I figured out that one area of comics where the visuals are pretty much equal for men as women. See, i was thinking about the fact that women have a pretty narrowly defined scope of “attractive” or “sexy” laid out for them. Men, on the other hand, have a pretty wide range. I mean, Clive Owen, Daniel Craig and Gerard Butler are current actors I have seen tagged as sexy by women. So are Will Smith, Jude Law and Brad Pitt. These guys have different looks-some even look ragged and crooked and all out of whack. Others have chiseled features and still others soft features. But for women-it’s all about the symmetry, the roundness and “perfection”. But the guys due tend to have one thing in common with each other.
What is it? I can’t recall a fat male sex symbol. And none of those guys I mentioned? Not one is even pudgy. Hell, most of them are pretty ripped and muscular. Just like in the comic books. In comics, “fat” people are side line folks. They are buddies. I can’t think of many fat heroes-male or female. There were a couple in the New Universe title D.P.7. (both women). There is Bouncing Boy in Legion of Superheroes. Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) got fat for a time in Justice League.
Mind you, i don’t have an overwhelming problem with it. While it’s popular right now to pin weight primarily on genetics, the truth is, weight is not fixed from birth by a genetic marker. Weight is on the rise and throughout history weight has varied. Weight has a lot to do with metabolism-which is not fixed from birth either. And we train our metabolism. So, I have no problem believing that if there are, say, 100 super-heroes zipping around the city every night? Very few of them are going to be even pudgy.
That said, personally, i think it would be interesting to see a hero who struggles to be accepted, with a body that does not conform to traditional “Super Hero” standards. A hero that maybe got powers after gaining weight and has not really shaken the pounds. How would other heroes treat them? What would they feel? And so on. Heck, maybe I need to write that story.
Wait, I forgot. No one wants to read about a fat super hero. Never mind.
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August 15, 2007 at 9:19 am
Ami Angelwings
My “large” friend also feels the same way and has complained often that there are no fat superheroes. :\
I dunno why there can’t be tho? Obviously Batman type chars wun be fat, but what about Superman chars? Or Green Lanterns? If you had powers, then you could be completely out of shape and it wouldn’t matter at all (tho if you were out of shape you might be worse off than similarly powered individuals, but you’d definitely be better off than regular ppl).
Why do fat ppl either always have to be the buddy or played for laughs? It’s worse for fat girls tho. :\
At least fat guys are still seen to be able to get dates and stuff on TV and movies, even if often it’s a comedy.
If you’re a large girl you’re basically always gonna be cast as a social misfit or written as one (like in Supergirl).
It’s bad in general and something ppl dun care to fix b/c they see it as a “it’s your own fault” thing. :\
August 15, 2007 at 10:14 am
Bill Myers
Thom: “No one wants to read about a fat super hero.”
Actually, I find the idea quite interesting. It’s a hook that would distinguish a character from everything else that’s out there.
August 15, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Amy Reads
Hi Thom,
Wait, I forgot. No one wants to read about a fat super hero. Never mind.
I think one of the most fantastic moments in Recent Comic Book History is when Catwoman struggled to get back into her catsuit postpartum. While not “fat” it was “real,” and that counted for a lot in my book.
What is it? I can’t recall a fat male sex symbol. And none of those guys I mentioned? Not one is even pudgy.
While I swoon for Christian Bale, Daniel Craig, and Aaron Eckhart, I also swoon for Alfred Molina, Kevin Smith, and Jon Favreau. These three are not classic sex symbols, but they are charismatic, and *interesting-looking*, and that, more than anything, Sways My Fancy.
I think it’s harder to find non-traditional sex symbols in the mainstream (no surprise there, I’m sure), but I think in non-white cultures, it’s a little different. As a non-traditional girl then woman (not-quite-white, not-thin, not-blonde), I always was hard pressed to find someone who looked like me who *wasn’t* the punchline of the comedy or the moral of the after-school special.
I believe that the more we talk about this, the better it will be, so thanks, Friend, for opening dialogue!
Ciao,
Amy
August 15, 2007 at 1:51 pm
thomwade
Hey there Amy! I would agree that if you go by individuals, you find more variety (which I think is true of men and women). I knew a girl who thought John Goodman was sexy. I think that people forget that, and we tend to look at what is mainstream as “what all people find desirable”.
I would like to see more stuff like the Catwoman bit you brought up. And I did like the Blue Beetle weight storyline, because it really was about Beetle dealing with something people struggle with. It’s nice to see such a normal human struggle like weight and self image within heroes.
I’ve actually been thinking about the “overweight” superhero idea, have been developing it for awhile now. If my main pitch gets accepted (when it’s ready), I may add the story as a one shot (since the main comic lacks…well, main characters who are superheroes).
Ami-Yeah, fat guys on TV and movies are usually married. Fat single guys are a little more vague, as many of them are usually unsuccessful in love. I always liked the storyline in the Drew Carrey Show in which he was dating a woman who eventually broke it off…not because he was overweight. But rather she had started to put weight on after dating him. It was all rather heart breaking, as Drew was not complaining about her weight, he did not care. He was crazy about her. But she (as I recall) had been overweight in the past, and felt that as long as she was with Drew, she would be overweight again-because, hey, Drew loved food. It was a sad episode.
August 15, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Bill Myers
Thom, make damn sure you get your comic pitch done. Because I for one would love to read a comic book “by Thom Gladhill.”
August 16, 2007 at 2:27 am
Alexa
Hey, I find Stephen Fry dead sexy, regardless of the fact that he is both fat and gay.
We used to have a chunky female superhero. Remember Gert Yorkes? Remember how awesome she was? Remember how she was smart and caring? Remember how she had a boyfriend and a telepathic velociraptor? Remember how she died?
You want to know the most thrilling moment I’ve read in comics? In Strangers in Paradise #1, when Francine ripped off her clothes, and her belly had folds. In addition to the fact that all the characters, male and female, had different body types.
August 16, 2007 at 6:00 am
Dani Atkinson
Hmm. Y’know, in Dylan Meconis’s weekly webcomic, Family Man, there was a long sequence where our protagonist, Luther, was walking around in the nude. And Luther is not exactly classic playgirl centrefold material. Kinda flabby, and hairy. But in the comments on her blog, the general consensus was “yum.”
There are many different kinds of sexy. If you draw a chunky person as sexy, I think your audience can read them that way.
August 16, 2007 at 6:37 am
Ami Angelwings
OHOHOHOHOH
I was thinking of this! :O
George Constanza gets a lot of dates. :O I know he’s played for laughs as a loser, but so are Elaine, Kramer and Jerry (and everybody in that show XD) and he’s always dumped for being weird (or having bad luck or some other crazy situation like the others) not for being fat. THO it is pointed out that being fat and bald work against him.
And like Newman, he’s also portrayed as a glutton.
But he’s fat, bald, glasses wearing and poor (most of the time) and still dates almost every episode and has beautiful women date him XD
>.>
OH!
I was wondering what you think of Scotty? He didn’t get fat until the movies (so did Shatner XD), but he’s 3rd in command of the Enterprise, the 4th member of the big 3 XD and also the best engineer evar and always gets them out of a bad situation
He’s also had a love interest (in Who Mourns for Adonais). In the movies nobody rly had love interests, but he was important (as always), and starred in a TNG episode! 
He’s one of the few fat hero characters not played for laughs (ignoring Star Trek V where Shatner played EVERYBODY except himself for laughs XD), not portrayed as dumb or the lovable sidekick, and he was never created as “the fat hero”.
Also Klingons!
There are LOTS of fat klingons! XD Tho not fat Klingon women oddly. o_o But even Kahless, they’re Jesus is fat!
And he’s their greatest warrior EVAR! General Martok is fat, K’mpec (the TNG chancellor before Gowron) was fat and so is Kor. :O
And they’re all super warriors! But Klingons are portrayed as that “eat well, drink well” race. XD But also super warriors!
*thinks more*
Pirates and “warrior” types seem to be okay with being more hefty than regular warriors.
But the heft is to make them seem more barbaric maybe? They often have beards too XD
Hmm.. :\ E Honda from Street Fighter and Chang from King of Fighters are both played for laughs tho (E Honda was played for laughs in the animated movie).
Most “large” fighting characters are either barbarous or played for laughs (or both!). 
I still like the Klingon examples tho cuz they’re warriors, strong, smart, handsome, honourable, and great heroes and leaders (except K’mpec).
And the Klingon Jesus is the greatest warrior evar and he’s not thin at all
Klingons are great tho ^^
Vulcans are never fat.
Some Ferengi are tho. 
No fat Romulans however. I can only remember 1 fat Cardassian… no fat borg :O I guess they get lipo when they’re assimilated XD
*thinks more*
This is fun! XD
Drachma from Skies of Arcadia is fat! But he’s that “large pirate captain” stereotype.
He is very very very cool tho. 
Sadly there are still not that many examples.
And I think ppl are more able to use large characters in non funny roles when they think of pirates or “surly” types. :\
Like the large biker with a beard stereotype. :\
Or if the actor just gains weight and doesn’t get rid of it to reprise his role XD Like Scotty XDDD
Oh! What about Det. Sipowicz from NYPD Blue! He was teh awesome XD And Dets Max Greevey and Phil Cerreta from Law and Order?
And Arthur Branch! XDDD He’s running for President now too (or he will XD) :3
Tho it seems that even tho police officers are stereotyped as being overweight very few TV police officers ARE XD
The truth is many ppl in power or who work mostly behind desks tend not to be the super buff and fit superhero types but you wouldn’t know it from our entertainment XD
Unless it’s a comedy… >.>
And Scotty is teh awesome.
I wanted to grow up to be Scotty as a girl. :\
August 16, 2007 at 10:52 am
Journalista - the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » Aug. 16, 2007: Human animation
[...] Lynn Eaton wonders when someone at Marvel will have the spine to let Hulkling and Wiccan kiss; Thom Wade notes the absence of fat superheroes; Rachel Edidin explains what comics have taught her about [...]
August 16, 2007 at 3:05 pm
majorjoe23
I’ve heard plenty of women mention James Gandolfini as sexy.
August 17, 2007 at 12:03 am
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