Diane DiMassa’s Hothead Paisan is an icon of the ’90s lesbian DIY comics scene, a patron saint of those who wonder if going off the deep end is the only sane response to life in modern America. One of the funniest, sharpest, and most unexpectedly warm comics of the late 20th century, Hothead Paisan is still as shocking today as it was more than two decades ago.

Hothead Paisan starts out in a murderous frenzy — with Hothead taking out a variety of everyday chauvinists and creeps — but soon deepens into a reflection on oppression, self-destruction, and living it up outside the conservative norms of the ’90s. Hothead’s rage is sometimes tempered with the help of Thing #2, her defensive inner demon; Roz, her friend who offers Zen wisdom and tough love; and Chicken, her cat and constant companion. Drawn by DiMassa with an energetic line and rich detail, the Hothead comics recall the work of both Robert Crumb and Julie Doucet.

About the Artist:
Diane DiMassia is an artist and cartoonist best known for her contributions to feminist alternative comics. She debuted her comic-zine Hothead Paisan: Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist in 1991 and has illustrated several books, including Kathy Acker’s Pussycat Fever, Kate Bornstein’s My Gender Workbook, Anne Fausto-Sterling’s Sexing the Body, and Daphne Gottlieb’s Jokes and the Unconscious. Her artwork has been featured in numerous group and solo shows across North America.