<By Roberta Gregory>
"Seriously, I am trying to avoid political stuff lately, and post more uplifting content, but there is too much cra-zeeee…. I drew this on Tuesday for the DUNE event, in Seattle, and was happy to just post on their feed, but I gotta share. This is all getting so surreal…. And scary."
<By Roberta Gregory>
"And here’s a scribble I followed up with.
Drawn at my La Conner Art Circle group."
Roberta Gregory's artwork, especially her groundbreaking Naughty Bits comics -- which ran from 1991 to 2004, over 40 issues -- have long been a favorite around here. The Fantagraphics series starred "Bitchy Bitch" Midge McCracken, a fortyish, unmarried working woman "whose behavior is seldom sweet or generous, and one gets a strong impression menopause won't even put a dent in her permanent state of PMS," claims the now-defunct toonpedia.com site:
"When she gets angry, which is often, she undergoes what looks like a physical transformation. Her snarling lips and gritting teeth sprawl beyond the boundaries of her face, and the curves of her body — what few there are — become hard and sharp.
"From this lump of rather one-note clay, Gregory has fashioned a three-dimensional character, sympathetic enough to have held the attention of readers for more than a decade."
One-note clay? Ehh, speak for yourself, mate, and let those perky Dave Matthews tunes wash over your frontal lobes, 'cos watercooler poets and barroom philosophers are a dime a dozen! (As the author confirms, incidentally, in his closing sentence: "Apparently, her simple message — that there are things in this world that are worth getting really, really steamed about — strikes a responsive chord wherever humans are human.")
All I can say is, when the Squawker introduced me to Bitchy's world, I was hooked, and I never looked back! It's the same feeling I experienced when I first heard The Clash, stumbled across Roque Dalton's poetry, or saw The Battle of Chile. That sort of manic thrill doesn't wash over you often, but once it does, you know it. And you never forget.
"When she gets angry, which is often, she undergoes what looks like a physical transformation. Her snarling lips and gritting teeth sprawl beyond the boundaries of her face, and the curves of her body — what few there are — become hard and sharp.
"From this lump of rather one-note clay, Gregory has fashioned a three-dimensional character, sympathetic enough to have held the attention of readers for more than a decade."
One-note clay? Ehh, speak for yourself, mate, and let those perky Dave Matthews tunes wash over your frontal lobes, 'cos watercooler poets and barroom philosophers are a dime a dozen! (As the author confirms, incidentally, in his closing sentence: "Apparently, her simple message — that there are things in this world that are worth getting really, really steamed about — strikes a responsive chord wherever humans are human.")
All I can say is, when the Squawker introduced me to Bitchy's world, I was hooked, and I never looked back! It's the same feeling I experienced when I first heard The Clash, stumbled across Roque Dalton's poetry, or saw The Battle of Chile. That sort of manic thrill doesn't wash over you often, but once it does, you know it. And you never forget.
So it went with Bitchy, and Gregory's later work, such as her Artistic Licentiousness series. However, sightings of Bitchy haven't been as common in recent years, so when Chairman Ralph, our ever-alert man on the ground, tipped us off about these Gregory 'toons on Facebook, we had to see if we could share them here! So Ralph asked, got the OK, and here they are, with comments from the artist.
As you can see, there's a tense dynamic going on here, between Bitchy, and a certain rogue orange ex-President. We'll say no more, get out of the way, and let you enjoy the proceedings. Does this signal a Bitchy revival? Time will tell, but I leave you with one last thought, from one of my favorite blogs (see link below):
"Art, after all, often requires and encourages critical thinking, introspection and empathy-- traits anathema to authoritarian regimes, which thrive on conformity, suppression of dissent and rigid control over thought. Artists, musicians, and writers frequently challenge dominant narratives and question the status quo, fostering environments where free thought is valued over dogma. Music, literature and art have long served as outlets for political dissent." The cartoons appear here, by courtesy of the artist. For more information, see below. Thanks, Roberta!--The Reckoner Links To Go
Roberta Gregory's Site:
https://mail.robertagregory.com/Robertagregory/Home.html
Down With Tyranny: Artists Abhor Fascism...:
https://www.downwithtyranny.com/post/artists-abhor-fascism-almost-all-musicians-painters-film-makers-writers-reject-trump
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