Furry question

[HATHAWAY@stsci.edu]

Hi all - 

  I've been reading this group for months but have not said much.  
I've read Disney Duck for almost forty years and still have a 
subscription.  

  Today I have a totally different question.  In the Sunday comics 
section of my local newspaper (The Washington Post), the strip 
'Out-Land' with Opus the penguin, had an observation that was 
shocking.  A cartoon character asked why, except for the 
occasional love interest, virtually ALL the leading animal 'toon 
characters were male.  And one would be hard pressed to find 
any counter-examples.  All our favorite leading characters in the 
Disney world are male.  While we all love Grandma Duck, Daisy, 
Minnie, ..., they are the exceptions, and rarely get staring 
roles.  The only (non-Disney) cartoon animal? I can think of 
is Broomhilda, who is not exactly non-human, though not exactly 
human.  In the Disney world, there is The Little Mermaid, and 
Beauty, but she is human.  

  Is there anything to this observation?  Is the comic world 
on the verge of a whole new advance, where female animal 
stars will be successful?  Or will we continue to be confined 
to the male only realm??? 

Regards, 
Wm. Hathaway