Roberta Gregory
Encyclopedia
Roberta Gregory is an American comic book
writer and artist best known for her character Bitchy Bitch from her Fantagraphics Books
series Naughty Bits
.
Gregory's father was Disney
comics artist Bob Gregory
. Educated at the California State University, Long Beach
, she began her career in 1974 by publishing comics in the influential all-female Wimmen's Comix
anthologies and in other '70s underground comix
, and created the strip Feminist Funnies. In 1976, she published the first issue of a feminist comic book, Dynamite Damsels, which Gregory considered to be the first regulation-sized comic book to be published by one woman.
Bitchy Bitch, who debuted in 1989, is Midge McCracken, a woman angry at the world who frequently explodes with rage. Gregory told stories from all parts of Bitchy's life (including one set in the Middle Ages
) in the 40-issue series Naughty Bits, which was published by Fantagraphics from 1991 to 2004. Bitchy Bitch's lesbian
counterpart is Bitchy Butch. Starting in 1999, Bitchy Bitch was featured in Life's a Bitch, an animated series that was shown on the Oxygen Network in the U.S. and on The Comedy Network
in Canada
.
Gregory's other work includes the fantasy graphic novel
Winging It, the 3-issue series Artistic Licentiousness, and the comic strip Sheila and the Unicorn.
Gregory has contributed to a number of comic anthologies, including Robert Kirby
's Strange Looking Exile. As well, she is one of the contributors to Free to Fight
, the interactive self defense project for women. Gregory has received several Eisner Award
nominations in the humor, best short story, best writer, and best writer/artist categories. In 1994 she was given an Inkpot Award
by Comic-Con International
.
Gregory currently lives in Seattle, Washington
, where she has lived since relocating from California in 1989.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
writer and artist best known for her character Bitchy Bitch from her Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
series Naughty Bits
Naughty Bits
Naughty Bits is a comic book series written and illustrated by Roberta Gregory, and published by Fantagraphics Books. The series ran from March 1991 to July 2004, totalling 40 issues. The main character is Bitchy Bitch. The raw drawings depict everyday life of a desperate/ aggressive woman, in a...
.
Gregory's father was Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
comics artist Bob Gregory
Bob Gregory
Robert P. Gregory was an American comics artist and writer best known for writing and/or drawing hundreds of Gold Key comics starring the Walt Disney Pictures character Donald Duck.-Biography:...
. Educated at the California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
, she began her career in 1974 by publishing comics in the influential all-female Wimmen's Comix
Wimmen's Comix
Wimmen's Comix, later titled Wimmin's Comix, was an influential all-female underground comics anthology published from 1972 to 1992. Though it covered a wide range of genre and subject matter, Wimmen's Comix focused more than other anthologies of the time on feminist concerns, homosexuality, sex...
anthologies and in other '70s underground comix
Underground comix
Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books which are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, including explicit drug use, sexuality and violence...
, and created the strip Feminist Funnies. In 1976, she published the first issue of a feminist comic book, Dynamite Damsels, which Gregory considered to be the first regulation-sized comic book to be published by one woman.
Bitchy Bitch, who debuted in 1989, is Midge McCracken, a woman angry at the world who frequently explodes with rage. Gregory told stories from all parts of Bitchy's life (including one set in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
) in the 40-issue series Naughty Bits, which was published by Fantagraphics from 1991 to 2004. Bitchy Bitch's lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
counterpart is Bitchy Butch. Starting in 1999, Bitchy Bitch was featured in Life's a Bitch, an animated series that was shown on the Oxygen Network in the U.S. and on The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media specializing in comedy programming.The channel operates two time shifted feeds, East and West ....
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Gregory's other work includes the fantasy graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
Winging It, the 3-issue series Artistic Licentiousness, and the comic strip Sheila and the Unicorn.
Gregory has contributed to a number of comic anthologies, including Robert Kirby
Robert Kirby (comics artist)
Robert Kirby is the creator of the syndicated comic Curbside.Curbside is the story of two young men, Drew, an aspiring writer, and Nathan, an aspiring musician, who meet and eventually form a tumultuous relationship...
's Strange Looking Exile. As well, she is one of the contributors to Free to Fight
Free to Fight
Free to Fight is a project consisting of a 1995 double album and booklet, and a single later released by Candy Ass Records.The release is subtitled "an interactive self-defense project." The theme of the project is self-defense for women, and it includes records featuring all-women bands and a...
, the interactive self defense project for women. Gregory has received several Eisner Award
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
nominations in the humor, best short story, best writer, and best writer/artist categories. In 1994 she was given an Inkpot Award
Inkpot Award
The Inkpot Award, bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International, is given to some of the professionals in comic book, comic strip, animation, science fiction, and related pop-culture fields, who are guests of that organization's yearly multigenre fan convention, commonly known as...
by Comic-Con International
Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
.
Gregory currently lives in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, where she has lived since relocating from California in 1989.
Comics & graphic novels
- Dynamite Damsels (1976) - 1,2
- Sheila and the Unicorn (1988)
- Winging It (1988)
- Winging It 2 (1999)
- Artistic Licentiousness (91-94) - 1-3
- Naughty BitsNaughty BitsNaughty Bits is a comic book series written and illustrated by Roberta Gregory, and published by Fantagraphics Books. The series ran from March 1991 to July 2004, totalling 40 issues. The main character is Bitchy Bitch. The raw drawings depict everyday life of a desperate/ aggressive woman, in a...
(Fantagraphics 1991-2004) - issues 1-40
Collections
- A Bitch is Born (1994)
- As Naughty as She Wants to Be (1995)
- At Work and Play with Bitchy Bitch (1996) - material from NB 10-14
- Bitchy's College Daze (1997) - stories from NB 15-19
- Bitchy Butch: World's Angriest Dyke (1999) - stories from NB 21,23,26,and stories from Gay Comix
- Burn Bitchy Burn (2002)
- Life's a Bitch (2005) - first half of Bitchy stories plus one new story
- Bitchy Strips One Shot (2001) - collection of weekly strips previously printed in newspapers