Trina Robbins: Cartoonist, Historian and Lady of the Canyon

Trina Robbins, 1938-2024,  was a once in a lifetime original, a spitfire of passion, determination, and talent who would burst into a scene and shake things up. A cartoonist, a fashion designer, a historian…a presence. While her place in history would be assured merely for co-editing the first all-women comics anthology, It Ain’t Me Babe, she made sure that wasn’t all she did with her life. Whether it was inspiring a Joni Mitchell song, designing clothes for Mama Cass, fighting to get women’s comics seen in the underground comics boy’s club, trying to bring back comics for girls with Misty, becoming the first woman to draw Wonder Woman, or setting the record straight on the history of women in comics, Robbins made a difference everywhere she went.

“My friendship with Trina goes back nearly 40 years, and in the ’90s we fought in the trenches together as co-founders of Friends of Lulu (along with many other amazing women), trying to persuade the comics industry of the time that having more women reading and making comics would be good for business. They eventually figured it out, and Trina was right…again. When I had the chance to do this Oral History, I thought I knew her story, but there was so much more I discovered. Getting to sit with her and hear her tell it to me in person is an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life. I hope everyone who watches this will get a sense of her wit, intelligence, and vision. She remains a legend.” – Heidi MacDonald