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Twisted Sisters: A Collection of Bad Girl Art
"Lots of cartoonists push their work to the edge, but these women shove their cartoons right off the cliff and take you along for the ride. Funny, scary, rudely honest stuff." - - Matt Groening
256 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 2, 2007
It is a sorry comment on the State of Things that this book is out of print.
February 9, 2016
How is it I haven't yet rated this? This anthology is the reason I started making comics.
February 1, 2020
As you would surmise from the title, this is a collection of comics stories by female artists. You might think that, after twenty-nine years since publication, some of these would seem a little dated. Not so. These stories seem as fresh and relevant to me as ever.
To be fair, I’m somewhat biased, having been familiar with the work of most of these women from various underground comics since before this book was even published. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read it over the years--been a good decade, at least, since the last time. But every time I read it--even the first--is like visiting old friends.
Some random highlights:
Dori Seda was so gifted. “Let's Eat Brains” is a classic for the ages, as is “Fashion As A Losing Battle.” There was just something so natural about her timing … It was such a tragic loss to comics when she died so young.
One of the things that helped me come to terms with losing Dori was the story by her best friend, Krystine Kryttre, “Bimbos From Hell!”, which also appears in this volume. Like Mary Fleener and Julie Doucet (also in this book), Kryttre eventually scaled back on the comics in favor being an Artist …
M.K. Brown always makes me laugh.
Diane Noomin and Aline Kominsky-Crumb both deserve their reputation as underground goddesses.
I had honestly forgotten that Carel Moiseiwitsch’s “Priapic Alphabet” even existed. Sadly, just as timely as it ever was.
Often, with anthologies, there's a certain amount of deadweight. This, however, is one of the exceptions. Just page after page of stellar work. Highly recommended!
To be fair, I’m somewhat biased, having been familiar with the work of most of these women from various underground comics since before this book was even published. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read it over the years--been a good decade, at least, since the last time. But every time I read it--even the first--is like visiting old friends.
Some random highlights:
Dori Seda was so gifted. “Let's Eat Brains” is a classic for the ages, as is “Fashion As A Losing Battle.” There was just something so natural about her timing … It was such a tragic loss to comics when she died so young.
One of the things that helped me come to terms with losing Dori was the story by her best friend, Krystine Kryttre, “Bimbos From Hell!”, which also appears in this volume. Like Mary Fleener and Julie Doucet (also in this book), Kryttre eventually scaled back on the comics in favor being an Artist …
M.K. Brown always makes me laugh.
Diane Noomin and Aline Kominsky-Crumb both deserve their reputation as underground goddesses.
I had honestly forgotten that Carel Moiseiwitsch’s “Priapic Alphabet” even existed. Sadly, just as timely as it ever was.
Often, with anthologies, there's a certain amount of deadweight. This, however, is one of the exceptions. Just page after page of stellar work. Highly recommended!
August 5, 2015
I'm going out on a limb here and saying comics are terrific and comics by women are the TERRIFICEST.
September 23, 2021
Easily the best anthology I have ever read. I enjoyed every comic writer/artist represented in this book and am excited to fill up my TBR with more of their work. Everyone involved in creating this book should be super proud at how well this holds up.
September 18, 2015
I first read this book in the early 1990s, and it blew my mind and completely changed my life. I still think it is the best collection of comics published, and I'm so sorry that it´s out of print and a new generation of young girls won´t be reading it! I've managed to buy most of the contributors' "collected work" books one by one, but the range of these artists and comics - very different from each other but all very surprising, funny and thought-provoking - together make this a truly awesome volume to own.
December 3, 2007
this is my favorite graphic novel collection. I've had this since I was 15, and I re-read it constantly.
March 11, 2018
I read this when it came out and loved it. A friend's recent facebook post reminded me of it, and I need to pull it out and read it again.
December 28, 2021
In case you’re not familiar with underground comics, these are graphic and disturbing, but they also share truths on relationships, pain, loneliness, and memory.
July 8, 2016
Incredible. I think I might like this even more than the "Juicy Mother" compilation in the 90s. Especially love the comics by Phoebe Gloeckner, Dori Seda, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, and Diane Noomin. Wuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhll and actually Julie Doucet is still probably my favorite, no well, another favorite, but I have already read as much of her work as I can find. But if someone hadn't before, that would be such a great intro to her!
It's also just so incredible to read a compilation of comics from the height of the Wimmin's Comix era, which sometimes feels like women doing their own underground comix (many of these were printed in Wierdo, the inheritor to the underground comix throne during the eighties), but many were in Twisted Sister, Wimmin's Comix, Tits and Clits Comix, and other comix books for just women. All these comics are by women (and have little bio pages) but a few feel VERY feminist. Also, quite a few are really funny. Just, like, a super well rounded anthology!!!
It's also just so incredible to read a compilation of comics from the height of the Wimmin's Comix era, which sometimes feels like women doing their own underground comix (many of these were printed in Wierdo, the inheritor to the underground comix throne during the eighties), but many were in Twisted Sister, Wimmin's Comix, Tits and Clits Comix, and other comix books for just women. All these comics are by women (and have little bio pages) but a few feel VERY feminist. Also, quite a few are really funny. Just, like, a super well rounded anthology!!!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews