Culottées. Des femmes qui ne font que ce qu’elles veulent Tome 2
(Cheeky. Women only doing what they want) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
Pénélope Bagieu’s magnificent two-volume comic book Culottées showcases remarkable women who fought sexism and gender roles to make their voices heard – scientists, artists, empresses, queens, warriors and activists. Some are well-known, but some of their achievements have been overlooked, such as the actress Hedy Lamarr, who contributed to the invention of wifi and satnav. Others are less familiar for white European readers, such as Queen Nzinga of Ngongo and Matamba, who defended her people against Portuguese invaders. Others are completely unknown, like the American pensioner Giorgina Reid, who spent fifteen years setting up an irrigation system to save the Montauk lighthouse from erosion. Some of the women lived very difficult, violent lives, but all faced adversity with courage and determination.
Edited by: Université Sorbonne Paris Nord
Comment:
Pénélope Bagieu presents a gallery of extraordinary women, some completely forgotten, with a remarkable narrative sense combining humour and brevity. The book urges readers to consider the mechanisms that make women invisible in history. She pays particular attention to minority women, taking an inclusive approach that spans lesbian, transgender, BIPOC, and neurodivergent women from a range of social classes, countries, and religions. Each woman’s life is recounted across a few page and each biography concludes with a superb double-spread illustration. The smart, poetic comic book, winner of the Eisner Prize in 2019, has been translated into English and German and adapted as a cartoon series by France Télévisions.