Hothead Paisan: Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist

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“Hothead is the backlash to the backlash.” —Alison Bechdel

Hothead Paisan, a murderous icon of the ’90s LGBTQ+ comics scene, comes roaring back into print in this fresh edition (including a new interview and supplemental materials) of one of the funniest, sharpest, and most unexpectedly warm comics of late twentieth century, still as shocking today as it was more than two decades ago.

Hothead Paisan is an icon of the ’90s lesbian DIY scene, a patron saint of those who wonder if going off the deep end is the only sane response to life in modern America.

Diane DiMassa’s Hothead starts out in a murderous frenzy—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 R. Crumb and Julie Doucet.

This collection includes a new interview with DiMassa along with a selection of fan mail and other materials that shed light on Hothead’s vast underground following. At last, the most thoughtful homicidal maniac is back in print.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, and 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.

Jay Graham is a writer living in New York.

Sarah Schulman is writer, activist, and historian. A recipient of both the Bill Whitehead Award and the Lambda Literary Award, she has published nearly a dozen works of fiction and several books of nonfiction, most recently the oral history Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987–1993.KR

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