Overview

A complete introduction to the comics and graphic narratives of Lynda Barry, this book maps the historical and biographical contexts, key texts, the critical themes and debates surrounding her publications and the lasting impact of her work on the comics medium. With a distinctive body of work that unfolded during key moments in comics history from the much touted and criticized ‘coming-of-age’ of comics to the rise of underground and alternative comics and the establishment of graphic novels, Barry’s comics reflect the changing status of comics, while unpacking the very constituents of the medium and testing its limits. Comprehensive and conveying specialist knowledge while remaining highly readable, Lynda Barry: A Critical Guide covers: - comics history from an alternative perspective, focusing on issues of intersectionality and representation - Barry’s major works including One Hundred Demons, What It Is, Making Comics, Syllabus, Cruddy and her comic strip Ernie Pook's Comeek - broad and salient themes in Barry’s work including memory, girlhood/womanhood, childhood, art pedagogy, creativity, overcoming creative anxieties, visual paper culture and the possibilities of drawing and collaging - Barry’s materialities and her use of collage and art brut practices - Barry's prompts to creativity and connection and how they highlight the collaborative and accessible dimension of comics Combining rich insights from comics studies, literary theory and visual culture, this is the ultimate guide to Lynda Barry and her oeuvre. This critical guide exemplifies the diverse ways of approaching comics, combining existing methodologies with novel possibilities inspired from the originality of Barry’s work.

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9781350453678

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Reviews

In this highly engaging book, Maaheen Ahmed teases out the complexities of the genre-defying, boundary-blurring work of Linda Barry, herself a committed pedagogue. Displaying a sharp awareness of developments in the field of comics studies, this is an insightful guide for readers and a valuable resource for teachers. * Ann Miller, Joint Editor of European Comic Art *

Author Information

Maaheen Ahmed is Associate Professor of comparative literature at Ghent University, Belgium, where she teaches courses on comics and intermediality. She has published widely on North American and European comics, graphic novels and periodicals. Her monographs include Openness of Comics (2016) and Monstrous Imaginaries (2019). She recently edited The Visionary Art of Franco-Belgian Comics (2025) with Hugo Frey, in addition to The Cambridge Companion to Comics (2023), and Comics Memory: Archives and Styles (2018) with Benoît Crucifix.

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