50 Hardcore Lady Type Comic Artists of 2016

’Tis the season for year-end lists, and there was one that ranked the 30 best comic book artists of 2016. There were some good picks on that list. But I took a step back and realized that women made up a mere 10% of it. I’m not going to attribute this to any malice on the part of the lister. But the under-representation of women did make me…tired. It’s been a rough year for women, and Annie Wu’s work on Black Canary isn’t going to get a shoutout? Haven’t we been through enough? Female fans have to fight to be taken seriously. Female professionals’ livelihoods depend on being taken seriously. Three out of thirty is a ratio that says, “Nice try, sweetheart.” I may be branded a misandrist millennial who believes everyone should be given awards just for participation (I’m not). But. Below you will find a list that is 100% women pencillers, inkers, and/or colorists who produced great work in 2016. And I couldn’t stop at thirty names. There are fifty. They have made some of the most heartbreaking, hilarious, warm, and exciting comic books, graphic novels, graphic memoirs, collected webcomics, and manga of the year. Follow the links to a selection of those works and be on the lookout for what they do in 2017. Akiko Higashimura: Princess Jellyfish Annie Wu: Black Canary Audrey Mok: Josie and the Pussycats Babs Tarr: Batgirl and Motor Crush Brittney Williams: Goldie Vance Caitlin Rose Boyle: Jonesy Colleen Doran: Neil Gaiman’s Troll Bridge Emma Ríos: I.D. and Pretty Deadly Erica Henderson: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Jughead Faith Erin Hicks: The Nameless City Fiona Staples: Saga Joëlle Jones: Lady Killer Jordie Bellaire: Vision Kate Niemczyk: Mockingbird Katie O’Neill: Princess Princess Ever After Kelly & Nichole Matthews: Toil & Trouble Laura Martin: Black Panther and Wonder Woman Lucy Knisley: Something New M. Victoria Robado: Jem and the Holograms and Archie Meets the Ramones Maarta Laiho: Adventure Time and Lumberjanes: Makin’ the Ghost of It Marguerite Sauvage: Faith and DC Comics: Bombshells Megan Wilson: Patsy Walker A.K.A. Hellcat! Meredith Gran: Octopus Pie Meredith McClaren: Jem and the Holograms Ming Doyle: DC Comics: Bombshells Natacha Bustos: Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur Natalie Riess: Space Battle Lunchtime Nicola Scott: Wonder Woman Paulina Ganucheau: Another Castle Pia Guerra: Y: The Last Man Rachelle Rosenberg: Mockingbird Raina Telgemeier: Ghosts Rebecca Mock: Compass South Renae De Liz: The Legend of Wonder Woman Rosemary Valero-O’Connell: Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy Ryo Hanada: Devils’ Line Sana Takeda: Monstress Sara Pichelli: Spider-Man Sarah Andersen: Adulthood Is a Myth Sarah Glidden: Rolling Blackouts Sarah Lippett: Stan and Nan Sima Elizabeth Shefrin: Embroidered Cancer Comic Sophie Campbell: Jem and the Holograms and Wet Moon Tamra Bonvillain: Angel Catbird and Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur Tana Ford: Silk Tess Fowler: Rat Queens Vanesa Del Rey: Scarlet Witch #1 Veronica Fish: Archie Yancey Labat: DC Super Hero Girls: Finals Crisis Yoshitoki Oima: A Silent Voice