Good afternoon everyone,

Last weekend I went to see Fun Home, so today’s Fem Fri is about some of the women who write comics. We start, of course, with Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home and therapy innovator:

“I think there should be a kind of therapy where people hire playwrights and composers to make musical theatre of their sad childhoods.”

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/05/alison-bechdel-interview-cartoonist-fun-home

One thing that I did a lot of during Fun Home was cry openly – or, I suppose, not that openly, it was in a theatre so it was dark – anyway, here’s another great female comics artist, Ellen Forney, on how to cry in public:

Forney is considering a one-page graphic comic on “How to Cry in Public.” (“Just let the tears run down your face. Don’t wipe your eyes, don’t slouch down, just sit there like normal and let the tears run down your face while you’re walking down the street, or in yoga class. That’s it! That’s how to cry in public.”)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/ellen-forney-just-let-the-tears-run-down-your-face/

I also really love her illustration (in Marbles) of how it feels to slip into mania:

Finally, this has all been about quite serious comics so far, but women are extremely funny as well, so here’s Kate Beaton in a quite long interview that is, in part, about the mechanics of being funny:

You really need to develop that voice, I think, in order to get good. And to be funny. There’s a certain amount of humor out there that’s kind of prescribed. And that’s fine, but the funniest stuff out there is the most unique voices, really.

https://www.avclub.com/kate-beaton-1798228099

Have a lovely weekend. Cry as much as you need to but no more, that might be a good approach.

Alex xx.