.

2-Rainette is a typical teenager, who goes to high school, has friends, and like a lot of teens her age "slightly" lacks self-confidence. Except that Rainette is a witch, and even though magical powers are pretty cool, the green skin that comes with them is most embarrassing.

3-"It was my fault from the beginning and yet… I was so awful to you, because I couldn’t admit it to myself."
(because it takes strengh to face your mistakes)

4-I tell stories about women, and mostly for women and girls. I want to show as much character diversity as possible in my stories, because as I grew up most of the comics I read had a diverse cast of male characters but very little variety amongst the women. It was always the cute girl, the girl in love with the hero, the clumsy one, the evil one, the hot one, but rarely did they have more depth than that. What about girls who want to fight? To learn? Who are nice on the surface, but, upon closer inspection, have twisted morals? Girls who make mistakes and learn from them? Girls who lie to themselves? What about women, who are no longer little girls? I love drawing very old women, or just middle aged ones, and I try to include them as much as possible. Sadly my cast is still very white, so I have to work more on this aspect of diversity, but I'm doing my best, and I'll come to it in a few chapters.

Logline:

Two teenagers have to work through their prejudices against each other in order to uncover a dark secret that could threaten their lives, and expose the program they are forced to fight for.

Quote:

“I’ve gotten to be so good at pretending to be what other people want from me, that I forget what I actually want… And sometimes I forget who I am- it scares me.”

As a child I always loved superhero stories, but I found that I could never really connect with the female characters in those stories. I so desperately wanted much more than a shallow love interest, or eye candy made to serve a male audience. Usually in the media strong women are portrayed with male characteristics, completely ignoring the emotional side because our society typically views emotion as a weakness. But to me- being strong means more than having the strongest punch, being the loudest in the room, or being the most intimidating. I realized that there is power in recognizing weakness, and strength in overcoming it. Having weakness is what makes us human, and it is what fuels our strength.
I am now so fortunate to have the ability to tell a story that a younger version of myself so desperately craved, and I now hope that younger girls that have that same resolve find themselves in the stories I tell.

To all the young girls who are still finding out who you are- you are still valid, you are still strong, and your story deserves to be told.