Much like the opening of Raquelle Jac’s debut comic Bimbo Agitprop, published by industry legends Fantagraphics, I nearly fumbled this entire review because of life getting in the way. That being said, as I read this brilliantly made comic, I found that it paraded itself as a strange love letter dedicated to the ideals of messiness, change, and trying to find yourself; all of which tends to be something that every memoir yearns to do and typically fails. Somehow, beyond a reason of a doubt, Raquelle Jac manages to swing the biggest home-run of the year on a memoir that probably should’ve failed.
Memoirs aren’t uncommon in comics; in fact, the ‘slice of life’ genre is one that welcomes the personal stories and ventures of comic creators, but it is unusual for your first-ever published work to be a memoir – some authors carry the general belief that there isn’t anything interesting to say about your own life. Jac clearly never thought this way and even promoted the book with the snarky tagline of ‘monetizing my trauma in a direct, almost
off-putting way’ on social media.
Giving a vague background to Raquelle Jac, as the memoir gives more insight on her life and upbringing, she is a relatively young face to comix and walked into Bimbo Agitprop with the intention of making an off-putting piece of art that, for some, is quite reflective of modern culture. The comic tackles themes of abuse, Y2K, satanic panics, it even has some strange nods to Chick tracts, which is something that has haunted my life as a rural Alabamian since birth. Safe to say, I understood a lot of what she was trying to say.
Additionally, this is all presented to the reader in a striking way as the main title of the book is simply Bimbo Agitprop – the agitation and propaganda of art. In her own words; “It’s active, not passive. It’s participatory.” A strong stance for the new girl on the block and a welcoming one at that. She made sure to make her stance clear from the beginning and that’s an admirable feat.
With all of this out of the way, I’m not going to spoil this book as I feel this is a one of a kind experience. Instead, for this review I’m going to speak more on the artistic side of things and how it manages to present itself as one of the strongest love letters to underground comix that has been published in decades. Bimbo Agitprop succeeds at plenty, but expressing an artistic fondness for the taboo side of comics is what it revels in. The emotion presented to the audience in this book cannot work if it wasn’t for the fact Jac drew everything herself and making sure she did it in a crude manner.
Jac’s art is heavily focused on a smorgasbord of varying techniques whether it be graphite, markers, pens from the store, and if you have the physical copy of the book you can see that she utilized collages as well as the inside covers have a mash-up of art, almost teasing what you’ll see inside. When reading the book, I could feel creative inspiration being pulled from creators such as Alice Kominsky-Crumb (of which I was validated on thanks to our all-mighty David Brooke interviewing Jac), Phoebe Gloeckner, and even shares DNA with the political cartoonist Martin Rowson which was pleasant to see.
Much like the underground cartoonists of yonder, Jac utilizes her art to speak passionately about politics, sex, and the pain that comes with trauma. It’s an aspect that the comic industry was starting to lack as for the want to only remember underground comix for the bad and never the good. She’s a pleasant sight to see in a creative world where sanitation has become the artistic norm. I would rather see an artist put every evil thing that’s on their mind onto a page than see something where you obviously can tell that something was changed.
This energy is expressed even by Jac herself as she previously expressed to AIPT that (paraphrasing) essentially the comics page is rejection on her own terms. It’s a complex madness that only gets thrown off the cutting room floor by the person holding the pencil which is a mentality seen with many of the greats. Comics can be used as a painful extension of the creator and it’s why the medium has such an attractive pull for many; when you put so much time and energy into writing and drawing everything yourself, that medium just becomes you.
I personally believe that this is a book that requires a specific headspace to read. I think Jac managed to make one of the best comics of the year but there is a certain place where you can level with her and it is deeply apparent in the art, the writing, and even in the references. As someone from the rural south there was so much chaos in the book that most younger women who survived it can relate to but it’s not entirely our job as the audience to relate to Jac but to simply get it. That initial presentation and the way she chooses to emphasize the storytelling, politics and art does enough to get that point across. A pretty cool debut if I say so myself.
I find that Jac opened the door for a forgotten style of storytelling to return as she highlights that the messier pieces of art tend to be the ones with the most heart. It’s a belief that you can only find with the help of underground comix and the women that uplifted those spaces. I can’t think of a better cartoonist to move the needle for that voice to be heard again and I’ll be there in line to pick up whatever is cooking in her head from now on. Comics like Bimbo Agitprop show that the future is brighter.
‘Bimbo Agitprop’ is pouring its heart out and wants everyone to see it
Bimbo Agitprop
I find that Jac opened the door for a forgotten style of storytelling to return as she highlights that the messier pieces of art tend to be the ones with the most heart. Comics like Bimbo Agitprop show that the future is brighter.
Reader Rating1 Vote
10
Jac’s art is emotional and raw, carrying with it mountains of influence from underground cartoonists of the past.
Her political commentary mixed in with the usual emotion that comes with a memoir is wonderful.
Her sense of humor in Bimbo Agitprop comes from the heart as she attempts to humor the things that hurt her.
10
Fantastic
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