Hi, this is Sylvia. I can't come to the phone right now, so when you hear the beep, please hang up.

Sylvia

by Nicole Hollander

Cartoons provide a humorous look at television, dieting, the federal government, writing, and the relationship between men and women

Genres: Humor, Comics, Cartoon, Comix, Womens

127 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

I am best known for writing and drawing the syndicated cartoon strip, SYLVIA, which appears daily and weekly in more than 30 newspapers across the country, including The Boston Globe, The Berkeley Daily Planet, Women’s e News Online and The Houston Chronicle (online). Sylvia strips appear on BadGirlChats as well. I am represented by the Tribune Media Services Syndicate.

I continue to write and draw Sylvia at Badgirlchats.com, a blog composed of original writing, comments and reactions to what's in the news.

I am currently teaching college courses at the Art Institute in graphic novel writing as well as storytelling and memoir workshops at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago, but I still love speaking at events and book readings.

Reviews

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back when the papers were running Cathy, who was constantly agonizing about her weight and chocolate, it was hard to find a feminist comic. Hollander does a lot with cats and books and bathtubs (!!!) but she excels at delivering the snappy comeback.

Library copy

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun Sylvia book from the early 80's. Enjoyed the early 80's political humor. And I love Sylvia in the bathtub!

[Tristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first exposure to the fact that feminism can be funny. I think kids today really don't understand what an under-represented world the 1980's were for female comic book artists. At least in the "underground" there were lots of women publishing, but Nicole was being published in MAJOR newspapers in the 1980's. That was HUGE and historical.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In addition to her regular cast, Hollander includes Venusian Gernik in this collection. You remember Gernik (if you've seen him before)--he's the one who can't quite speak English and needs Sylvia to translate for him. Then there are the cats...Some of the Reagan-era humor is passe, but on the whole this is a marvelous, though short, collection.

[dirt · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 1983 precursor to the graphic novel of today.