Broad Appeal
128 pgs. & $9.95
Available at comics shops and www.friends-lulu.org.

Womens is frickle," says Popeye, and he is right. But the one-eyed sailor doesn't generalize enough. Women are also intelligent, kind, loving, loyal, industrious, nurturing, and social--very, very social.

Broad Appeal is a paperback anthology, a social gathering of words and art about the lives and thoughts of women. It is published by The Friends of Lulu, a "national not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the works of female cartoonists and involving more women in the readership of comics". That is a worthy mission but one with an inherent problem that, when reversed, leaves women yelling at men. Despite a cover blurb that reads "An Anthology....for Everyone!", everyone may buy, but only women cartoonists are allowed inside.

Friends.... is a discriminatory organization. A discussion on equality must wait for another column.

A discussion of style, however, is appropriate in Suspended Animation, but difficult. Why? The word broad can be an insulting comment on a women's anatomy or mean "wide, full, complete". Broad Appeal is stylistically wide and full.

The art in each one-to-four page piece ranges from a minimalistic doodle to a polished, realistic style. Overall, it looks like a '60s under-ground comic book, and no one will either like or hate every style represented.

Its content is what will separate the men from the boys from this title. Don't except much adventure in the broadest (sorry, I couldn't resist) sense of the term. A tiny sliver of the superhero, SF, and fantasy genres does little to diminish a huge pie about female relationships.

This is a Chick Flick on paper.

But wise men know that unless you understand the gender, you will never enjoy the fruits of the list that began this column.

And that list is far from complete.

Broad Appeal is recommended for women of all ages, and for men with the courage to want to understand women of all ages.

Michael Vance

Any statements made, expressed or implied are solely those of columnists or persons interviewed and do not represent the editorial position of the administration, who does not accept responsibility of such statements. All characters and artwork shown are trademark and © of their respective owners.