Creating Women is a new web series produced by Amy Galloway and Rachel Davis. It’s dedicated to the careers of nine women in the British comic book industry. Released on YouTube every Friday on their channel, the first episode introduces us to the speakers we’ll be hearing from by asking them what their favourite comics are. This makes for an engaging viewing experience as we see the evident passion they have for the industry. Audience might even discover stories they will enjoy, yet not have read before. Jason Aaron‘s Thor and Grant Morrison‘s Arkham Asylum both receive mentions here alongside other interesting comics.
Creating Women wastes no time by immediately giving us the focus question of the week. It then moves onto the first speaker’s detailed response. Combined with the lighthearted tone, this format serves the series well by keeping things fun and fast-paced despite the large cast. I also thought that having all the creators first discuss their favourite comics was a great way to meet them. We can quickly see their love for the craft. This helps us relate through our own enjoyment of comics that inspired them to pursue their current careers. I hope that the 15-minute runtime will work as effectively with more speakers when discussing topics that require more attention.
The editors should have credit for their work on this episode as well; they demonstrate why they chose a web series format for Creating Women rather than an interview or podcast. Having images of the topical comics helps to support the discussions put forward. This really shows the audience where they can find them. The necessity for each speaker to be socially distanced is barely noticeable; separate Zoom calls give them equal time to respond to the prompt. This visual format keep the speakers and their responses as the show’s main focus.
The press release for Creating Women highlights advocating for diverse perspectives and representation among their all-female cast. This first episode on the other hand serves as a suitable buildup towards heavier topics. With so much ground to cover, it is clear that each weekly episode of the web series will delve deeper into these themes. This is a platform for their cast to speak freely whilst allowing us an insight into their individual experiences. Personally, I’m looking forward to hearing more about their own comic book careers. It’ll be interesting to see how Creating Women develops further in the near future.
Overall, the first episode of Creating Women serves as a strong introduction to the rest of the series. It has good editing and an equal moment in the spotlight for each speaker. The creators clearly care about showing audiences a different perspective of the comic book industry. But they also ensure the episodes are easy to watch, with lots of promise for future discussions.
Have you started watching Creating Women yet? If you want to give it a go, head over to their YouTube channel and catch a new episode every Friday at 2pm BST. Let us know what you think! Sound off in the comments below or send us your thoughts on Twitter!
