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Underwire
Underwire collects the wise and witty autobiographical comics of an eloquent new voice on the comics Jennifer Hayden, politically incorrect mother of two. These everyday observations about marriage, motherhood, and modern life are so perfectly captured, you''ll start to feel like a member of the family yourself!
Here''s the wisdom that comes with wearing an underwire — and you don''t have to own a bra to enjoy it! These stories are about the little things that give us the big picture. Jennifer Hayden started writing and drawing Underwire as a webcomic at www.ACT-I-VATE.com. Since then, it has gained critical attention as a fresh indie comic about womanhood, parenthood, and being-in-the-middle-of-life-hood. Here are twenty-two of the original stories, plus seventeen new pages of comix and art created exclusively for this collection.
Here''s the wisdom that comes with wearing an underwire — and you don''t have to own a bra to enjoy it! These stories are about the little things that give us the big picture. Jennifer Hayden started writing and drawing Underwire as a webcomic at www.ACT-I-VATE.com. Since then, it has gained critical attention as a fresh indie comic about womanhood, parenthood, and being-in-the-middle-of-life-hood. Here are twenty-two of the original stories, plus seventeen new pages of comix and art created exclusively for this collection.
80 pages, Paperback
First published November 8, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
May 4, 2016
An unexpected delight. This comic of irreverent vignettes was SOOOO my jam.
January 31, 2018
So some of these were better over others - they had more interest or meaning to me over some of the other "more out there" ones. :-) I read this for the 2018 Reading Women Challenge (Task #5 Graphic Novel or Memoir). This is only the second graphic novel I've read, which was The Outside Circle and that was a powerful reading experience over these quirkier graphics by Hayden.
January 7, 2012
Underwire
Top Shelf
Jennifer Hayden
One of my favorite types of comic is autobiographical slice of life comics, something along the lines of the “Devils Panties” comic strip (no it isn’t porn) or something that mixes in a bit of fantasy with it like “Bob the Squirrel.” And that’s what I love about Underwire, by Jennifer Hayden, who captures those moments in life that you can relate to regardless of your age and gender. This collection is moving, evocative, and poignant. And I’m glad that Jennifer’s taken the opportunity to invite us into her life in these stories.
Jennifer shares with us stories about her daughter growing up and being able to recognize those moments when she’s starting to mature, such as when she has a watercress sandwich that’s a bit lacking in watercress. Or with reconnecting with old friends and scaring/welcoming the younger generation to connect with them and learn from them. Or sharing the memories and stories of her children, from battling adolescence to love to school Jennifer makes her life an open book.
Jennifer is funny, witty, and sometimes curses like a sailor (well not that bad, but she writes like she talks I imagine.) She pulls no punches and she holds nothing back in the stories she shares. Every aspect of the comic is easy to relate to because Jennifer writes the stories like she’s talking directly to us. I can imagine that we’re sitting on the front porch with her sharing a beer or a glass of wine while she just talks to us. At times we’re crying and at other times we’re rolling in the floor laughing with each other. Reading her comics is like sitting down with your best friend and catching up with whats happened since you’ve last seen them and never for a moment do you feel bored or lost.
Her art is evocative, and while rough and unrefined in some ways, is unpretentious and easy to relate to. She captures the essentials of the story and doesn’t bury the figures in extraneous detail. The lines are sure, steady, and captured in rock hard ink with no traces of hesitation (which trust me is not easy to do when you’re drawing with pen and ink.) According to the introduction she doesn’t even sketch them out in pencil first, just whips them out with pen and ink, which is not that common.
Jennifer Hayden’s comics rock. Pure and simple with no extra sauce added. And she’s got another book coming out later this year (also from Top Shelf) called “The story of my tits.” I highly recommend this work and I look forward to reading future works from Jennifer.
Top Shelf
Jennifer Hayden
One of my favorite types of comic is autobiographical slice of life comics, something along the lines of the “Devils Panties” comic strip (no it isn’t porn) or something that mixes in a bit of fantasy with it like “Bob the Squirrel.” And that’s what I love about Underwire, by Jennifer Hayden, who captures those moments in life that you can relate to regardless of your age and gender. This collection is moving, evocative, and poignant. And I’m glad that Jennifer’s taken the opportunity to invite us into her life in these stories.
Jennifer shares with us stories about her daughter growing up and being able to recognize those moments when she’s starting to mature, such as when she has a watercress sandwich that’s a bit lacking in watercress. Or with reconnecting with old friends and scaring/welcoming the younger generation to connect with them and learn from them. Or sharing the memories and stories of her children, from battling adolescence to love to school Jennifer makes her life an open book.
Jennifer is funny, witty, and sometimes curses like a sailor (well not that bad, but she writes like she talks I imagine.) She pulls no punches and she holds nothing back in the stories she shares. Every aspect of the comic is easy to relate to because Jennifer writes the stories like she’s talking directly to us. I can imagine that we’re sitting on the front porch with her sharing a beer or a glass of wine while she just talks to us. At times we’re crying and at other times we’re rolling in the floor laughing with each other. Reading her comics is like sitting down with your best friend and catching up with whats happened since you’ve last seen them and never for a moment do you feel bored or lost.
Her art is evocative, and while rough and unrefined in some ways, is unpretentious and easy to relate to. She captures the essentials of the story and doesn’t bury the figures in extraneous detail. The lines are sure, steady, and captured in rock hard ink with no traces of hesitation (which trust me is not easy to do when you’re drawing with pen and ink.) According to the introduction she doesn’t even sketch them out in pencil first, just whips them out with pen and ink, which is not that common.
Jennifer Hayden’s comics rock. Pure and simple with no extra sauce added. And she’s got another book coming out later this year (also from Top Shelf) called “The story of my tits.” I highly recommend this work and I look forward to reading future works from Jennifer.
March 16, 2016
This was a warm and delightful book, a collection of short comics stories from newcomer (to me at least), Jennifer Hayden. The stories are brief autobiographical pieces of varying length. The book reminded me of Lynda Barry's work, though Hayden's line is smoother and less punky looking. I almost want to say that she's been more strongly influenced by New Yorker cartoonists than comic book artists. She has a good sense of story pacing and a generally engaging style. I'm definitely interested in seeing more of her work. Supposedly, a comic about her battle with breast cancer is on its way. I look forward to reading it.
November 23, 2015
I read this in preparation for my interview with Jennifer, which just recently was published: http://comicsalternative.com/comics-a.... I had read The Story of My Tits previously, and this one has a much different feel to it. I wonder how my take on it would have been had I read this one before the more recent memoir? Good short-strip collection, definitely without the gravitas of the latter.
August 31, 2017
One of my favorites. Jennifer Hayden is very hippie. She has established a cool relationship among her family, which I really liked. Driving around the town with her daughter, they have a good mother-and-daughter relationship — Just like my Mom and me.
Sometimes funny and sometimes embarrassing, that's just how life works. Very simple stories that speak volumes.
Sometimes funny and sometimes embarrassing, that's just how life works. Very simple stories that speak volumes.
December 6, 2012
It was ok--graphic novels just are not going to be my thing.
February 4, 2014
this was charming and adorable and my only complaint is that i wish it were longer.
September 7, 2016
My good friend Mike introduced me to Jennifer Hayden after I became a mom. I've loved her work ever since. Her comics are funny, absurd and soooooo female!
June 19, 2021
I loved the female empowerment in Coven and all of the times that Hayden’s heart warmed when she watched her daughter blossom into the woman she is becoming. Totally relate.
My favorite stories centered around every day family encounters. The one that made me laugh out loud was when drank a little too much and fell in front of her childhood home because a step that used to be there wasn’t there anymore. In her mind, the house pushed her :)
I also loved the different goddesses that introduced each section as well.
I can see how this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Definitely finds an audience for middle aged mothers :)
My favorite stories centered around every day family encounters. The one that made me laugh out loud was when drank a little too much and fell in front of her childhood home because a step that used to be there wasn’t there anymore. In her mind, the house pushed her :)
I also loved the different goddesses that introduced each section as well.
I can see how this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Definitely finds an audience for middle aged mothers :)
December 25, 2017
In 22 short comics stories, with 17 additional art pages for this volume on top of that, Jennifer Hayden presents her and her family's everyday life in a manner both funny and thought-provoking. I picked this volume up at the library without any expectations, really, merely being attracted by the cover, but I have really taken to Hayden's storytelling, and will be reading more of her comics.
September 19, 2019
Quirky, relatable comics with amazing illustrations. I wish this book was longer!
January 2, 2012
Jennifer Hayden is a member of the webcomic collective act-i-vate where she publishes her autobiographical comic Underwire. Underwire is a collection of the webcomics.
Jennifer is in her forties, married, with two children. Her comics tells stories of moments with her daughter, a dream she had about her husband, laughing and saying bitchy things about other people with her girl friends, and other little moments from her life.
Each comic is about 18 to 20 square boxes, drawn simply in black and white. While I didn't love the style the comic is drawn in, I loved seeing these small moments from Jennifer's life. She is able to say a lot in very few words, and even without her illustrations being especially detailed. A strong feeling comes across in every story she tells.
Jennifer is very truthful. She is not afraid to show that she's far from perfect, that her husband sometimes pisses her off, and that her kids both drive her crazy and amaze her. I feel kind of bad for her family, that they are exposed in this way, but maybe having a mom like Jennifer has prepared them. In any case, I very much enjoyed reading her stories.
Jennifer is currently working on a graphic novel, The Story of My Tits, that tells the story of her breast cancer diagnose. It will be coming out in 2012.
Jennifer is in her forties, married, with two children. Her comics tells stories of moments with her daughter, a dream she had about her husband, laughing and saying bitchy things about other people with her girl friends, and other little moments from her life.
Each comic is about 18 to 20 square boxes, drawn simply in black and white. While I didn't love the style the comic is drawn in, I loved seeing these small moments from Jennifer's life. She is able to say a lot in very few words, and even without her illustrations being especially detailed. A strong feeling comes across in every story she tells.
Jennifer is very truthful. She is not afraid to show that she's far from perfect, that her husband sometimes pisses her off, and that her kids both drive her crazy and amaze her. I feel kind of bad for her family, that they are exposed in this way, but maybe having a mom like Jennifer has prepared them. In any case, I very much enjoyed reading her stories.
Jennifer is currently working on a graphic novel, The Story of My Tits, that tells the story of her breast cancer diagnose. It will be coming out in 2012.
February 26, 2016
My take-away impression of this set of graphic vignettes that mostly revolve around fairly mundane glimpses into her life and motherhood, is that this is what happens when hipsters reach middle age and write a book. Of course it's going to be a graphic novel, because most people still think of them as "comic books" and are sooooo behind the times. And of course it's going to be a set of stories about how you swear a lot in front of and with your pre-teens because you're "that mom"--not like the other moms. Also, your 12-year-old daughter is a vegetarian--of course she is. And naturally you used the all-natural de-licer instead of the mega-chemical ones when she got lice. And then you wrote this story about it. And, imagine my shock to learn that you play the electric fiddle (guitar is so passé). I never would have guessed.
To be clear, I like graphic novels, I swear A LOT, I was a vegetarian when I was 12, and I would choose the all-natural de-licer if I needed such a product. I don't play the electric fiddle, but I do play the bassoon (nerd checkmate). It is not the content of her life that I find clichéd, nor do I object to the idea of a book about finding meaning in mundane life events, but in this case it added up to a whole that I found a bit pretentious and, well, hipsterish.
To be clear, I like graphic novels, I swear A LOT, I was a vegetarian when I was 12, and I would choose the all-natural de-licer if I needed such a product. I don't play the electric fiddle, but I do play the bassoon (nerd checkmate). It is not the content of her life that I find clichéd, nor do I object to the idea of a book about finding meaning in mundane life events, but in this case it added up to a whole that I found a bit pretentious and, well, hipsterish.
October 31, 2014
Did not really connect with this. While I'm not a woman, I thought I still might glean some laughter and joy from the short stories of a forty-year-old wife and mother. I was hoping perhaps for some humorous anecdotes about everyday life, or some deeper lessons learned just from putting one foot in front of the other.
Instead, I got some short stories that didn't really seem to have much of a point. Perhaps I'm simply not the target demographic, but I have to confess that I was bored reading this book. So bored, in fact, that I skipped the last couple of stories entirely. I think that everyday life can be used as grounds for interesting work, because that's just about how all of us live. Didn't find much here to interest me, though.
Instead, I got some short stories that didn't really seem to have much of a point. Perhaps I'm simply not the target demographic, but I have to confess that I was bored reading this book. So bored, in fact, that I skipped the last couple of stories entirely. I think that everyday life can be used as grounds for interesting work, because that's just about how all of us live. Didn't find much here to interest me, though.
October 15, 2015
This is a woman's reflection on moments in her life as she has children and they grow up.
Each story is only a few pages and varies in type. Some are fairly straight forward telling of events while some include her emotions as events occur. Other stories are actually recollections of dreams, while others are stories told by her children.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this little escape from the day. I read it all in one sitting and 80 pages, it went by quite quickly. It might actually be better to read one story a day or every few days to get it in bite sized chunks.
As it was, though, I enjoyed it and could see myself checking back in with it a couple years down the line to see how my thoughts on it may have changed.
Each story is only a few pages and varies in type. Some are fairly straight forward telling of events while some include her emotions as events occur. Other stories are actually recollections of dreams, while others are stories told by her children.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this little escape from the day. I read it all in one sitting and 80 pages, it went by quite quickly. It might actually be better to read one story a day or every few days to get it in bite sized chunks.
As it was, though, I enjoyed it and could see myself checking back in with it a couple years down the line to see how my thoughts on it may have changed.
September 5, 2015
Jennifer Hayden offers a compilation of scenes from her life – as wife, mother, artist, whathaveyou. A fast read, if somewhat disjointed – each scene/story is only a few pages, and the collection itself clocks in at 80 pages. Artwork is black and white and very busy with characters and scenery and word bubbles all elbowing for room. Hayden is proficient in both her art and writing and marries them together well, but sometimes the arc of the storytelling falls a bit short, and one is left wondering, “Why are you telling me this?” Her comic avatar (with its Pinocchio-esque pointy nose) has an unfortunate potty mouth at times (seems unnecessary), which was somewhat off-putting.
September 25, 2015
Stuff that Jennifer Hayden wrote while working on her more epic and sweeping Story of My Tits, it's in the same family-centric, LADY COMEEKS, beautiful moments and aggravating little things sort of a vein. I think it probably does better as a sort of addendum to "Tits" when you want moarrrrr than it would have without it, but...I think I still would have liked it. I'm one of those mommish, self-reflective, family loving, occassionaly totally ridiculous ladies who connect with her work I suppose. :) I especially enjoy how this really explored her relationships with her kids as individual young adults, especially her by turns frustrating and wonderful daughter. :)
October 26, 2015
This is a cute collection of little slice of life comics. It was fun and touching at parts, but I did sometimes find it hard to relate to the specific desires of the main character. Really, though, since it's her real life, that's okay. The art wasn't my favorite. I tend to prefer something a little less scribbly-looking. But it didn't really get in the way of the story-telling. In the end, it didn't suck me in, but I liked it enough that I will likely read her other book.
December 17, 2015
Underwire collects the witty autobiographical comics of a new voice on the comics scene: Jennifer Hayden, politically incorrect mother of two. These everyday observations about marriage, motherhood, and modern life are so perfectly captured, you''ll start to feel like a member of the family yourself! Good, but not nearly as good as her "The Story of My Tits"
December 18, 2011
Funny slice of life comics about being middle aged, having kids who are growing up, and being in love with the same person for many years. Sweet, charming, and I do love a mom who swears like a sailor.
August 9, 2013
A great compilation of slice-of-life comics from a 40-something woman wondering where life went while she was trying to hold everything together. Definitely looking forward to reading her other work because this felt like laughing with a good friend over drinks.
August 28, 2016
This book didn't resonate with me at all, and got not one chuckle out of me.
Hayden shamelessly spread her life open in front of the reader, and instead of thinking "oh! me too!", we feel embarrassed and voyeuristic.
Comics are definitely not my thing.
Hayden shamelessly spread her life open in front of the reader, and instead of thinking "oh! me too!", we feel embarrassed and voyeuristic.
Comics are definitely not my thing.
December 27, 2011
Quick, odd, little collection of random, presumably autobiographical, vignettes from Hayden's life. My fave was Girls' Club. Will likely check out Story of my Tits when it's released.
December 31, 2011
Charming and sweet autobiographical comic about being a middle-aged mom. I'm
looking forward to Hayden's next book.
looking forward to Hayden's next book.
November 12, 2012
I suspect I wanted something different out of this book, and while I was not disappointed, precisely, it was not really a book that resonated with me.
August 10, 2012
Kind of odd, but I liked it. Author seems like a fun/funny person. Graphic novel.
October 27, 2012
Slight but enjoyable.
March 17, 2013
Realistic family comix from a hip mom.
March 29, 2015
Some funny little vignettes here. Some random, some mundane. A pleasant read with some good laughs.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews