Angela Bocage (b. 1959) Lambiek's Comiclopedia. Retrieved Nov. 6, 2022. is a
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
comics creator who published mainly in the 1980s and 1990s. Bocage was active in the
queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
comics community during these decades, publishing in collections like '' Gay Comix,'' ''
Strip AIDS USA
''Strip AIDS'' and ''Strip AIDS U.S.A.'' are comics anthology volumes published in 1987 in the UK, and 1988 in the US (respectively). They combined short comics with educational and sometimes comedic themes, to educate readers about HIV disease an ...
'', and ''
Wimmen's Comix
''Wimmen's Comix'', later titled ''Wimmin's Comix'', is an influential all-female underground comics anthology published from 1972 to 1992. Though it covered a wide range of genres and subject matters, ''Wimmen's Comix'' focused more than other an ...
''. Bocage also created, edited, and contributed comics to ''Real Girl,'' a comics anthology published by
Fantagraphics
Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint.
History
Founding
Fantagraphics was found ...
.
Biography
Bocage was born in
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville () is the second-largest city in Arkansas, the county seat of Washington County, and the biggest city in Northwest Arkansas. The city is on the outskirts of the Boston Mountains, deep within the Ozarks. Known as Washington until ...
. She attended the
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California syste ...
as an art major in the 1970s where she was part of the Graphic Stories Guild with Mark Clegg, another comics artist. The Graphic Stories Guild was a student-run comics club that published issues of student comics for distribution both on an off campus. She published a comic strip called ''The Worm'' in the Guild's publication. While at Santa Cruz, Bocage also participated in the creation of fanzines ''Slug Tesserae'' and ''Amoeba Earhart Flyer.'' Also in college, Bocage created a women's section in the university newspaper.
Bocage worked at a headhunting firm but left in the 1980s to create comics. She also worked as a graphics editor for AIDS News Service, the organization that also published her comic ''(Nice Girls Don't Talk About) Sex, Religion, and Politics.''
Bocage was a key contributor to the
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
Wimmen's Comix
''Wimmen's Comix'', later titled ''Wimmin's Comix'', is an influential all-female underground comics anthology published from 1972 to 1992. Though it covered a wide range of genres and subject matters, ''Wimmen's Comix'' focused more than other an ...
'', contributing stories to every issue from #11 to #17 (1987–1992), and serving as co-editor of issues #12 and #15.
In addition to creating her own comics, Bocage
lettered
Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...
several other comics, including '' The Trouble with Girls'' and related titles like ''Lester Girls'' and ''Lizard Lady''.''Lizard Lady'' issues #1–4 (
Aircel Comics
Aircel Comics (Aircel Publishing) was a comic book publisher founded by Barry Blair, in Ottawa, Ontario in 1985. In 1988, it merged with American publisher Eternity Comics, itself an imprint of Malibu Comics, and in the late 1980s was taken over b ...
, 1991).
In 1991, Bocage contributed an essay to ''
The Comics Journal
''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...
'' titled, "Define the Terms, Dismiss the Dregs, and Enjoy the Results: A Feminist's Case for Pornography."
Bocage eventually went back to school for law and became an
immigration attorney
Immigration law refers to the national statutes, regulations, and legal precedents governing immigration into and deportation from a country. Strictly speaking, it is distinct from other matters such as naturalization and citizenship, although ...
based in Boston. She has two children named Robin and Jasmine. She is an activist for reproductive freedom.
Fantagraphics
Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint.
History
Founding
Fantagraphics was found ...
that published nine issues in the period 1990 to 1997, all edited by Bocage. Comics in ''Real Girl'' highlight themes of gender, sexual orientation, and sex. Along with Bocage's own comics, ''Real Girl'' featured works from other comic artists.
Artists featured in ''Real Girl:''
* Issue #1 (Oct. 1990):
Donna Barr
Donna Barr (born August 13, 1952) is an American comic book author and cartoonist. She is best known for ''The Desert Peach'' and '' Stinz''.
She was born in Everett, Washington, the second child in a family of six siblings.
Life and educatio ...
Trina Robbins
Trina Robbins (born Trina Perlson; August 17, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American cartoonist. She was an early participant in the underground comix movement, and one of the first female artists in that movement. In the 1980s, Robbins beca ...
,
Diane Noomin
Diane Robin Noomin ( Rosenblatt, May 13, 1947 – September 1, 2022) was an American comics artist associated with the underground comics movement. She is best known for her character DiDi Glitz, who addresses transgressive social issues such as ...
, Terry LaBan, Rebecka Wright, Mario Hernandez, Steve Lafler
* Issue #2 (Aug. 1991): Mario Hernandez, Garret Gaston,
Gerard Jones
Gerard Jones (born July 10, 1957) is an American writer, known primarily for his non-fiction work about American entertainment media, and his comic book scripting, which includes co-creating the superhero Prime for Malibu Comics, and writing for ...
, Marvin Mann,
Phoebe Gloeckner
Phoebe Louise Adams Gloeckner (born December 22, 1960), is an American cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and novelist.
Early life
Gloeckner was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mother was a librarian and her father, David Gloeckner, was ...
, Robert Triptow, Roxxie, Trina Robbins, Michael Botkin,
Kate Worley
Kathleen Louise Worley (March 16, 1958 – June 6, 2004) was an American comic book writer, best known for her work on '' Omaha the Cat Dancer'', a sexually explicit anthropomorphic animal comic book series about a female stripper. Worley was a ...
, Reed Waller,
Joan Hilty
Joan Hilty (born December 27, 1966) is an American cartoonist, educator, and comic book editor. She was a Senior Editor for mainstream publisher DC Comics and currently works for Nickelodeon as Editorial Director for graphic novels, comics, and l ...
* Issue #3 (Mar. 1992):
Colin Upton
Colin Upton (born April 2, 1960) is a Canadian cartoonist and artist who was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. Many of his comics are self-published in the minicomic format, although he has also had his work ...
, Diane Noomin,
Alison Bechdel
Alison Bechdel ( ; born September 10, 1960) is an American cartoonist. Originally known for the long-running comic strip ''Dykes to Watch Out For'', she came to critical and commercial success in 2006 with her graphic memoir ''Fun Home'', which ...
, Roxxie, Garret Gaston,
Kris Kovick
Kris Kovick (September 10, 1951 – October 26, 2001) was an American writer, cartoonist, and printer based in California.
Early years
Kovick was born in Fresno, California and attended California State University in the early 1970s. She mov ...
, Mario Hernandez,
Cheela Smith
''Dragon's Egg'' is a 1980 hard science fiction novel by American writer Robert L. Forward. In the story, Dragon's Egg is a neutron star with a surface gravity 67 billion times that of Earth, and inhabited by cheela, intelligent creat ...
, Judy Becker
*Issue #4 (Sept. 1992): Peter Kuper,
Sabrina Jones
Sabrina Jones (born on October 6th, 1960, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American painter and comic book artist, writer, illustrator, and editor. In addition to her own graphic novels, she is associated with artist/activist collectives suc ...
, Garret Gaston,
Joan Hilty
Joan Hilty (born December 27, 1966) is an American cartoonist, educator, and comic book editor. She was a Senior Editor for mainstream publisher DC Comics and currently works for Nickelodeon as Editorial Director for graphic novels, comics, and l ...
, Julie Frankie, Roxxie, Pete Friedrich, Judy Becker, Cheela Smith
*Issue #5 (Apr. 1993): Joan Hilty, Robert Kirby, Fish, Trina Robbins,
Leanne Franson
Leanne Franson (born 1963 in Regina, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian illustrator and cartoonist. She illustrates picture books, children's novels, educational texts, pamphlets, and magazines. She currently lives in Martensville, Saskatchewan, near Sas ...
, Julie Frankie, Angela Bocage, E. Fitz-Smith,
Tom Tomorrow
Tom Tomorrow is the pen name of editorial cartoonist Dan Perkins (born April 5, 1961, in Wichita, Kansas). His weekly comic strip, ''This Modern World'', which comments on current events, appears regularly in more than 80 newspapers across t ...
Seth Tobocman
Seth Tobocman (born 1958) is a radical comic book artist who has been living in Manhattan's Lower East Side since 1978. Tobocman is best known for his creation of the political comic book anthology ''World War 3 Illustrated'', which he started ...
, Roxxie, Trina Robbins
*Issue #9 (1997): Fiona Smyth, Seth Tobocman, Lawrence Van Abbema, Angela Bocage, Trina Robbins, Sandy Spreitz
Issue #7 (Aug. 1994) of ''Real Girl'' was a "flip book" that introduced ''RealTalk'', a four-issue comic book series co-edited by
Sabrina Jones
Sabrina Jones (born on October 6th, 1960, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American painter and comic book artist, writer, illustrator, and editor. In addition to her own graphic novels, she is associated with artist/activist collectives suc ...
that was published by
Fantagraphics
Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint.
History
Founding
Fantagraphics was found ...
in 1995–1996.
Bibliography
*''Choices: A Pro-Choice Benefit Comic Anthology for the National Organization for Women'' (Angry Isis Press, 1990) — "Civilization As We Know It"
*''East Bay Guardian''
*''Frighten the Horses: A Document of the Sexual Revolution'' #2 (San Francisco, CA: Heat Seeking Publishing, Summer 1990)
*'' Gay Comix'' ( Bob Ross):
** issue #11 (Winter 1987-88) — "Lavendar Booties" (story idea by Robert Triptow)
** issue #13 (Summer 1991) — "Garden Nymph", "Mission Accomplished" illustrations
*''Girljock'' magazine (Roxxie) — "Major Fun"
* ''Graphic Babylon: San Diego Comic Con Minicomix 1990'' (Grass Valley, CA: Roger May, 1990) — contributor
*''Lana's World: A 'zine of Lesbian and Feminist cartoons'' (c. 1986)
* ''Lesbian Contradiction'' #38 (Spring 1992)
* ''(Nice Girls Don't Talk About) Sex, Religion, and Politics'' strip created for the '' Bay Area Reporter''
* ''Open Season: the Mini Comic'' (Roger May, 1989) — contributor
*''Real Girl'' (Fantagraphics, 1990-1997):
** issue #5 (April 1993) — “Queer, With Children”
** issue #6 (1993) — “Sex, Religion, and Politics”
** issue #7 (Aug. 1994) — “Our Wedding Night”
** issue #8 (July 1995) — “Schlock Therapy” and “Educating Lance”
** issue #9 (1997) — “Angry Girls/Aaron Dreams,” “stupid questions/bi-girls,” and “Aaron Becomes Chimerical”
*''Renegade Romance'' #1 ( Renegade Press, June 1987) — "So, How Did You Guys Meet?"
* ''
Rip Off Comix
''Rip Off Comix'' was an underground comix anthology published between 1977 and 1991 by Rip Off Press. As time passed, the sensibility of the anthology changed from underground to alternative comics.
The anthology was originally a byproduct of th ...
'' ( Rip Off Press):
** issue #16 (1987) — "Trading Futures" — lettering
** issue #27 (1990) — "Love is the Drug"; republished in ''Logomotive'' #2 (Steve Cherwin, 1992)
* ''
Strip AIDS USA
''Strip AIDS'' and ''Strip AIDS U.S.A.'' are comics anthology volumes published in 1987 in the UK, and 1988 in the US (respectively). They combined short comics with educational and sometimes comedic themes, to educate readers about HIV disease an ...
'' ( Last Gasp, 1988) — "The Estate Sale" (with R. Von Busack)
*''
Taboo
A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
'' #9 ( Kitchen Sink Press, 1995) — "The Joys of Childhood"
*''Weird Smut'':
** issue #3 (John A. Mozzer, 1989) — "A Tropical Delicasy"
** issue #4 (John A. Mozzer, 1991) — "The Lactation Contest"
*''
Wimmen's Comix
''Wimmen's Comix'', later titled ''Wimmin's Comix'', is an influential all-female underground comics anthology published from 1972 to 1992. Though it covered a wide range of genres and subject matters, ''Wimmen's Comix'' focused more than other an ...
'':
** issue #11 ( Renegade Press, Apr. 1987) — "Accessory Dos & Don'ts" (with co-writer Rebecka Wright)
** issue #12 ( Renegade Press, Nov. 1987) — co-editor with Rebecka Wright, artist of “Wild Heat” and "Why We Do It"
** issue #13 (Renegade Press, 1988) — artist of “Features”
** issue #14 ( Rip Off Press, 1989) — back cover artist and artist of “On The Edge” (story by
Deni Loubert
Denise "Deni" Loubert (born September 30, 1951) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', June 10, 2005. Accessed July 19, 2011WebCitation archive is a Canadian comics publisher, co-founder of Aardvark-Vanaheim, and ...
) and "New Age, Same Old Shit!"
** issue #15 (Rip Off Press, 1989) — co-editor with
Phoebe Gloeckner
Phoebe Louise Adams Gloeckner (born December 22, 1960), is an American cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and novelist.
Early life
Gloeckner was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mother was a librarian and her father, David Gloeckner, was ...
; "Kartoon Girl" and "Latency Come Lately"
** issue #16 (Rip Off Press, 1990) — “Rust Belt Romance” and “Sons and Lovers”
** issue #17 (Rip Off Press, 1992) — “Prickophobia”
*''Women's Glibber: State-of-the-Art Women's Humor'', edited by Roz Warren (Crossing Press, 1992) — contributor