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Jennifer M. Babcock reviews and recommends comic strips available in print and on the web.

Well, I’m back from Egypt. It was such a wonderful trip and I have a lot more to say about Ancient Egyptian narrative vis a vis comics but I want to wait for another time- like when I get my dissertation proposal passed and when I’m less jet lagged.

Anyway, instead of writing a blog that requires too much thinking and analysis I’m going to talk about all the weird questions and comments I get from my friends and family about my comic, “C’est la Vie.”

I’m not sure if other creators feel the same way as I do but I get really uncomfortable when family and friends talk to me about my comic. I think it’s because they like to read into my characters and my storylines to actively try to find parallels in my real life. For instance, sometimes a friend/family member will ask me “Is so-and-so based on you? Is (s)he based on this other person?”

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Normally in Strip Search, Jennifer M. Babcock reviews and recommends comic strips available in print and on the web. This week she shares her own experiences as a woman cartoonist.

As you all probably know by now, I am a comics creator. I also happen to be a woman. Being a woman in the comics industry is a lonely, tough ride. There just aren’t that many of us out there and I often feel outside of what often seems to be a “boy’s club.”

Before you start accusing me of being “emo” or “PMSing,” let me explain…

Comic cons are always a problem for me- especially since I’m a heterosexual female who doesn’t cosplay. I often feel like I have to carefully select an outfit that will make me as gender ambiguous as possible. I usually opt for pants and a button down with a bangin’ tie- let’s also not forget my plastic rimmed glasses (I have to make it clear that I’m a nerd and am there on my own free will – not dragged by my boyfriend):

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On alternating Thursdays, Jennifer M. Babcock reviews and recommends comic strips available in print and on the web.

I know I’ve recently talked about Garfield in this blog but a recent comics discovery compels me to turn our attention back to this sassy, lasagna-loving cat. While going down the list of comics syndicated on GoComics.com a while back, I found a strip called “Life According to Garfield.”

Actually, I shouldn’t call it a strip. Technically, “Life According to Garfield” is a panel comic, meaning that it consists of a single image with an accompanying caption. Other examples of panel comics include “Love is…,” “The Far Side,” and almost any New Yorker cartoon.

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