The U.S. comic book industry is full of stories about fantastical worlds with superheroes, multiverses and cartoonishly evil villains, but one writer and publisher is opening the door for stories celebrating real life — and specifically, the real, rich lives of women of color.
Its name"Josei" comes from the genre of Japanese manga, or graphic novels, written specifically for older teens and women. It's less action and superheroes, and more about everyday life, romance and friendship. In 2022, the longer graphic novel"Wash Day Diaries" was published by Chronicle Books — garnering the LA Times Book Prize for graphic novels, and an Eisner Award nomination for Best Publication for Teens."I want to show people, especially people of color, women of color, that comics exist outside of superhero comics, but even outside of that, you can see yourself in those comics as well. You can create them yourself, too," said Rowser.