~LILY RENEE, Escape artist . . .
from Holocaust survivor . . . to comic book pioneer.
‘LILY RENEE, Escape Artist’ – by TRINA ROBBINS, illustrated by ANNE TIMMONS and MO HO.
LILY RENEE WILHEIM and TRINA ROBBINS discuss their new book – at a book signing – free & open to the public.
happening – tomorrow THURS NOV 3, 2011 . . . from 7-9 PM
‘LILY RENEE, Escape Artist’ – “is the inspirational story about the remarkable life of LILY RENEE WILHEIM and her tenacious escape from Nazi occupation to become one of the leading female comic book artists of the post-war era.
“The two remarkable guests, LILY RENEE, a sprightly and fascinating octogenarian, and TRINA ROBBINS, comic book historian and pioneer in her own right (‘Wonder Woman’ writer, 60s underground comix groundbreaker, etc.) provide an insightful and entertaining look at the contribution of women in the comic book industry of the last 70 years – a quintessential American story.’ – MoCCA
LILY RENEE PHILLIPS, today (she’s 85) – PHOTO BY: JO ANN TOY for NEWSWEEK c/o THE DAILY BEAST
there is a SUPER excellent essay about the life, times and opinions !! – of LILY RENEE up on the web, c/o THE DAILY BEAST . . . the informative and smart article, accompanied by the (above) photo of the newly celebrated comic book artist was written by ADRIANE QUINLAN, and is titled, ‘A Real-Life Comic Book Superhero’ – and was originally published in NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE, with the Daily Beast re-post date-stamped: JULY 30, 2010.
yes, MOST DEF, read: ‘A Real-Life Comic Book Superhero’ by ADRIANE QUINLAN/NEWSWEEK
here’s Adriane Quinlan’s up and running from the get-go . . . start-off sentence:
“LILY RENEE PHILLIPS’S first job in comics was erasing the errors made by the male illustrators who sat around her. It was 1943 in the cramped, smoky offices of Fiction House, the epicenter of comics publishing at the height of the golden age of comics . . . The illustrators around her drew in graphite, then inked them over. It was her job to erase too-thick arms, stray bullets – and the lewd notes they wrote her in the margins . . ” (!!)
and from somewhere half-way down in this fascinating story, yes – it’s very true, it is fascintating – MoCCA !! – you can find this:
“Her illustrations seemed to come from a different world”, (‘Sad Sack’ – anybody ?!!), “and indeed they did . . .
you can see in her work flashes of KLIMT, SCHIELE, DIX, and other high-art painters she studied as a wealthy young girl in pre-war Austria . . . ”
of course the BIG QUESTION, after reading this Newsweek essay, is:
so, why isn’t our young heroine wearing an outrageous princess-style “snow-white coat” with a big Leica camera, swinging about her neck – when she boards that ominous Kindertransport ? instead of looking like a Nancy Drew, or better yet, a young Archie Comics Betty or Veronica – in a conservative plaid pleated skirt and pink missy jacket, on the book’s cover ?
if you make the Q & A, ask the question, and let me know . . .
damn. I might try to make it – just to get the bottomline – on that !!