Juicy Mother: Celebration [Paperback]

Jennifer Camper (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2004

Gleefully thumbing its nose at a field typically dominated by straight white men, Juicy Mother is an alternative-to-alternative comics. This cartoon anthology features work by and about queers, women, and people of color. Showcasing work by such well-known cartoonists as Alison Bechdel (Dykes to Watch Out For), Howard Cruse (Wendel, Stuck Rubber Baby), Diane DiMassa (Hothead Paisan), Ariel Schrag (Definition, Potential), Ivan Velez Jr. (Tales of the Closet, Blood Syndicate), Robert Kirby (Curbside), and Joan Hilty (Bitter Girl), the collection also includes exciting new talents and inspired artist/writer collaborations. Highlights include comics about an older butch dyke and her Lolita, an African American gay man coming of age, an Arab Muslim dyke searching for her identity, two big hairy men getting married, and a cynical Latina teen’s encounter with aliens. The stories in Juicy Mother are not just exceptionally exuberant and carefree, they are a celebration of artistry and diversity.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Where are the comix for me, a Lebanese-American dyke?" This question motivated Camper to edit an anthology of comics by and for people other than the straight white men who dominate the medium. Like many anthologies, this one is wildly uneven. It contains some strong pieces: Alison Bechdel's "Oppressed Minority Cartoonist" sends up the paradox of trying to rise above being an oppressed minority cartoonist when that very status is getting you a chance to be published. Joan Hilty's "You Must Not Read Gabriel García Márquez After the Breakup" combines literate jokes with a shadowy, sketchy style to create a trenchantly funny slice of life. Howard Cruse's "Auntie Moo's Typewriters" perfectly matches earthy, Terry Gilliam–influenced art with a story about his immigrant aunt. And Leanne Franson's "Chicken Head Love" uses beautifully pared-down lines to show why you should never woo someone using leftover animal parts. Other pieces don't fare quite as well: Camper's "Ramadan," for example, looks a lot like Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, but matches its accomplished art with a painfully earnest lecture about the hardships of being a Lebanese lesbian. One wishes Camper had read Bechdel's piece more closely: like her piece, this anthology works best when it stops worrying about how it's going to fit in and just focuses on making good art.
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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Soft Skull Press (November 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932360700
• ISBN-13: 978-1932360707
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,428,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poussez Le Amour, Push For More, June 29, 2005

By 

CNY Nutter (Syracuse, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Juicy Mother: Celebration (Paperback)

I don't know what it's like in the Big City, but here in the Hinterlands this book arrived like a bolt of lightning from the sky. The good kind of lightning. I've had friends who tried to get me into alternative "ooh so cool" comix before, ie the famous R. Crumb.
Yes there's a certain level of wackyness that could be appreciated but I, frankly, have never fully enjoyed cause everyone was well, hetero and WHITE yo. Hey I have nothing against the caucasians of this country (my best friend is white), but it's quite different to read a supposed "alternative" comic and realize it's all the same frou-frou with added crass, sex, and naked boobies. Whatever.
This collection on the other hand, IS actually from the left wing nutters, homos, freaks, and rejects.
Oh and of course, it's a helluva fun. However, I do have one complaint - it's too short! When's the next one coming out? I. Want. More.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great well told Muslim/Dyke story, January 31, 2005

By 

Abusahan (MN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Juicy Mother: Celebration (Paperback)

How refreshing. A Comix about an Arab Muslim dyke. It even starts with a verse from the 1st chapter in the Qur'an.

Well drawn, in the tradition of "dykes to watch out for", Jennifer Camper's "Ramadan" Comix is part of the anthology debut of Juicy Mother. It caught my attention `cuz it explores a Lebanese Lesbian (I never tire of hearing those words together) day's journey of fasting during Ramadan. It has everything: Flash back to childhood memories, culture-conformity in the work place, Nicely introduced Islamic concepts like " Suhoor" & "Shari'a" (if you want to know what they are: buy the book), coming out to religious parents, and even some post 911 reflections. A few concise and delightfully illustrated panels takes you through what is usually a life time worth of wisdom in drawing parallels between Anti-Arab hysteria and home-grown homophobia. JC even manages to bring up the subject of hijab and veiling without degrading the point in discussing clothes and oppression `a la usual western way. Arab/Muslim/Dyke oppression is ultimately triumphed over when one sticks to her cultural customs despites all detractors.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wow!, January 13, 2009

By 

Beatrice Izzey "Nanny Dog" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Juicy Mother: Celebration (Paperback)

This is a tremendous compilation of comix. Kudos to editor Jennifer Camper - you can tell from this volume that careful and loving editing is what makes a collection a useful collection rather than an incoherent jumble. I read it in one sitting - couldn't put it down.