Friends of Lulu explained

Friends of Lulu
Type:Nonprofit
Founders:Heidi MacDonald, Trina Robbins, Deni Loubert, Anina Bennett, Liz Schiller, Jackie Estrada
Key People:Lee Marrs, Kim Yale[1] Mary Wilshire
Area Served:United States
Product:Publications, Lulu Awards
Purpose:To promote readership of comic books by women and the participation of women in the comic book industry.
Revenue:Membership dues; sales of publications
Leader Title:President
Leader Name:Valerie D'Orazio (2007–2010)

The Friends of Lulu (FoL) were a non-profit, national charitable organization located in the United States, designed to promote readership of comic books by women and the participation of women in the comic book industry. FoL operated from 1994[2] [3] to 2011.

Membership was open to all persons.[4] Friends of Lulu additionally sponsored the Lulu Awards and administered the Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame.[5] [6] [7]

The organization took its name from Little Lulu, the comic strip character created by Marjorie Henderson Buell in 1935. In the comics, Lulu often tries to break into the boys' clubhouse, where girls aren't allowed.[8]

History

Formation

In the early 1990s, comic book professionals Trina Robbins, Heidi MacDonald, Deni Loubert, Anina Bennett, Liz Schiller, and Jackie Estrada banded together to share frustrations, information and aspirations for women in the male-dominated comics industry — at that point, there were roughly "20 women writing and drawing [professionally] amid hundreds of male counterparts...;" furthermore, "90% to 95% of comics readers [were] male."[9]

The first informal Friends of Lulu meeting[10] — a brunch at the 1993 edition of WonderCon, in Oakland, California — was attended by Robbins, MacDonald, Loubert, Bennett, Schiller, and Estrada.[11] Friends of Lulu was officially formed in 1994;[12] co-founder Trina Robbins recalls that a Cherry Poptart lookalike contest sponsored by Comic-Con International was the "last straw" that inspired the creation of the organization.[11] [13] FoL began as an amateur press association which lasted three issues.[14] The Friends of Lulu logo was created by MacDonald.

Activities

As an organization, Friends of Lulu decided to address three main areas of concern: proving the case that girls and women did indeed read comics (and always had), the reluctance by the comics industry — publishers and retailers — to market comics to females, and the lack of work available to female comics creators.

FoL began tabling at San Diego Comic-Con and continued for many years at other comic book conventions. Activities included meeting with publishers, retailers, and creators, and conducting readership surveys. The organization also raised money through the sales of T-shirts, buttons, stickers, and, later on, their own publications. Artist Lee Marrs was a regular presence at the Friends of Lulu table at these events.

FoL elected its first board of directors in the summer of 1995 at San Diego Comic-Con.[15] (The organization continued the tradition of electing board members during Comic-Con for many subsequent years.) The organization published a newsletter called Lulu's Clubhouse, which it distributed to members. Various FoL regional chapters were formed, some of which produced minicomics to promote Friends of Lulu.

In 1997 the first annual Friends of Lulu conference, titled "Here to Save Comics," was held in San Jose, California[16] (in conjunction with the Alternative Press Expo); the Lulu Awards were presented at that year's San Diego Comic-Con.

1997 also saw the publication of How to Get Girls (Into Your Store), a guide for comics shop retailers on how to make their stores more female-friendly. The guide was edited by Deni Loubert. Diamond Comics Distribution helped get the guide into stores, also providing free full-page ads for the guide in Diamond's retailer catalog.

The organization held two more "LuluCon" conferences, in 1998 in Newark, New Jersey, and in 1999 in Los Angeles.

In 2000, Friends of Lulu was awarded a grant from the Xeric Foundation to self-publish Friends of Lulu: Storytime.[17] [18]

In 2003, the organization published an anthology entitled Broad Appeal.[19]

Troubles and dissolution

In the spring of 2006, in the wake of revelations of a sexual assault that happened at a 2005 comic convention, FoL vice president Ronée Garcia Bourgeois announced the creation of a Friends of Lulu Women's Empowerment Fund. The fund was "intended to give victims of sexual assault or harassment in a comics-industry context the strength to fight back legally if not physically." However, the empowerment fund "was judged by its administrators to have been insufficiently thought through ... and it was soon abandoned,"[20] with FoL forced to return all donations.[21]

The public failure of the Empowerment Fund was difficult for Friends of Lulu, and by the fall of 2007, the presidency of the organization was vacant. In September 2007, Valerie D'Orazio volunteered to fill the empty president of the national board of directors of Friends of Lulu.[22] [23]

By the summer of 2010, FoL's future was uncertain, with D'Orazio announcing she planned to step down as president at the end of the year.[24] In August 2010, an interim Board of Directors was reestablished.[25] [26]

In June 2011, the IRS revoked the organization's tax-exempt status as a non-profit "for failing to file an annual information return or notice with the IRS for three consecutive years."[27] The group ceased operations shortly afterwards.[28] [29]

Legacy

With the dissolution of Friends of Lulu, observers weighed in on the organization's legacy:

Heidi MacDonald added:

In 2019, a commemorative panel on Friends of Lulu was held at the 50th San Diego Comic-Con, with Jackie Estrada, Heidi MacDonald, Lee Marrs, Liz Schiller, Trina Robbins, and Anina Bennett serving on the panel, which was moderated by Alexa Dickman of Ladies Making Comics.

Presidents

Lulu Awards

See main article: List of Lulu Award winners. The Lulu Awards, presented annually at Comic-Con International in San Diego, California (1997 to 2007), MoCCA Festival in New York City (2008 to 2009), and the Long Beach Comic Con in Long Beach, New York (2010) bestowed the Lulu of the Year trophy for overall work; with additional awards, variously over the years, including the Kimberly Yale Award for Best New Talent; the Volunteer of the Year Award; the Women of Distinction Award; the Leah Adezio Award for Best Kid-Friendly Work; Best Female Character; and induction into the Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame.

Publications

Friends of Lulu produced a number of publications, including:

Conferences

Friends of Lulu held three "LuluCons" in 1997–1999. The events featured panels, workshops, and networking opportunities.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Yale, Kim. Jerry. Bails. Jerry Bails. n.d.. Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20070511153214/http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=YALE%2c+KIM. May 11, 2007. live. mdy-all.
  2. Leibrock, Rachel. Drawing Power S.F. exhibit celebrates pioneering women cartoonists. Sacramento Bee. March 14, 2003. E1.
  3. Szadkowski, Joseph. Comics for girls may save biz. The Washington Times. January 14, 2005. D8.
  4. Houle, Zachary. And Lulu is their guru: There's a move to promote comic books produced by and for women. The Gazette (Montreal). October 16, 2000. E5.
  5. News: Comic-Con Watch: Meet the Brain Janes. S.. Crabtree. Los Angeles Times. July 27, 2007. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080209214655/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/comiccon/2007/07/gorgeous-women-.html. 9 Feb 2008.
  6. News: Friends of Lulu nominations open. Heidi . MacDonald. Heidi MacDonald. Mar 27, 2007 . The Beat. Nominations for the Awards are made by and voted on by current members of Friends of Lulu..
  7. Web site: Lulu Awards. Comic Book Awards Almanac. Nov 8, 2023.
  8. News: Cuda. Amanda. August 5, 2003. Women's Wit: Holy comics, Batman, it's women cartoonists!. Connecticut Post.
  9. Web site: Separated at Mirth: The comics biz is a man's world. But these women are joining forces for the last laugh. . Irene . Lacher . . January 20, 1995 . October 25, 2023 . October 25, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231025102705/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-01-20-ls-22355-story.html . live.
  10. Women who made a huge impact in comics - Friends of Lulu. Helioscope PDX. March 27, 2021. YouTube. Featuring Anina Bennett and Heidi MacDonald.
  11. Web site: SDCC19: How the Friends of Lulu changed comics: The Friends of Lulu panel at SDCC19 discussed the history of the important organization. Avery . Kaplan. July 23, 2019. The Beat.
  12. News: Newswatch . Friends of Lulu Forms. 42. The Comics Journal. 171. September 1994.
  13. Wilonsky, Robert. Fatal femmes: Why do women in comics become Women in Refrigerators?. Dallas Observer. May 18, 2000.
  14. Web site: Periodicals About Comics (D-L titles). Michigan State University Libraries: Special Collections Division: Reading Room Index to the Comic Art Collection. Friends of Lulu. -- Oakland, CA, etc.: Friends of Lulu, 1995?- . -- ill. ; 28 cm. -- An Amateur Press Association (APA) for women comics professionals. -- LIBRARY HAS: no. 1-3 (1995). -- Call no.: PN6725.F72.
  15. News: September 1995. 180. 29. Lulu Elects Best Friends. The Comics Journal.
  16. Cooper, Carol . Pretty Persuasion. Village Voice. January 9, 2001. 59.
  17. Web site: CBR.com. Povey, Matthew. Friends of Lulu announces award nominees. July 12, 2002. June 7, 2020. December 1, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201182016/https://www.cbr.com/friends-of-lulu-announces-award-nominees/.
  18. Web site: Library Thing. Book awards: Xeric Award. June 7, 2020. September 29, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190929190208/https://www.librarything.com/bookaward/Xeric+Award.
  19. Book: Friends of Lulu presents broad appeal: an anthology of comics for everyone. WorldCat. 53303101 . Oct 17, 2023.
  20. Web site: Scandal Involving CBLDF's Charles Brownstein Leads to Women's Empowerment Fund. The Comics Journal. 276 . May 2006. Michael. Dean.
  21. News: FOL Empowerment Fund: Closure?. March 8, 2007. The Comics Reporter. Tom. Spurgeon. Tom Spurgeon.
  22. Web site: Friends of Lulu's 2008 Board of Directors. 2008-02-10. Friends of Lulu. 2008. Friends of Lulu. https://web.archive.org/web/20080228123537/http://www.friends-lulu.org/board.php. 2008-02-28. dead.
  23. News: February 10, 2008. CR Sunday Interview: Valerie D'Orazio. Tom. Spurgeon. The Comics Reporter. Tom Spurgeon.
  24. News: Lulu Awards For Long Beach Comic Con 2010. Bring Swimwear. 9 Aug 2010. Rich . Johnston . Rich Johnston. Bleeding Cool.
  25. Web site: 2010 Awards . Valerie . D'Orazio. Valerie D'Orazio . August 8, 2010. Comics Are For Everyone. August 8, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110708031632/http://comicsareforeveryone.blogspot.com/p/2010-lulu-awards-nominations-open-to.html. 8 July 2011.
  26. Web site: October 30, 2010. Johanna Draper. Carlson. Friends of Lulu Award Winners Announced, New Website, Organization Followup. Comics Worth Reading.
  27. Web site: Draper Carlson. Johanna. It's Official — Friends of Lulu No Longer a Non-Profit Organization. 10 June 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110624221911/http://comicsworthreading.com/2011/06/09/its-official-friends-of-lulu-no-longer-a-non-profit-organization/. 24 June 2011.
  28. Web site: Draper Carlson. Johanna. Friends of Lulu Done and Gone. 13 July 2011. dead. https://archive.today/20120708141631/http://comicsworthreading.com/2011/06/30/friends-of-lulu-done-and-gone//. 8 July 2012.
  29. News: Friends of Lulu to end in September. Heidi. MacDonald. July 28, 2010 . The Beat.
  30. News: News Watch. A New Friend in a High Place. 26. The Comics Journal. 196. June 1997.
  31. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/19990129014809/http://www.friends-lulu.org/board.html. Meet Lulu's Leaders!. Jan 1999. 29 Jan 1999. Friends of Lulu.
  32. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20010331155151/http://www.friends-lulu.org/board.html. Friends of Lulu's 2000-2001 Board of Directors. Mar 2001. 31 Mar 2001. Friends of Lulu.
  33. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20031023172932/http://www.friends-lulu.org/board.html. Friends of Lulu's 2001-2002 Board of Directors. Oct 2003. Oct 23, 2003. Friends of Lulu.
  34. Web site: What Went Wrong With Friends of Lulu? A Postmortem Interview. Johanna Draper. Carlson. Comics Worth Reading. July 8, 2011.
  35. News: SDCC: Friends of Lulu; Hall blogathon. Heidi . MacDonald . July 15, 2006. The Beat.
  36. Web site: Friends of Lulu Responds. 23 February 2007. Comics Worth Reading. Johanna Draper. Carlson.
  37. Web site: Friends of Lulu Future Uncertain as President Resigns Publicly. Johanna Draper. Carlson. Comics Worth Reading. Sep 16, 2010.

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