illustration

As Bitch hits issue #59 with Micro/Macro, I thought I would shine a light on some of the "micro" behind-the-scenes thought that goes into the eye candy you see in our pages. This post features sketches from illustrator Adriana Vawdrey.

You deserve comics that highlight women who have made critical contributions to society.

We all deserve history that comes alive. The best stories, to me, are the ones with weird and sometimes awkward details that we can relate to. Illustration in general also makes complex issues and stories easier to digest. It's hard to be interested in stories when you don't see yourself in them, and hard to imagine yourself in a creative field when you don't see room for yourself in it.

I believe strongly that this is work worth making. (Why, you ask? Read more, complete with comics! After the jump...)

Cristy C. Road, a Miami-raised, Brooklyn-based, Cuban-American illustrator, writer, and of course, total dreamboat, is no stranger to DIY, punk, queer, zine, and activist communities all over the place, and certainly no stranger to the pages of Bitch magazine. You might recognize her work from covers of books such as We Don’t Need Another Wave and The Revolution Starts at Home, or maybe you’ve caught her on tour with Sister Spit The Next Generation when they rolled through your town, or perhaps you’ve flipped through an issue or two of Green Zine, or you stole your ex's copy of Bad Habits, or you saw her band play in someone's basement, or maybe you've never heard of her at all, but basically, she’s a big deal, not to mention a badass. This is what happened when I sat down for a chat with her on a sunny Friday morning, pajamas on, and breakfast in hand. Cristy shared her feelings about everything from her art, to astrology, to racial dynamics in radical communities, to cats and brunch. It's all here for you to read, so let's get started!

Today’s post is for all the art lovers out there: a half-dozen art ideas from some of the illustrators we’ve had the pleasure of working with in the magazine. Check out our back issues to see more of their work, and don't forget our own limited-edition cover prints at Bitchmart...

Leslie A. Wood’s (the Red issue, #52) Ron Swanson print would look fabulous hanging over your fireplace. (Perhaps she’s almost as big of a fan as we are.)  Maybe pair it with her tribute to Meatloaf Mondays? Or her Log Lady (from Twin Peaks).  Besides Society 6 and Etsy shops full of good stuff, she also has a couple of pieces left on her website store.