Boobs.

Probably the most talked about attribute of comic art is the "most common super power", I'm of course talking about boobs and how they are drawn. Of course unless you live under a rock you know how they are drawn. Big or Huge.

There is a lot of talk as to why the most common answer is most comics are drawn by men and men are pigs. While true, I don't like generalizations, even if they hit the mark pretty well. I'll give in to the fact that some artists, Frank Cho and Jim Balent come to mind, just love drawing girls with big boobies. But I think it's deeper. In our culture, I won't bore people with sexual anthropology, big breasts equal beautiful. they are after all one of the most visible secondary sexual characteristics and one of the only ones that a person can't hide. I'm not saying this view is right or wrong it's just a fact. But as an artist myself, I know a third reason, one that I've worked against for most of my career. Big boobs are easier to draw. Large breasts mean that the artist doesn't have to get the upper torso, shoulders, or underarms right in many views... the boobs cover it up (the same goes for long hair). Also the artist doesn't have to worry as much about placement on the chest when the breasts are big they fit where they have to. I discovered this when I was designing Darcy Anderson in "Neuropsychosis" for those of you who don't know my comic (shame on you) Darcy is a small flat chested character. I had to really work much harder on my upper torso and Shoulder joints so she didn't look like a man. You are probably thinking geez how lazy. But bear in mind a typical cartoonist draws their character's many many times, quickness is of the essence.

Now large breasts in comics are not a problem in and of themselves, and if you look into it you will seldom see a feminist writing about comics that complains of large boobs. The application of the boobs is the problem. It's a matter of the "girl with the boobs" and "the boobs on that girl" dichotomy. On the surface both sound like a less than polite observation about a girls looks, but the difference is in the subtleties. The former sees the girl, the latter only sees the breasts. The goal of the artist that cares about their work should be the "girl with the boobs" because that is the one that actually is a character. If you make a good rounded defined character it shouldn't matter how they look, like a real person they will be more than their appearance.

That said there is a boob problem in comics. It's not that they are big. It's that they all are big! A great part of beauty in the real world is the variety of looks that men and women have. Artists should be mixing it up! make large breasted women sure, but fill the cast out with small and mid sized women, or women whose appearance defining features are hips or legs, or even that seemingly out of fashion concept of the face. How I "behave myself" when it comes to this is I allow myself one really large breasted character. And then everyone else has to have more humble bosoms. I also like to think about how the character's lifestyle affects their breasts. To bring up Darcy again, she is a gymnast (in earlier drafts a dancer) so large breasts where not appropriate to her. Jessy from the same comic is tall and thin so again large was not right. If you decide on a design before a character is finished think about how boobs will affect their life. If you have a character with a DD bra she has no business being an acrobat (I'm looking at you Jim Balent). That is why my large breasted character Stef leads a more sedentary life.

Another thing, as an artist, use the power of boobs. Breasts tend to be "read" with two meanings. "sexy'" and "Maternal" and you can use this, the sexy is obvious that's how breasts are used 90% of the time. But if you really wanted to do something fun you can subvert it. Make an attractive character with large breasts who isn't a sexual character. Make a character whose breasts actually make them unattractive Beto Hernandez is a master at this. Then there's Large breast angst. You can also use large breasts to give a character a more maternal feel. For instance with my character Stef, I decided to use her breasts (and the figure that goes with them) as well as her long hair and homespun like clothing to make her a visually comforting figure. As her place in the story is a sort of big sister to the cast. Likewise don't be afraid of the power of smaller breasts. If you want an energetic character you cannot go wrong with a small to flat chest. Not only will i make your drawing of the character more believable a small chest also reads in our culture as "youthful" (again not saying it's right or wrong it's just the way it is).

Of course the bottom line is that bra size like all other aspects of the comic needs to be done for a reason, other than titillation, and it all comes back to character, and story. There needs to be a reason or a result for a character's boobs, or for that matter any aspect of her appearance. The real world may be random but fiction is not, every little detail is done for a reason and as long as the who and why of the comic read true. The how and what will follow.

Art by Adam Hughes Power Girl (C) & TM DC Comics