Non-compliant: A term used in the comic Bitch Planet to describe ~difficult~ women who are sentenced to an off-planet prison.
The non-compliant symbol has since become a rallying point in the comics community, so much so that it was even available as a shirt at Emerald City Comicon.
What I think the statement they're making is, I am a person who does not fit the box assigned to me. I am too tall or to short or too fat or too black or brown or too indigenous or too atheist or too slutty or too frumpy or too gay or too whatever the fuck it is my culture is going to judge me for today, and I refuse to see myself through your eyes. I refuse to see myself as imperfect because of that. And you will support me or you will get the fuck off.
I spoke with comics creators, professionals, and fans at ECCC about being #noncompliant.
This is what they had to say:
1. "I am a woman with strong opinions. I am non-compliant." –Kelly Sue DeConnick
2. "Because I am black, female, love florals, and build satellites, I am non-compliant." –Tehnakki
3. "I'm an individual – I don't need anyone to speak for me. I have a voice and I'm non-compliant." –Chrissy Dinh
4. "I'm comfortable and confident in my queerness, and don't care if you are. I am non-compliant." –Rae Hengst
5. "I was told there was no room for the kind of comics I love. SO I BUILT ONE. I am non-compliant." –C. Spike Trotman
6. "I am in an industry that doesn't want to hear my voice but I will scream anyway. I am non-compliant." –Chelsea Miller
7. "We are: BDSM and safe-sex friendly. We are non-compliant!" –Carter Marzineck and Morgan Fauver
8. "I'm a beautiful, fat cosplayer, and I am amazing. I am non-compliant." –Rachel
9. "I am not afraid to speak up against ignorance and bigotry. I am non-compliant." –Jessi Jordan
10. "Never submit. Never surrender. Be your own goddamn hero. I am non-compliant." –Melissa Kay
11. "I have no patience for the status quo. I am non-compliant!" –Janelle Asselin
12. "'Girl' is not a genre. I am non-compliant!" –Kate Leth
13. "I am too loud, too passionate, too much! I am non-compliant." –Anne
14. "Chronically ill and still living. I am non-compliant." –Meli
15. "I like writing comics that make people cry. I am non-compliant." –Jody Houser
16. "I don't care about your feelings! I am non-compliant." –Mairghread Scott
17. "I think sex education should be comprehensive, inclusive, and full of bad puns. I am non-compliant!" –Erika Moen
18. "Bisexual. But not 'hetero' enough. Generation Y. I am non-compliant." –Brass Mama
19. "I am a comic-reading, gay, gym-going, feminist banker studying engineering. I am non-compliant." –Tyler S. Jones
20. "I don't need to be anyone's muse. I make my own art. I am non-compliant." –Jen Aprahamian
21. "I'm a woman and I'm not afraid to say no. I'm non-compliant!" –Amy Wolfe
All photos by Kirk Damato.
How are you #noncompliant? Tell us in the comments!
