Posted in: Comics, Fantagraphics | Tagged: Bitchy Bitch, graphic novel, Iran War, Roberta Gregory

Roberta Gregory On Her Comic Books Being Hit By An Iranian Missile

Roberta Gregory on her graphic novel collection of Bitchy Bitch from Fantagraphics being hit by an Iranian missile, off the Strait of Hormuz

Yesterday, Bleeding Cool reported the news that a shipping container containing two complete print runs of the upcoming Fantagraphics graphic novel collection of thirty-five years of Bitchy and the Atlas Comics No 9 collectionhad been hit by an Iranian missile while travelling through the Strait of Hormuz. Bitchy Bitch creator Roberta Gregory posted to social media, "Oh, great. From bad to worse. The ship with my book on it (and lots of other stuff as well) was hit by a missile. I don't REALLY believe my cursed existence is somehow responsible for this latest, but I'm not lying when I say there's days I honestly wonder." She added in response, "Thank you, everyone…I'm still kind of in shock, but lots of people are dying senselessly in this stupid Trump stunt which puts it in perspective. Hopefully the book may still be available sometime this year, but it's out of my hands. What I can do is focus on the ongoing projects I want to finish while I am able. And since I am scheduled for major surgery next week, you better believe I am going to make sure there are provisions for all my creative stuff…" And also "For all you folks encouraging me to do a comic about the current situation (the container ship and all that) I found this from 23 years ago that I think sums it up pretty nicely."

An Iranian missile destroying the print run of Bitchy feels far too on the nose and full of phallic symbolism to be true, but there you go. Sometimes truth is far more obvious than fiction. Bleeding Cool ran an exclusive preview and commentary on the book last week. Maybe it's the curse of Bleeding Cool? That's a thing, right?

• Bitchy! The Exasperating Existence of Midge McCracken by Roberta Gregory
  One of the most influential, feminist comics series ― the riotous "Bitchy Bitch" stories by pioneering cartoonist Roberta Gregory ― is now in one definitive collection. Midge McCracken is the abrasive, self-destructive pessimist every office has. Not to mince words, she's a bitch: bitter, mistrustful, racist, and completely unfiltered in her words and thoughts. But she comes by it honestly, growing up with hateful, racist parents, suffering sexual abuse as an adolescent, experiencing an unwanted pregnancy, etc. Did we mention that this is a comedy? Roberta Gregory's unflinching sense of humor is the engine driving Bitchy! This mammoth tome collects Gregory's "Bitchy Bitch" stories, presenting a life from childhood into middle age, following the character through multiple decades. Along the way, Gregory's wider cast of characters are introduced, notably Bitchy's suffering and insufferable coworkers: the obnoxiously cheerful Sylvia (who never met a problem that positive vibes won't cure); the upwardly mobile and power-hungry Pam (aka Bitchy's boss); the intolerant, God-fearing Marcie; her hapless friend-with-benefits, Kenny; and many more. In 1976, Roberta Gregory released Dynamite Damsels ― the first underground solo comic created and self-published by a woman. After contributing regularly to the influential anthologies Wimmen's Comix and Gay Comix throughout the 1980s, she launched Naughty Bits in 1991 while working as a production artist at her publisher, Fantagraphics. It became the longest-running solo alternative comic book series by a female cartoonist, coming to an end in 2004 after an influential and pioneering 14-year, 40-issue run. The Bitchy Bitch stories remain the pinnacle of a historic career, and a highwater mark in comics and graphic novels over the past 40 years. Black-and-white illustrations throughout,

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