“I would save you, but my boobs keep getting in the way”: An Examination of my Art through the Lens of the Heroic Myth and Alternative Comics

My artwork challenges the masculine, violent idea of the hero through utilizing the visual language of comic books, as well as autobiographical themes. In this examination of my work, I explore conceptual and visual precedents and relate them back to my own practice throughout. My essay establishes the idea of the contemporary American heroic myth by looking at Joseph Campbell, as well as more contemporary re-examinations and criticisms of his ideas, relating the modern myth to the superhero comic genre. Next, I explore the history of underground comics, specifically feminist autobiographical comics, and relate the works of artists such as Lee Marrs and Phoebe Gloeckner to my own. Finally, I examine my relationship to other contemporary fine artists whose work is in the same vein as mine, inspired by underground comics and thematically rooted in cultural critique, such as Raymond Pettibon and Chitra Ganesh. The goal of my essay is to establish that my usage of comics as a formal precedent, autobiography as a thematic precedent, and a pervasive sense of humor is the most effective way to challenge the harmful and exclusionary ideals continually perpetuated by the heroic myth