California Girls (comic)

Last updated

California Girls
CaliforniaGirlsNo2ComicCover.jpg
The cover to California Girls #2, art by Trina Robbins.
Publication information
Publisher Eclipse Comics
Schedule Monthly #1–6
Bimonthly #7–8
Format Ongoing series
Publication dateJune 1987 – May 1988
No. of issues8
Main character(s)Max
Mo
Roxanne
Lulu
Laverne
Creative team
Created by Trina Robbins
Written by Trina Robbins
Artist(s) Trina Robbins
Joshua Quagmire (#4 & #6)
Carol Lay (#5)
Barb Rausch (#6–8)
Letterer(s) L. Lois Buhalis
Colorist(s) Trina Robbins
Editor(s) Cat Yronwoode

California Girls is a creator-owned American comedy-romance comic series created by Trina Robbins. Published by Eclipse Comics between 1987 and 1988, the series chronicled the adventures of identical twin high school students Max and Mo in the fictional Californian town of Hollyhock. It was one of the few comics aimed at a primarily female audience published at the time. [1]

Contents

Creation

Cartoonist Trina Robbins had created the similar Misty for Marvel Comics' Star Comics imprint in 1985. While the title developed a core following and drew good notices it was cancelled after six issues. [2] Eclipse editor-in-chief Cat Yronwoode, who had worked with Robbins on the non-fiction history Women and the Comics, [3] reasoned that sales that were poor by Marvel's standards would be excellent for Eclipse, and engaged Robbins to make a similar comic. Both felt there was a gap in the market for young female readers. Like Misty, California Girls would feature reader-designed outfits and paper dolls, and used a 40-page format compared to the 32 pages of most monthly titles. Typically issues would contain three short stories (with two usually revolving around Max and Mo, with the third spotlighting one of the supporting characters), paper dolls, pin-ups and a Designer of the Month feature where one reader would be profiled. [4] While the comic would feature black and white interiors, the paper dolls would be in airbrushed colour on the magazine's centre pages. [5]

Publishing history

The first issue of the monthly series was dated June 1987; in support of the title Robbins wrote letters to retailers encouraging them to stock the book and target girls brought into stores by male family members or friends, who she felt found superhero comics boring. [6] Each issue spotlighted a reader as 'Designer of the Month'; Ken Steacy submitted a hat design for the sixth issue - which was humorously mocked by the characters for its hideous appearance. [7]

From #7 the title switched to a bi-monthly schedule and dropped to 32 pages, something Robbins attributed to her workload, while in 1988 Heidi MacDonald reported that California Girls had been optioned by "a major animation studio". [8] Editor Letitia Glozer claimed the title received more fan mail than nearly all of Eclipse's other comics. [9] However, from #8 the title was to go quarterly [10] due to low sales. [11] The final issue featured contributions from Mario Hernandez. [12]

An issue compiling the paper dolls from the series was planned either as a one-shot spin-off called California Girls Paper Dolls [9] or as California Girls #9 [10] but was never published. Despite Eclipse mailing copies of California Girls to a thousand readers from Misty's mailing list in a promotional push no further issues of the title would be produced. [13] [14] Robbins would blame the title's demise on comic stores being reluctant to carry the book. [15]

Max and Mo made one final appearance in a cameo in Eclipse's crossover mini-series Total Eclipse , with their single panel drawn by Robbins and again featuring reader-submitted outfit designs. [16] In 1993, Robbins donated the mail she received for the title along with other material to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at the Ohio State University. [17] All eight issues of California Girls were collected by San Francisco publisher CBG in 2009, [14] and on June 14 Robbins signed copies of the book at the Cartoon Art Museum. [18]

Plot

Identical twins and best friends Mo and Max Muldoon attend Hollyhock High School in California. The pair live with their 'Grammy' and her cat Smidgin, and their parents are never mentioned. [19] The pair often dress in matching outfits, and can only be told apart due to Max parting her hair on the right, and Mo parting it on the left. [20] A running gag is that those unfamiliar with the girls are unable to tell them apart, while their friends never have any trouble. They have a number of largely wholesome adventures, including raising funds to buy prom dresses, [21] dating boys, [19] [22] [23] fund-raising for charity [24] and school drama productions, [25] winning a beauty contest, [26] holidaying in Hawaii, [27] and learning about dolphin protection. [28]

They become minor celebrities in the town after appearing in a commercial for Twicenice gum, [19] even appearing in their own comic. [29]

Characters

Collected editions

TitleISBNRelease dateIssues
California Girls[ ISBN missing ]June 2009California Girls #1-8

Reception

Reviewing the first issue for Amazing Heroes , Gerard Jones acknowledged he wasn't in the book's target audience but nevertheless recommended the book and praised Robbins' art, though he feared the series was unlikely to reach its hoped-for readers via Eclipse's direct market model. He also noted the price jump from Marvel's 75¢ to Eclipse's $2.00 was a large one for young buyers. [35] Heidi MacDonald noted the paradoxical contrast of the light-hearted California Girls with Robbins' outspoken nature. [2] When questioned whether Mo and Max's frothy adventures and perfect figures clashed with her feminist ideals, Robbins responded "young women are into 'we can be powerful and cute'". [36]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Deitch</span> American cartoonist

Kim Deitch is an American cartoonist who was an important figure in the underground comix movement of the 1960s, remaining active in the decades that followed with a variety of books and comics, sometimes using the pseudonym Fowlton Means.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rocketeer (character)</span> American comic book character

The Rocketeer is a fictional American comic book character, created by writer/artist Dave Stevens. The character first appeared in 1982 and is an homage to the Saturday matinee serial heroes from the 1930s through the 1950s.

<i>Zot!</i> Comic book by Scott McCloud

Zot! is a comic book created by Scott McCloud in 1984 and published by Eclipse Comics until 1990 as a lighthearted alternative to the darker and more violent comics that dominated the industry during that period. There were a total of 36 issues, with the first ten in color and the remainder in black and white.

<i>Airboy</i> Boy aviation comic character

Airboy is a fictional Golden Age aviator hero of an American comic book series initially published by Hillman Periodicals during the World War II, before ending his initial run in 1953. The hero was the costumed identity of crack pilot Davy Nelson II, and created by writers Charles Biro and Dick Wood with artist Al Camy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eclipse Comics</span> American comic book publisher

Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market. It was one of the first to offer royalties and creator ownership of rights.

<i>Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters</i>

Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters is a creator-owned American funny-animal parody comic book series created by Don Chin. It was one of a number of parodies of Mirage Studios' hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, itself a parody of popular eighties comics such as Frank Miller's Daredevil and Ronin; others included Naive Inter-Dimensional Commando Koalas and Pre-Teen Dirty-Gene Kung-Fu Kangaroos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Yronwode</span>

Catherine Anna Yronwode is an American writer, editor, graphic designer, typesetter, and publisher with an extensive career in the comic book industry. She is also a practitioner of folk magic.

<i>Aztec Ace</i> Comic book title published by Eclipse Comics.

Aztec Ace is an American creator-owned science fiction comic book formerly published by Eclipse Comics. Created by writer Doug Moench, 15 issues appeared from 1984 to 1985. Amazing Heroes would describe the series as "a strange cross between Dr. Who and the Illuminati trilogy".

<i>Total Eclipse</i> (comics) American comic series

Total Eclipse is an American comic book limited series in five prestige format parts published by Eclipse Comics in 1988 to 1989. A cross-company crossover commemorating the company's tenth anniversary, Total Eclipse was intended to bring all of the company's characters together, no matter how obscure or bizarre. These included Airboy and the Air Fighters, Strike! and Sgt. Strike, Prowlers Leo Kragg and Tim Kida, Aztec Ace, The Liberty Project, Miracleman, The New Wave and Beanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trina Robbins</span> American cartoonist and writer (born 1938)

Trina Robbins is an American cartoonist. She was an early participant in the underground comix movement, and one of the first female artists in that movement. She is a member of the Will Eisner Hall of Fame.

<i>Eclipse</i> (magazine) Comics anthology magazine

Eclipse, The Magazine was a black-and-white comics anthology magazine published bi-monthly by Eclipse Comics from 1981 to 1983. It was the company's first ongoing title, Eclipse having previously published graphic novels, and was designed as a competitor to the likes of Epic Illustrated and Heavy Metal.

<i>The New Wave</i> (comics) American comic book series

The New Wave was a superhero team comic book published between 1986 and 1987 by Eclipse Comics.

<i>The Liberty Project</i>

The Liberty Project is a creator owned American comic book series created by writer Kurt Busiek and artist James W. Fry. It was originally published by Eclipse Comics between 1987 and 1988, and concerned a group of super-powered criminals working for the U.S. government in exchange for the possibility of early parole.

<i>Doc Stearn...Mr. Monster</i> Comics character

Doc Stearn...Mr. Monster is a comic book featuring a superhero created by Michael T. Gilbert, most recently published by Dark Horse Comics.

<i>Strike!</i> (comic book) American comic book series

Strike! is an American creator-owned superhero comic book series created by writer Chuck Dixon and artist Tom Lyle, published by Eclipse Comics between 1987 and 1988. It concerns about a teenage boy who finds the power harness of Sgt. Strike, a hero that fought for the US in World War II before disappearing.

Angela Bocage is a bisexual comics creator who published mainly in the 1980s and 1990s. Bocage was active in the queer comics community during these decades, publishing in collections like Gay Comix,Strip AIDS USA, and Wimmen's Comix. Bocage also created, edited, and contributed comics to Real Girl, a comics anthology published by Fantagraphics.

<i>Night Music</i> (comic) American comic book series

Night Music is an American comic book anthology created by artist P. Craig Russell, published by Eclipse Comics. It consists of comic adaptations of operas, novels, classical music and poems, and followed an irregular publishing model that changed formats according to the needs of the material.

<i>Prowler</i> (Eclipse Comics) American comic book series

The Prowler is a creator-owned American comic book series created by Timothy Truman and John K. Snyder III. It was published by Eclipse Comics between 1987 and 1988, and chronicled the adventures of 1930s vigilante Leo Kragg, a.k.a. The Prowler, as he trained teenager Scott Kida to take up his legacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misty (Marvel comic)</span> Fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe

Misty is a comic book character who has appeared in a series published by Marvel Comics via their Star Comics imprint for younger readers. Created by Trina Robbins, Misty was the star of her own 1985-1986 limited series, Misty, a humour title aimed at young female readers. Following the end of the series, Robbins would make a similar title for Eclipse Comics, California Girls. The character exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe.

References

  1. ↑ Robbins, Trina; Valenti, Kristi (2013). Pretty in Ink - North American Women Cartoonists, 1896-2013. Fantagraphics. ISBN   9781606996690.
  2. 1 2 Heidi MacDonald (May 15, 1988). "Trina Robbins - Artist/Writer". Amazing Heroes . No. 141. Fantagraphics Books.
  3. ↑ "Newsflashes". Amazing Heroes . No. 65. Redbeard, Inc. February 15, 1985.
  4. ↑ Bob Hughes (June 1, 1988). "Enlarging the Penumbra". Amazing Heroes . No. 142. Fantagraphics Books.
  5. ↑ "Top of the News (advertisement)". Amazing Heroes . No. 116. Fantagraphics Books. May 1, 1987.
  6. ↑ "Top of the News (advertisement)". Amazing Heroes . No. 129. Fantagraphics Books. November 15, 1987.
  7. 1 2 Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."My Friend Lulu"California Girls,no. 6(November 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  8. ↑ Heidi MacDonald (January 15, 1988). "California Girls". Amazing Heroes . No. 133/Preview Special 6. Fantagraphics Books.
  9. 1 2 "Top of the News (advertisement)". Amazing Heroes . No. 143. Fantagraphics Books. June 15, 1988.
  10. 1 2 Heidi MacDonald (July 15, 1988). "California Girls". Amazing Heroes . No. 145/Preview Special 7. Fantagraphics Books.
  11. ↑ "Top of the News (advertisement)". Amazing Heroes . No. 147. Fantagraphics Books. August 15, 1988.
  12. ↑ Hernandez, Mario , Robbins, Trina , Wright, Rebekah ( w ), Rausch, Barb  ( a )."The Sound of Breaking Glass"California Girls,no. 8(May 1988). Eclipse Comics .
  13. ↑ "Top of the News (advertisement)". Amazing Heroes . No. 146. Fantagraphics Books. August 1, 1988.
  14. 1 2 Alligood, Chuck (September 2014). "Katy, Trina and the California Girls". Back Issue! . No. 75. TwoMorrows Publishing.
  15. ↑ "INTERVIEW: Trina Robbins opens up about DOPE and her lost Wonder Woman Tales". The Beat. August 18, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Who's Who in Total Eclipse"Total Eclipse,no. 3(November 1988). Eclipse Comics .
  17. ↑ "Guide to the Trina Robbins Collection". OhioLINK .
  18. ↑ "California Girls Book Signing at the Cartoon Art Museum". Animation World Network .
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."Nothin' Like the Real Thing"California Girls,no. 1(June 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  20. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."Is this Max ...or Mo?"California Girls,no. 1(June 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  21. 1 2 3 4 Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."Introducing... the California Girls"California Girls,no. 1(June 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  22. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ), Lay, Carol  ( a )."Doubles"California Girls,no. 5(October 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  23. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ), Rausch, Barb  ( a )."The Two-Timer"California Girls,no. 6(November 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  24. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."Hands Around Hollyhock High"California Girls,no. 2(July 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  25. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."Let Sleeping Cats Lie"California Girls,no. 3(August 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  26. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."Their Lucky Day"California Girls,no. 4(September 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  27. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ), Rausch, Barb  ( a )."The Crispy Critter"California Girls,no. 7(January 1988). Eclipse Comics .
  28. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."The California Girls Meet the Dolphin Boy"California Girls,no. 7(January 1988). Eclipse Comics .
  29. 1 2 Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."Comic Relief"California Girls,no. 2(July 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  30. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."Little House of Horrors"California Girls,no. 5(October 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  31. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."The Birthday Present"California Girls,no. 5(October 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  32. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."Meanwhile, Back Home"California Girls,no. 7(January 1988). Eclipse Comics .
  33. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."The Real Roxanne"California Girls,no. 2(July 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  34. ↑ Robbins, Trina  ( w ,  a )."Their Lucky Day"Dots Nice,no. 3(September 1987). Eclipse Comics .
  35. ↑ Gerard Jones (September 1, 1987). "Comics in Review". Amazing Heroes . No. 124. Fantagraphics Books.
  36. ↑ Dooley, Michael (2005). The Education of a Comics Artist. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN   9781621535867.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.