Broad Appeal

(Friends of Lulu, 2003)
™ and © Friends of Lulu

Friends of Lulu is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging the involvement of women in the creation of comics. This volume showcases a number of female creators, as well as a few men.

While a few of the names, such as Donna Barr (The Desert Peach), Ellen Forney (I Was Seven in ’75), and Anne Timmons (GoGirl), might be familiar, many of the writers and artists will be new to the reader.

Like the title, the contents of the volume work on two levels. In the sense of “broad as in woman,” it is gratifying to support a worthy cause through buying and reading a quality collection. In the sense of “appeals to many,” it does.

The women represented in this collection are just as talented as male creators, with as varied styles. While the viewpoint is decidedly female, these are hardly “chick comics.” Raina Telgemeier’s “Beginnings” is about the love of comics. Diana Sprinkle’s “Ammo Pets” is a nice take on Pokémon-types, and Kirsten Petersen’s “Jax Epoch” is a fun poke at SF (although, in all honesty, that one was written and inked by guys).

Of course, not all of the pieces are winners. Women can be as unfunny and untalented as men. But there is more than enough of quality here that buying the book doesn’t feel like a bit like charity.

— Jack Abramowitz

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