Women In Comics Month: Interview with Ari Yarwood

In honor of Women in Comics this March, PREVIEWSworld talks with writer Ari Yarwood!

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PREVIEWSworld: Tell us a little bit about yourself! What are you currently working on?

Ari Yarwood: Hi! I'm an Associate Editor at Oni Press. I am currently editing The Life After, Stumptown, Rick & Morty, and some awesome (unannounced!) graphic novels.

PREVIEWSworld: How long have you been working with sequential art? What titles, companies, and creators have you worked with over your time in comics?

Ari Yarwood: I spent a year as the Administrative Assistant at Oni Press, during which time I began editing a lot of the comics that I edit now. I cut my teeth on The Life After — Joshua Hale Fialkov and Gabo were wonderful people to work with as I was starting out and continue to be great! Before that, I wrote about comics (and other things) for Bitch, and worked in other types of publishing.

PREVIEWSworld: Did you have a mentor or hero in the industry that inspired you to pursue a career in comics?

Ari Yarwood: I wouldn't say that I had someone who inspired me to pursue comics — I've always wanted to work in comics — but my coworkers at Oni definitely inspire me to stay in comics, and they've all been a mentor in one way or another. Our Director of Sales, Shy Allott, introduced me to the Oni team and made me feel welcome, and working with our editorial team has been awesome. Robin Herrera showed me the ropes, James Lucas Jones trusted me with great projects, and Charlie Chu taught me how to yell at people (mostly him).

PREVIEWSworld: In your opinion, how has the comic book industry evolved in terms of gender?

Ari Yarwood: I haven't worked in comics for too long, so I don't know how much I can speak to its evolution, but coming from outside media (literary journals, magazines, and commercial copy), the gender disparity is still pretty stark in comics. There's a lot of ground left to cover in terms of representation, both in the books published and who's working on them. I'd like to see more women following their passions in all levels of comics — writing, drawing, coloring, lettering, editing, reviewing, and heading up companies. I'd also love to see more mainstream coverage of work by genderqueer and transgender creators.

PREVIEWSworld: What stereotypes do you see surrounding women in comics? How could people of all genders go about breaking those stereotypes?

Ari Yarwood: There's this tendency to describe female characters in relation to a male character—they're the girlfriend, the mother, the muse. It limits the depth that the characters can achieve, and it limits the stories that can be told involving women. It's pretty easy to avoid, though: write a damn character, not a plot device.

PREVIEWSworld: How do you want to see women represented in comic books 10 years from now?

Ari Yarwood: I'd like to see a greater diversity of stories being told and characters being showcased—I'd love for more people to be able to see themselves reflected in comics. I'd also like to see a greater number of high-profile (and high-paid) women working in the industry.

PREVIEWSworld: If you could give advice to any aspiring editors, executives, writers, or artists, what would you tell them?

Ari Yarwood: Be kind, but don't be afraid to advocate for yourself.  Also, always remember to hit “reply all” when you're working with your editor.

PREVIEWSworld: And lastly, are there any up-and-coming women creators who you would recommend readers check out?

Ari Yarwood: We've got some awesome women doing books this year! Monica Gallagher's Part-Time Princesses comes out in March: it's about four girls who work as amusement park princesses who have to figure out what to do with their lives after their post-graduation plans fall through. I think it really speaks to that late-teen search for direction. As well as that, Megan Levens' art in Ares & Aphrodite (out in April) is so dang perfect for that book; she's definitely an artist to look out for. Jackie Lewis really brings it home with her art in The Lion of Rora (spotlighted in this edition of PREVIEWS)! And Hopeless Savages is back this year with a new volume, which I'm super excited about.

Check out more Women In Comics Month interviews in our special section on PREVIEWSworld!