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Dirty Plotte #1-12
Dirty Plotte: The Complete Julie Doucet
An enduring collection of revolutionary comics from a genre-transforming and critically acclaimed cartoonist
Julie Doucet arrived in comics in the 1990s as a fully formed cartoonist. Her comic book series Dirty Plotte was visionary both for the medium and for storytelling. Her stories are candid, funny and intimate, plumbing the depths of the female psyche while charting the fragility of the men around her. Her artwork is dense and confident, never wavering in the wit and humour of its owner. Doucet was active in comics for fifteen years before she moved on to other mediums. Her influence casts a long shadow over the medium, Dirty Plotte is quite simply one of the most iconic comic book series to have ever been created.
Dirty Plotte: The Complete Julie Doucet collects the entire comic book series, including the acclaimed My New York Diary, as well as rare comics and previously unpublished material; a reproduction of the first Dirty Plotte mini comic; essays about her comics legacy and feminist influence by curator Dan Nadel and academic Martine Delvaux respectively; an interview by comics scholar Christian Gasser; and personal anecdotes from Jami Attenberg, Adrian Tomine, and more.
Doucet uses the covers of this two-book box set to present an all-new comic that explores her complicated relationship with femininity and the importance of her relationships with female readers. Astonishingly honest, brutal, and funny, Dirty Plotte is a revelatory journey into a legendary cartoonist’s oeuvre.
Julie Doucet arrived in comics in the 1990s as a fully formed cartoonist. Her comic book series Dirty Plotte was visionary both for the medium and for storytelling. Her stories are candid, funny and intimate, plumbing the depths of the female psyche while charting the fragility of the men around her. Her artwork is dense and confident, never wavering in the wit and humour of its owner. Doucet was active in comics for fifteen years before she moved on to other mediums. Her influence casts a long shadow over the medium, Dirty Plotte is quite simply one of the most iconic comic book series to have ever been created.
Dirty Plotte: The Complete Julie Doucet collects the entire comic book series, including the acclaimed My New York Diary, as well as rare comics and previously unpublished material; a reproduction of the first Dirty Plotte mini comic; essays about her comics legacy and feminist influence by curator Dan Nadel and academic Martine Delvaux respectively; an interview by comics scholar Christian Gasser; and personal anecdotes from Jami Attenberg, Adrian Tomine, and more.
Doucet uses the covers of this two-book box set to present an all-new comic that explores her complicated relationship with femininity and the importance of her relationships with female readers. Astonishingly honest, brutal, and funny, Dirty Plotte is a revelatory journey into a legendary cartoonist’s oeuvre.
332 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
8 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
Julie Doucet
62 books182 followersJulie Doucet is a Canadian underground cartoonist and artist, best known for her autobiographical works such as Dirty Plotte and My New York Diary.
Doucet began cartooning in 1987. Her efforts quickly began to attract critical attention, and she won the 1991 Harvey Award for "Best New Talent".
Shortly thereafter, she moved to New York. Although she moved to Seattle the following year, her experiences in New York formed the basis of the critically-acclaimed My New York Diary (1999). She moved from Seattle to Berlin in 1995, before finally returning to Montreal in 1998. Once there, she released the twelfth and final issue of Dirty Plotte before beginning a brief hiatus from comics.
She returned to the field in 2000 with The Madame Paul Affair, a slice-of-life look at contemporary Montreal which was originally serialized in Ici-Montreal, a local alternative weekly. At the same time, she was branching out into more experimental territory, culminating with the 2001 release of Long Time Relationship, a collection of prints and engravings. In 2004, Doucet also published in French an illustrated diary (Journal) chronicling about a year of her life and, in 2006, an autobiography made from a collage of words cut from magazines and newspapers (J comme Je).
In 2007, Doucet published 365 Days, in which she chronicles her life for a year, starting in late 2002.
After a long hiatus, Doucet came back to publication with Time Zone J (2022).
Doucet began cartooning in 1987. Her efforts quickly began to attract critical attention, and she won the 1991 Harvey Award for "Best New Talent".
Shortly thereafter, she moved to New York. Although she moved to Seattle the following year, her experiences in New York formed the basis of the critically-acclaimed My New York Diary (1999). She moved from Seattle to Berlin in 1995, before finally returning to Montreal in 1998. Once there, she released the twelfth and final issue of Dirty Plotte before beginning a brief hiatus from comics.
She returned to the field in 2000 with The Madame Paul Affair, a slice-of-life look at contemporary Montreal which was originally serialized in Ici-Montreal, a local alternative weekly. At the same time, she was branching out into more experimental territory, culminating with the 2001 release of Long Time Relationship, a collection of prints and engravings. In 2004, Doucet also published in French an illustrated diary (Journal) chronicling about a year of her life and, in 2006, an autobiography made from a collage of words cut from magazines and newspapers (J comme Je).
In 2007, Doucet published 365 Days, in which she chronicles her life for a year, starting in late 2002.
After a long hiatus, Doucet came back to publication with Time Zone J (2022).
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 3, 2021
Absolutely obsessed with the maximalist squalor of Julie Doucet comics. I'd dabbled before, but having the complete Dirty Plotte really helped me understand her place in comics history. Over the years I've gotten tired of the gross-out 90s indie dude comics. But seeing the flip here--so many great and gritty takes on period blood and tits and sex and cutting off dicks--made me want to cheer.
As usual, D&Q put together a really lovely and thoughtfully presented collection. Super stoked to add these to my permanent library.
As usual, D&Q put together a really lovely and thoughtfully presented collection. Super stoked to add these to my permanent library.
November 16, 2023
Collects "all" of Julie Doucet's comicbook work - ignoring work like her 365 Days diary,
Dirty Plotte 1-12 (which serialized Doucet's most popular work New York Diary in its later issues)
The Madame Paul Incident (a series of weekly strips)
Comics published (and some unpublished) in other anthologies and magazines throughout the 90s
Book 1
collects Dirty Plotte and comes with a reproduction of the first Dirty Plotte mini-comic/zine. Too bad they didn't include all the zines.
I love that this book includes the front and back covers throughout - and they are printed on a glossy paper stock. It's basically like having a bound version of the originals. Glossy covers and matte interiors. I can't think of another collection that does this, but it's perfect.
Dirty Plotte 1
Reprints some of the content from her mini-comics, so its quite rough. But the new pages reveal a nearly fully-formet Doucet. Super bonkers strips. I love all the gags about periods. Doucet feels like the female R. Crumb at times. Superb drawer and doesn't mind getting into the darkest parts of her brain. The strip about the angry naked guys disturbing her picnic, then she eats a croissant sticking out of the guys underwear.
We also get the start of the Monkey and the Living Dead strip that goes on for a few issues. About an anthropomorphic cat.
Dirty Plotte 2
A few more zine reprints. Lots of dream comics.
Monkey and the Living Dead Part Two - Monkey is looking for a faucet, the drawing looks like a penis so the plumbing store manager sends her to his friend an owner of a strip club where Monkey gets a job.
Dirty Plotte 3
A Day in Julie Doucet's Life is maybe my favourite strip of hers. Pretty hilarious as she wakes up miserable and sleep-walks through her miserable day.
Dream strips are great.
Monkey and the Living Dead Part Three has Monkey dancing on stage and then biting the Strip Club manager's penis. There's a strip with Doucet cutting a man's penis off. Her body mutilation stuff is insane.
Dirty Plotte 4
Doucet shows us her NYC apartment. A strip about a cleanfreak superhero who Doucet defeats when she tries to clean her apartment.
Monkey and the Living Dead Part Four - Monkey gets into it with another stripper. Later she bumps into her deadbeat baby daddy and wants to have sex with him in an alley.
Doucet teaches how to clean your plotte!
Dirty Plotte 5
The strip Missing has Doucet working in a different art style. Less chaotic, larger panels.
Monkey and the Living Dead Part Five (Conclusion) Monkey leaves the boy cat and walks away with her new friend.
Maybe a weak issue just because of the different art style.
Dirty Plotte 6
Strips about Doucet being a man. It's pretty hilarious stuff. There's one strip about a guy getting a "plotte" on his forehead.
Dirty Plotte 7
The return of Monkey... but she dies right away!
We get another strip of Robert walking through town. I love the way Doucet draws the cityscapes.
Doucet meets with her friend and asks an older guy friend to help them steal a motorcycle helmet. Later Doucet ends up at a picnic and goes home with a much older man and has sex for the first time.
Dirty Plotte 8
Now for a complaint. This book doesn't reprint the non-Doucet comics from this issue! So we don't technically get the complete Dirty Plotte comics. This issue was quite the anthology Missing is J. Bradley Johnson - Snoot Grolo, Spit - My Vacation Diary, Fej Noznihaj - Vagina Dentata, Henriette Valium - Alcool, Julian, Brain S. - Rabbi-Boy, Julian + Krista - Hang Out to Dry.
But really the best strips were Doucet's, so it's not a big deal. Although I wouldn't mind seeing Valium's page in this format.
A strip about a ghost telling his tale of how he got murdered by Doucet while they were roommates.
Dirty Plotte 9
Julie is in art school and cramming the night before her sketchbook assignment is due. She tells the tale of meeting a boy who becomes overly attached to her. He ends up crashing at her place and attempting to commit suicide... all while Julie is busy trying to finish her sketchbook!
Dirty Plotte 10
Julie has a dream about Nick Cave.
The start of New York Diary. Julie leaves Montreal and stays with her boyfriend in Washington Heights. They seem to be a good pairing, both enjoy doing light-drugs and drinking lots of beer, living in filth but even from the start it seems the boyfriend is jealous of Doucet's success as an artist.
The one scene where they are having sex, Julie gets a phone call. The panel shows the boyfriend fully erect completely pissed off he's being ignored for the phone. It's hilarious.
Dirty Plotte 11
Continuing the New York Diary chapters. Julie is suffering from epileptic seizures, her medication isn't working too well. Julie has trouble balancing her lifestyle with the boyfriend and her desire to create comics.
Dirty Plotte 12
The final issue unfortunately. I wish Doucet continued to create these comics!
It was inevitable that Doucet would have a falling out with her boyfriend. But she has trouble breaking it to him while trying to find another place to live.
Book Two
Most of the non-Dirty Plotte comics come from these publications:
Tchiize No3,4 / DP mini 1-10,vol2 1-4 / D+Q 7 / Cold Vomi 1 / Peltex 8 / Rectangle vol3.3 / DP 1-12 (D+Q) / S21' Art / Buzzard 1 / Rip Off Comix 28 / Leve ta jambe / Snake Eye 2 / NY Press vol4.47 / Real Stuff 6 / Alice in Comicland / My Most Secret Desire / Scnitte 2
Also includes some interview with Doucet and retrospective articles. Lots of the earlier work are similar to the Zine stuff we found in the early Dirty Plotte works. The rest are as high quality as anything in those comics and well worth checking out for fans of her work.
The Madame Paul Affair is a longer autobiographical tale of the weird condo she was living in. Paul is the landlord's Aunt and manages the building. The ownership swap hands so Madame Paul leaves - but leaves without even saying a word. Later Doucet and her friend find a secret area in the basement and an alcohol still. There's some weird goings-on with the Paul family.
Dirty Plotte 1-12 (which serialized Doucet's most popular work New York Diary in its later issues)
The Madame Paul Incident (a series of weekly strips)
Comics published (and some unpublished) in other anthologies and magazines throughout the 90s
Book 1
collects Dirty Plotte and comes with a reproduction of the first Dirty Plotte mini-comic/zine. Too bad they didn't include all the zines.
I love that this book includes the front and back covers throughout - and they are printed on a glossy paper stock. It's basically like having a bound version of the originals. Glossy covers and matte interiors. I can't think of another collection that does this, but it's perfect.
Dirty Plotte 1
Reprints some of the content from her mini-comics, so its quite rough. But the new pages reveal a nearly fully-formet Doucet. Super bonkers strips. I love all the gags about periods. Doucet feels like the female R. Crumb at times. Superb drawer and doesn't mind getting into the darkest parts of her brain. The strip about the angry naked guys disturbing her picnic, then she eats a croissant sticking out of the guys underwear.
We also get the start of the Monkey and the Living Dead strip that goes on for a few issues. About an anthropomorphic cat.
Dirty Plotte 2
A few more zine reprints. Lots of dream comics.
Monkey and the Living Dead Part Two - Monkey is looking for a faucet, the drawing looks like a penis so the plumbing store manager sends her to his friend an owner of a strip club where Monkey gets a job.
Dirty Plotte 3
A Day in Julie Doucet's Life is maybe my favourite strip of hers. Pretty hilarious as she wakes up miserable and sleep-walks through her miserable day.
Dream strips are great.
Monkey and the Living Dead Part Three has Monkey dancing on stage and then biting the Strip Club manager's penis. There's a strip with Doucet cutting a man's penis off. Her body mutilation stuff is insane.
Dirty Plotte 4
Doucet shows us her NYC apartment. A strip about a cleanfreak superhero who Doucet defeats when she tries to clean her apartment.
Monkey and the Living Dead Part Four - Monkey gets into it with another stripper. Later she bumps into her deadbeat baby daddy and wants to have sex with him in an alley.
Doucet teaches how to clean your plotte!
Dirty Plotte 5
The strip Missing has Doucet working in a different art style. Less chaotic, larger panels.
Monkey and the Living Dead Part Five (Conclusion) Monkey leaves the boy cat and walks away with her new friend.
Maybe a weak issue just because of the different art style.
Dirty Plotte 6
Strips about Doucet being a man. It's pretty hilarious stuff. There's one strip about a guy getting a "plotte" on his forehead.
Dirty Plotte 7
The return of Monkey... but she dies right away!
We get another strip of Robert walking through town. I love the way Doucet draws the cityscapes.
Doucet meets with her friend and asks an older guy friend to help them steal a motorcycle helmet. Later Doucet ends up at a picnic and goes home with a much older man and has sex for the first time.
Dirty Plotte 8
Now for a complaint. This book doesn't reprint the non-Doucet comics from this issue! So we don't technically get the complete Dirty Plotte comics. This issue was quite the anthology Missing is J. Bradley Johnson - Snoot Grolo, Spit - My Vacation Diary, Fej Noznihaj - Vagina Dentata, Henriette Valium - Alcool, Julian, Brain S. - Rabbi-Boy, Julian + Krista - Hang Out to Dry.
But really the best strips were Doucet's, so it's not a big deal. Although I wouldn't mind seeing Valium's page in this format.
A strip about a ghost telling his tale of how he got murdered by Doucet while they were roommates.
Dirty Plotte 9
Julie is in art school and cramming the night before her sketchbook assignment is due. She tells the tale of meeting a boy who becomes overly attached to her. He ends up crashing at her place and attempting to commit suicide... all while Julie is busy trying to finish her sketchbook!
Dirty Plotte 10
Julie has a dream about Nick Cave.
The start of New York Diary. Julie leaves Montreal and stays with her boyfriend in Washington Heights. They seem to be a good pairing, both enjoy doing light-drugs and drinking lots of beer, living in filth but even from the start it seems the boyfriend is jealous of Doucet's success as an artist.
The one scene where they are having sex, Julie gets a phone call. The panel shows the boyfriend fully erect completely pissed off he's being ignored for the phone. It's hilarious.
Dirty Plotte 11
Continuing the New York Diary chapters. Julie is suffering from epileptic seizures, her medication isn't working too well. Julie has trouble balancing her lifestyle with the boyfriend and her desire to create comics.
Dirty Plotte 12
The final issue unfortunately. I wish Doucet continued to create these comics!
It was inevitable that Doucet would have a falling out with her boyfriend. But she has trouble breaking it to him while trying to find another place to live.
Book Two
Most of the non-Dirty Plotte comics come from these publications:
Tchiize No3,4 / DP mini 1-10,vol2 1-4 / D+Q 7 / Cold Vomi 1 / Peltex 8 / Rectangle vol3.3 / DP 1-12 (D+Q) / S21' Art / Buzzard 1 / Rip Off Comix 28 / Leve ta jambe / Snake Eye 2 / NY Press vol4.47 / Real Stuff 6 / Alice in Comicland / My Most Secret Desire / Scnitte 2
Also includes some interview with Doucet and retrospective articles. Lots of the earlier work are similar to the Zine stuff we found in the early Dirty Plotte works. The rest are as high quality as anything in those comics and well worth checking out for fans of her work.
The Madame Paul Affair is a longer autobiographical tale of the weird condo she was living in. Paul is the landlord's Aunt and manages the building. The ownership swap hands so Madame Paul leaves - but leaves without even saying a word. Later Doucet and her friend find a secret area in the basement and an alcohol still. There's some weird goings-on with the Paul family.
August 8, 2019
I love a good dose every now and again of crude raunchiness. This comic is PERFECT for that because it is written by a woman, so the said raunchiness is female centered and the crudness often tackles periods, baby-men, and the constant threat of violence we face.
January 13, 2020
Julie Doucet is a treasure and I hope against hope that one day she will return to comics, though I am very fond of her collage work.
November 24, 2025
I love that Julie takes risks by being brutally honest but at the same time she has this very confident, unique and virtuosic drawing style.
Of course I put her in my favorite artists of all time :
https://youtu.be/2pbf6jg-00g
January 4, 2025
An amazing collection! from her early dick and pussy punk rock beginnings to her more slice of life NY diaries, and Madame Paul affair. I really feel like I got to see Julia grow as an artist
December 15, 2018
The best parts are semi-autobiographical. It's a collection of the original comics from the early 1990s, and there is much NSFW content, all with a weird sense of humor. Some will enjoy.
February 21, 2019
This has finally solved the mystery of who wrote that German comic Josh gave me so long ago. Also, it's amazing.
February 2, 2021
Malade complètement sauté 5 étoiles
July 30, 2022
The early issues are hit and miss, with varying art quality and strips that occasionally serve as nothing more than puerile non sequitors, but Doucet really finds her voice four or five issues in and the last four or five are something to behold. Much has been said about My New York Diary, but it’s really a tour de force. It feels like a coming together of everything Doucet toyed with in the previous 9 issues. With her art style and narrative sense fully developed, the long-form story throws some weight behind her delightfully crass approach to humor and sense of despair.
November 12, 2023
Doucet's work is grotesque, disturbing, horrific, violent, and occasionally somehow erotic. She illuminates chapters from her life, dreams she's had, and a variety of murderous fantasies. If you have the intestinal fortitude for these stories, you will surely come to love them (and her).
October 18, 2024
i did like it
July 4, 2025
Seduced by the cover, repelled by its content. Next!
Read
February 16, 2019I only made it in a few pages, wasn't really for me.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews