Trina Robbins, a pioneering underground cartoonist, began her career in the 1960s after moving to Los Angeles and befriending rock bands such as the Byrds and the Doors. Despite her initial attempts at a movie career by posing for pinup magazines, Robbins quickly found her passion in creating comics after being inspired by the surreal strips in the alternative newspaper The East Village Other. She started illustrating comic strips that doubled as advertisements for her clothing boutique, Broccoli, and made a name for herself with her innocent art style paired with taboo-breaking subject matter.
Robbins became a regular contributor to The Other and was known for her playful yet provocative comics about sex. One of her notable strips, titled “One Man’s Fantasy,” depicted a man being captured by attractive women who forced him to make a tuna fish sandwich. However, Robbins faced backlash from male cartoonists who were threatened by any hint of feminism in her work. She was also critical of the dark material in Robert Crumb’s comics and the way the underground scene followed his lead, with themes of rape, humiliation, and violence against women which she did not find humorous.
Despite facing criticism from her male counterparts, Robbins continued to produce comic strips that challenged societal norms and pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in the underground comic scene. Her work often featured strong female characters and addressed issues of gender equality and women’s rights, a bold move in a male-dominated industry defined by its machismo and misogyny. Robbins refused to conform to the expectations of her peers and forged her own path as a feminist cartoonist unafraid to tackle controversial subjects.
In addition to her groundbreaking comics, Robbins also wrote a memoir in which she reflected on her experiences in the underground comic scene and the challenges she faced as a female artist. She discussed her frustration with the male-dominated industry and the lack of recognition for her contributions to the underground comic movement. Despite the adversity she faced, Robbins remained true to her unique artistic vision and continued to create work that challenged and provoked audiences, earning her a reputation as a trailblazer in the world of alternative comics.
Through her innovative and subversive comic strips, Trina Robbins carved out a niche for herself in a male-dominated industry and paved the way for future generations of female cartoonists. Her fearless and outspoken approach to addressing taboo subjects and challenging societal norms helped to redefine the boundaries of what was considered acceptable in the world of underground comics. Robbins’ legacy as a feminist icon and trailblazer in the comic book industry continues to inspire and empower artists to this day, proving that she was ahead of her time in advocating for gender equality and women’s rights through her art.
