Trina Robbins dead, left us today at age 85

Trina Robbins left us today at age 85

She was the first woman to draw Wonder Woman, and she also designed and wrote several titles for other publishers and in the underground world.

She was also a great activist, released several books about the participation of women in the comics market, founded organizations to promote and encourage female protagonism in the comics world.

Trina Robbins, born in 1938, took her first steps in the world of comics in the heart of the underground. He contributed stories, illustrations and other works to the iconic LA Free Press (founded in 1965), considered one of the pillars of the movement, and later to another title crucial to understanding this movement, East Village Other, in 1969. For this publication he Challenging conventions, she created the character of Suzie Slumgodess, a heroine who acted as both an activist and a model, satirizing the role of women as symbols of (male) liberation during the 1960s and 1970s.

Robbins also collaborated with Art Spiegelman on several projects and was involved in the creation of the Vampirella character in 1969 (giving instructions over the phone to Frank Frazetta, although she was unaware of the subsequent sexualization of her and use of her as a sexual icon). He continued producing comics on labels linked to the underground market in the 1970s, such as Last Gasp, Renegade Press, Nanny Goat Productions, California Comics, Hassle Free Press, and others such as Kitchen Sink and Eclipse Comics, before competing with large American publishers.

In 1970, she founded the first comic book entirely starring women, “It Ain’t Me, Babe”, and in 1972 she established the first collective of female authors, the Wimmen’s Comix Collective, which was notable for maintaining an exclusively female anthology, Wimmen’s, for years. Comix.

From then until today, Robbins has continued drawing comics, receiving numerous awards for her work (Inkpot in San Diego, NOW, SFMA, Haxtur in Spain). Some of her notable works include “Dope” (1981), adapted from a novel by Sax Rohmer; “Misty” (1985); her scripts for Wonder Woman in 1986; and her contributions to Gay Comix since 1985.

Her work as editor on the release of “Strips AIDS USA: A Collection of Cartoon Art to Benefit People With AIDS” in 1988 was memorable. Her activism in aid of those affected by AIDS continued with initiatives such as “War News” in 1991, a comic released to protest her country’s intervention in the Gulf War. In the 1990s, she returned to writing female-centered comic book scripts, including “Wonder Woman: The Once and Future Story” (1998), “GoGirl” for Image in 2000, “The Phantom Chronicles” in 2007, and “Honey West.” ” in 2010.