A sampling of Marvel Comics’ creators, for instance, were shown to be “88 percent dudes,” a figure that rose even higher to 90 percent for independent (or indie) comics.

Since then, the loose-knit group of creators has produced over 20 strips, interviewed prominent women in the field and created an ongoing portrait of discrimination out of ongoing research and data gathering.

Not only are the major comics publishers printing more work by male creators, men are getting solicited, accepted and paid at a higher rate, says Moore, who has been researching gender issues in her field for a decade. “It’s not even like the system has gone wrong; this is what the system is,” she says.