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Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story
The alternative-comics master offers an indelible and idiosyncratic take on the protofeminist
"[Woman Rebel] is fine work from an excellent cartoonist and I urge you to jump right in."-Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter, from his introduction Peter Bagge's Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story is a dazzling and accessible biography of the social and political maverick, jam-packed with fact and fun. In his signature cartoony, rubbery style, Bagge presents the life of the birth-control activist, educator, nurse, mother, and protofeminist from her birth in the late nineteenth century to her death after the invention of the birth control pill. Balancing humor and respect, Bagge makes Sanger whole and human, showing how her flaws fueled her fiery activism just as much as her compassionate nature did. Sanger's life takes on a whole new vivacity as Bagge creates a fast-paced portrait of a trailblazer whose legacy as the founder of Planned Parenthood is still incredibly relevant, important, and inspiring.
"[Woman Rebel] is fine work from an excellent cartoonist and I urge you to jump right in."-Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter, from his introduction Peter Bagge's Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story is a dazzling and accessible biography of the social and political maverick, jam-packed with fact and fun. In his signature cartoony, rubbery style, Bagge presents the life of the birth-control activist, educator, nurse, mother, and protofeminist from her birth in the late nineteenth century to her death after the invention of the birth control pill. Balancing humor and respect, Bagge makes Sanger whole and human, showing how her flaws fueled her fiery activism just as much as her compassionate nature did. Sanger's life takes on a whole new vivacity as Bagge creates a fast-paced portrait of a trailblazer whose legacy as the founder of Planned Parenthood is still incredibly relevant, important, and inspiring.
104 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2013
15 people are currently reading
2132 people want to read
About the author
Peter Bagge
277 books166 followersPeter Bagge is an American cartoonist known for his irreverent, kinetic style and his incisive, black-humored portrayals of middle-class American youth. He first gained recognition with Neat Stuff, which introduced characters such as Buddy Bradley, Girly-Girl, and The Bradleys, and followed it with Hate, his best-known work, which ran through the 1990s and later as annuals. Bagge’s comics often exaggerate the frustrations, absurdities, and reduced expectations of ordinary life, combining influences from Warner Brothers cartoons, underground comix, and classic cartoonists like Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, and Robert Crumb. Beyond satire and fiction, Bagge has produced fact-based comics journalism, biographies, and historical comics, contributing to outlets such as suck.com, MAD Magazine, toonlet, Discover, and Reason. His biographical works include Woman Rebel, about Margaret Sanger, Fire!!, on Zora Neale Hurston, and Credo, on Rose Wilder Lane. Bagge has collaborated with major publishers including Fantagraphics, DC Comics, Dark Horse, and Marvel, producing works such as Yeah!, Sweatshop, Apocalypse Nerd, Other Lives, and Reset. He has also worked in animation, creating Flash cartoons and animated commercials, and has been active as a musician in bands such as The Action Suits and Can You Imagine. Bagge’s signature art style is elastic, energetic, and exaggerated, capturing movement and comic expression in a way that amplifies both humor and social commentary. His personal politics are libertarian, frequently reflected in his comics and essays, and he has been a longtime contributor to Reason magazine. Bagge’s work combines biting satire, historical insight, and a relentless visual inventiveness, making him a central figure in American alternative comics for over four decades.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 303 reviews
May 27, 2016
The Rubbery Birth Control Activist
I am generally not a big fan of biographies, as I usually feel that they oversimplify and dramatize a life course that in reality is much more complex and diffuse. I am a fan of cartoonist Peter Bagge, though, and I was curious whether his rubbery, inherently satirical drawing style would do justice to the personality and achievements of birth-control activist Margaret Sanger.
As it turns out, Bagge treats Sanger with the respect she deserves – her personality is never ridiculed, her achievements are never trivialized. At the same time, the book’s cartoony style averts the risk of blatant and ultimately boring hero worship. It should also be noted, though, that the portrayal of the supporting cast tends to be less balanced: some characters provide little more than comic relief, others merely function to illustrate Sanger’s character traits.
In summary, Woman Rebel is an educational and engaging, but at only seventy-two pages all-too-brief read. Many aspects of Margaret Sanger’s fascinating life could have been explored in more detail and depth. Then again, I did not want to further explore them before reading Woman Rebel, so this book certainly deserves credit for arousing our curiosity.
I am generally not a big fan of biographies, as I usually feel that they oversimplify and dramatize a life course that in reality is much more complex and diffuse. I am a fan of cartoonist Peter Bagge, though, and I was curious whether his rubbery, inherently satirical drawing style would do justice to the personality and achievements of birth-control activist Margaret Sanger.
As it turns out, Bagge treats Sanger with the respect she deserves – her personality is never ridiculed, her achievements are never trivialized. At the same time, the book’s cartoony style averts the risk of blatant and ultimately boring hero worship. It should also be noted, though, that the portrayal of the supporting cast tends to be less balanced: some characters provide little more than comic relief, others merely function to illustrate Sanger’s character traits.
In summary, Woman Rebel is an educational and engaging, but at only seventy-two pages all-too-brief read. Many aspects of Margaret Sanger’s fascinating life could have been explored in more detail and depth. Then again, I did not want to further explore them before reading Woman Rebel, so this book certainly deserves credit for arousing our curiosity.
February 27, 2014
I’ll be completely honest: I had no idea who Margaret Sanger was until I read this book. Having finished it, I’m now very much informed on the subject and thoroughly enjoyed reading about Sanger’s extraordinary life thanks to Peter Bagge’s wonderful storytelling and research.
Comics are a wonderful medium and one of the things they do extremely well, which is never emphasised enough, is non-fiction. Whether biography, true crime, philosophy, politics, science or history, comics can make nearly every non-fiction type much more appealing and understandable. So even if I knew nothing about Margaret Sanger, I know Peter Bagge is an accomplished cartoonist, I know Drawn & Quarterly publish quality books, and I knew the medium would bring the subject to life. And I was right - Woman Rebel is a great book!
Sanger was the founder of Planned Parenthood, the American organisation for birth control. It’s no surprise to see where her drive for birth control came from seeing that her own mother had 18 pregnancies (10 of whom survived into adulthood) and that, as a young nurse, she saw women harming themselves to prevent further pregnancies, and living in appalling conditions surrounded by financially draining unwanted children due to ignorance of birth prevention.
This led to Sanger’s lifelong crusade to educate and inform the women of the world about their bodies and push for sex education for everyone everywhere and the widespread use, and legalisation, of birth control methods like diaphragms. Surprisingly, she was against abortion, preferring women exercise safe sex to ensure against pregnancy, and advised women to carry their pregnancies to term, though this might have been because of it being illegal so she only saw the results of back-alley abortions.
Sanger was a fascinating woman who, despite being diagnosed with TB at a young age, lived a full, long life. She was a proto-feminist who led a bohemian lifestyle despite being married and a mother of three, taking many lovers, among them Havelock Ellis and HG Wells. She frequently challenged the law to speak to great crowds of people on birth control, leading to numerous high profile arrests and making her a celebrity in the process - she became a rebel with a cause!
Bagge’s approach is to be informative but also funny at times – in a respectful way – to suit the scene such as when Havelock Ellis reveals his turn-on is to watch a woman pee and, after Sanger offers, Ellis’ expression is still emotionless and blunt as he says yes. It’s a humanistic portrait too that shows how her incredible drive led to great reform but also made her a difficult person to live with and in her final years, though she remains indomitable, she becomes a drug addicted alcoholic (that is the time to throw caution to the wind though, right? You’re on your way out, so why not?).
Due to the shortness of the comic – roughly 70 pages – Bagge’s storytelling relies heavily on exposition. Normally I’d say this is an artless way of getting across information but it’s necessary in the circumstances as Bagge eschews blocks of descriptive text or narrative boxes to set the scene or put across relevant information. Also, the choice to have the characters talk about their situations/actions as its happening makes for a more fluid and energetic reading that’s also illuminating.
If you’re looking for more information, Bagge includes numerous pages of text at the end – with photos – that goes into Sanger’s life in more detail and also shows how much research Bagge’s put into this book.
If you’re unfamiliar with Bagge’s work – and he’s worth checking out if you enjoy alternative comics – his art style is highly stylised. Characters aren’t drawn in the least bit realistically, arms and legs appear curved and floppy, faces turn cartoonishly extreme depending on their emotions and so on – but it’s a great style that gives his work a unique look and suits Sanger’s freewheeling and dramatic lifestyle.
Woman Rebel is an accessible, well written and drawn book about a remarkable woman who changed the world. It’s an entertaining and informative read that sets out to enlighten readers of the life of Margaret Sanger and accomplishes this fully. Absolutely brilliant!
Comics are a wonderful medium and one of the things they do extremely well, which is never emphasised enough, is non-fiction. Whether biography, true crime, philosophy, politics, science or history, comics can make nearly every non-fiction type much more appealing and understandable. So even if I knew nothing about Margaret Sanger, I know Peter Bagge is an accomplished cartoonist, I know Drawn & Quarterly publish quality books, and I knew the medium would bring the subject to life. And I was right - Woman Rebel is a great book!
Sanger was the founder of Planned Parenthood, the American organisation for birth control. It’s no surprise to see where her drive for birth control came from seeing that her own mother had 18 pregnancies (10 of whom survived into adulthood) and that, as a young nurse, she saw women harming themselves to prevent further pregnancies, and living in appalling conditions surrounded by financially draining unwanted children due to ignorance of birth prevention.
This led to Sanger’s lifelong crusade to educate and inform the women of the world about their bodies and push for sex education for everyone everywhere and the widespread use, and legalisation, of birth control methods like diaphragms. Surprisingly, she was against abortion, preferring women exercise safe sex to ensure against pregnancy, and advised women to carry their pregnancies to term, though this might have been because of it being illegal so she only saw the results of back-alley abortions.
Sanger was a fascinating woman who, despite being diagnosed with TB at a young age, lived a full, long life. She was a proto-feminist who led a bohemian lifestyle despite being married and a mother of three, taking many lovers, among them Havelock Ellis and HG Wells. She frequently challenged the law to speak to great crowds of people on birth control, leading to numerous high profile arrests and making her a celebrity in the process - she became a rebel with a cause!
Bagge’s approach is to be informative but also funny at times – in a respectful way – to suit the scene such as when Havelock Ellis reveals his turn-on is to watch a woman pee and, after Sanger offers, Ellis’ expression is still emotionless and blunt as he says yes. It’s a humanistic portrait too that shows how her incredible drive led to great reform but also made her a difficult person to live with and in her final years, though she remains indomitable, she becomes a drug addicted alcoholic (that is the time to throw caution to the wind though, right? You’re on your way out, so why not?).
Due to the shortness of the comic – roughly 70 pages – Bagge’s storytelling relies heavily on exposition. Normally I’d say this is an artless way of getting across information but it’s necessary in the circumstances as Bagge eschews blocks of descriptive text or narrative boxes to set the scene or put across relevant information. Also, the choice to have the characters talk about their situations/actions as its happening makes for a more fluid and energetic reading that’s also illuminating.
If you’re looking for more information, Bagge includes numerous pages of text at the end – with photos – that goes into Sanger’s life in more detail and also shows how much research Bagge’s put into this book.
If you’re unfamiliar with Bagge’s work – and he’s worth checking out if you enjoy alternative comics – his art style is highly stylised. Characters aren’t drawn in the least bit realistically, arms and legs appear curved and floppy, faces turn cartoonishly extreme depending on their emotions and so on – but it’s a great style that gives his work a unique look and suits Sanger’s freewheeling and dramatic lifestyle.
Woman Rebel is an accessible, well written and drawn book about a remarkable woman who changed the world. It’s an entertaining and informative read that sets out to enlighten readers of the life of Margaret Sanger and accomplishes this fully. Absolutely brilliant!
March 10, 2014
I loved the STORY but I hated the illustrations. The wavy mouths, the wavy characters, the bloodshot eyes... it was all too Crumbian for me. I couldn't get my head into the story- I'd keep thinking, "I know what Margaret Sanger looked like, she was truly stop-traffic beautiful, and this woman here, with the popping-out bloody eyes? This woman is not Margaret Sanger."
Stylistically incompatible with my old, persnickety self.
Stylistically incompatible with my old, persnickety self.
May 20, 2014
A comic biography about the woman who founded Planned Parenthood, told by alt comic author Bagge. So, I knew she was famous for this and I recalled in a sort of vague way that she was "complicated," but relearned she was a mother of three, had lots of lovers (including H.G. Wells!), "struggled with" drugs/alcohol, and was difficult, but this book sort of shows how her flaws were related to her activism in some ways, inseparable from them in a way. Most biographies lionize, they create these seamless stories that erase the flaws or minimize them in such a way that the subjects seem superhuman, better than any of us lowly readers. Maybe Bagge's cartoony style (which I still really didn't like here, it feels too goofy) is sort f appropriate for his subject in that it creates some kind of distancing effect so that we avoid that kind of saint-ing. This comic bio feels honest and clearly doesn't hide the flaws, so as biography it is interesting; it's not "tell all" or anything like that; nor does it just focus on her greatest hits. It's an interesting project that attempts to find humor where it can, tries to educate and entertain where it can… and create for us in pretty short order a human being who did some pretty cool stuff to change the world, especially for women.
September 15, 2016
A quote from the author's end notes: "Legal access to safe and effective methods of birth control made it possible for us to pursue our lives and dreams without being shackled by our biology. It's amazing the extent to which we now take this fact for granted, but I simply can't imagine a greater gift to humanity." I concur.
I'd heard of Margaret Sanger, but had no idea what a powerful, influential, controversial, and connected woman she was. Why is her face not on our currency? I remember reading a book titled Great Men and Women as a kid, and I hope that an updated version would include women like her. This graphic biography is a perfect introduction to this important historical figure, and while I am not a fan of the art, I was delighted to learn more about Sanger and her efforts and accomplishments.
I'd heard of Margaret Sanger, but had no idea what a powerful, influential, controversial, and connected woman she was. Why is her face not on our currency? I remember reading a book titled Great Men and Women as a kid, and I hope that an updated version would include women like her. This graphic biography is a perfect introduction to this important historical figure, and while I am not a fan of the art, I was delighted to learn more about Sanger and her efforts and accomplishments.
May 19, 2015
This is a great graphic biography of a woman who is often misrepresented by academics and historians and people trying to make a point and not fact-checking their stories. Margaret Sanger was a rambunctious visionary who worked very hard to create a world in which reproductive rights exist for women. She made big waves all by herself and did her best to work with others and did a lot to make sex education and birth control accessible to women in the U.S. and elsewhere. I feel like I'm not being super articulate here, but Peter Bagge is, so read the book. It's well-researched, educational, entertaining, interesting, juicy, we meet a lot of other important characters of the time. The art is really cartoony and fun.
February 22, 2017
It occurs to me that a lot of our current problems are still problems because people don't know enough about Margaret Sanger. The divide over abortion and birth control persists a century later because people (mostly men) don't understand how inextricably sex and politics are linked for women, and this is what Sanger spent decades making people realize. She has always been a particular target of slander and demonization from those who fear independent women, so even progressives come away with significant misunderstandings about her. This graphic memoir makes a point of explaining context, correcting false information, and pointing readers in the right direction for further research. I hate the illustration style, but the book is a wonderfully important one.
VOLUNTARY MOTHERHOOD. Possibly the two most important words in feminist history.
"Government and industry have conspired to subjugate women for their own selfish ends... They want us to remain baby-making machines in order to replenish their armies and factories. Meanwhile, established religions - particularly the Catholic Church - have interpreted the sex act as a sordid and animalistic function that serves no purpose other than procreation... the inevitable result being war, poverty, child labor, crime and overpopulation... while taking a savage toll on the lives and health of women and their children."
"Are you suggesting birth control will solve all these problems?"
"Let me put it this way: They cannot be solved without it."
_____
"Tonight I'd like to discuss the morality of birth control... When one acts recklessly and irresponsibly we regard such behavior as immoral... except, we're told, when it comes to procreation - the results of which demand the most responsibility of us...
When women first demanded an education, it was argued that it would degrade our morals. The same with our demands to own property, drive a car, and the right to vote... All of which has come to pass, yet miraculously society hasn't crumbled. Yet those same naysayers are convinced that our demand for voluntary motherhood and dominion over our own bodies will surely bring about the end of civilization."
VOLUNTARY MOTHERHOOD. Possibly the two most important words in feminist history.
December 28, 2016
I didn't know a tonne about Sanger before I read this. I have a complicated, rather fraught, personal history with family planning, myself. So this was a great way to self-educate on her history and place in my heritage.
Bagge is a fascinating biographer - I know him mostly for his wacky, alternative comics. And this bio work is loopy and over the top in style, but very substantive in content.
It's pretty episodic, skipping from event to event. He includes extensive notes at the back, and this time I'm not quite as annoyed as usual at the fact that I didn't know about them until I'd already read the book through. Going back to virtually every page, knowing the full arc, may have helped save the flow of the story.
Things that stood out the most:
- Sanger was poly
- Much of the struggle was about freedom of information. Doctors were not legally allowed to tell women how to avoid becoming pregnant. Sometimes it helps to hear how far we've come.
Read with:
Dotter of Her Father's Eyes
Unterzakhn
Bagge is a fascinating biographer - I know him mostly for his wacky, alternative comics. And this bio work is loopy and over the top in style, but very substantive in content.
It's pretty episodic, skipping from event to event. He includes extensive notes at the back, and this time I'm not quite as annoyed as usual at the fact that I didn't know about them until I'd already read the book through. Going back to virtually every page, knowing the full arc, may have helped save the flow of the story.
Things that stood out the most:
- Sanger was poly
- Much of the struggle was about freedom of information. Doctors were not legally allowed to tell women how to avoid becoming pregnant. Sometimes it helps to hear how far we've come.
Read with:
Dotter of Her Father's Eyes
Unterzakhn
April 26, 2016
I have only heard little bits and pieces about Margaret Sanger so when I stumbled across this at my local library there was no way I was going to pass up the chance to find out more about this amazing and influential woman. I was a little concerned that Bagge might be too biased towards her and make her out to be some kind of saint but from what I can see, he was true to her character covering the good, the bad and the ugly as he tells the highlights of her life the best way he knows how. At the back of the book there are more details on the events covered and the other people that were involved, giving credit where it is due, as well as a few notes on how Sanger has been and continues to be portrayed but some sectors, especially in the US. I still want to find out more about Sanger and her work but this was a great introduction to the woman behind the headlines, a woman we all have a lot to thank for (whether we know it or not).
February 12, 2017
Racist undertones aside (what was he thinking)... It was OK.
ETA: You know what? For this: "Interestingly, since we have more scientifically advanced forms of both control (thanks largely to Sanger) agencies impose temporary forms of forced sterilization on various wards of the state, such as the "chemical castration" of paroled sex offenders or devices for "impulsively promiscuous" girls in the foster care system. All things considered, these are not unreasonable solutions - albeit ones that future generations are sure to beat us up over." Go fuck yourself. That and the petty bs comment toward Angela Davis and the racist/racism tinged depictions of any poc in the book. Fuck off. We do not need your opinion or your advocacy.
Never trust a man to write about women's reproductive rights; definitely never trust a white man writing in defence of a white woman re accusations of racism.
ETA: You know what? For this: "Interestingly, since we have more scientifically advanced forms of both control (thanks largely to Sanger) agencies impose temporary forms of forced sterilization on various wards of the state, such as the "chemical castration" of paroled sex offenders or devices for "impulsively promiscuous" girls in the foster care system. All things considered, these are not unreasonable solutions - albeit ones that future generations are sure to beat us up over." Go fuck yourself. That and the petty bs comment toward Angela Davis and the racist/racism tinged depictions of any poc in the book. Fuck off. We do not need your opinion or your advocacy.
Never trust a man to write about women's reproductive rights; definitely never trust a white man writing in defence of a white woman re accusations of racism.
Read
March 3, 2021As my first Peter Bagge comic and an overview of Margaret Sanger’s life, this book was great. I love Bagge’s art and am already requesting more of his books from the library. His style is exaggerated and cartoony, but captivating at the same time. As for the subject matter, I barely knew anything about Margaret Sanger before reading this book but emerged fascinated. Basically she founded Planned Parenthood and tirelessly advocated for birth control throughout her life. It’s amazing some of the things she did, and the encounters she had. Sanger was a person of contradictions, however, in that she opposed abortion and was (briefly) involved in the eugenics movement. She was also impulsive and self-centered, which Bagge brings out in the book. I admire how he doesn’t shy away from these facts while at the same time describing the value of her work and contributions to the world.
The story is 72 pages with 20 pages of Bagge’s commentary at the end. Every page of the comic is dense with text but the story reads smoothly and never gets boring. Bagge jumps ahead in time every page or two; while I was put off by this at first, by the end I wasn’t bothered.
A great read, and a great example of nonfiction storytelling in comics.
The story is 72 pages with 20 pages of Bagge’s commentary at the end. Every page of the comic is dense with text but the story reads smoothly and never gets boring. Bagge jumps ahead in time every page or two; while I was put off by this at first, by the end I wasn’t bothered.
A great read, and a great example of nonfiction storytelling in comics.
December 12, 2017
L'incroyable vie de cette féministe qui a participé à la création du planning familial et de la pilule, qui aura vécu 10 vies en une! Certains aspect de sa vie privée, notamment l'amour libre, sont révolutionnaires pour l'époque. Le caractère coloré de la la dame n'est pas éludé non plus.
Outre l'aspect biographique, la BD est dense et compacte, mais facile à lire, de nombreux faits qui émaillent sa longue vie, sans s'attarder sur des considérations théoriques ou abstraites. Le dessin très "indie comic" avec ses personnages élastiques et un dessin proche de R. Crumb ou de MAD, rend la lecture encore plus plaisante..
Du grand art biographique !
Outre l'aspect biographique, la BD est dense et compacte, mais facile à lire, de nombreux faits qui émaillent sa longue vie, sans s'attarder sur des considérations théoriques ou abstraites. Le dessin très "indie comic" avec ses personnages élastiques et un dessin proche de R. Crumb ou de MAD, rend la lecture encore plus plaisante..
Du grand art biographique !
May 12, 2017
Cartoonist Peter Bagge applies his trademark rubber-limbed visuals and sardonic humor to illustrate the life of women's reproductive rights activist Margaret Sanger (1879-1966). I loved this. Surprisingly well-researched and quirky at the same time. Can't wait to check out Bagge's more recent cartoon bio of writer Zora Neale Hurston.
March 24, 2014
This is a Fantastic biographical perspective on an extremely misunderstood woman!
When I say fantastic I mean Superb (not outrageous.)
Even if you "know" who Margaret Sanger is, chances are you have bought into (or believed) some of the many LIES about her.
I did.
I heard things and I believed them.
And so I am very grateful for Peter Bagge's honest (and trust-worthy) portrayal of this heroic woman.
Yes he has done research, and yes this "graphic novel" has foot notes and a bibliography for corroboration. And being something of a cynical wise-ass (if you have read any of his "semi"-autobiographical HATE books you know what I mean) makes him (to me) trustworthy.
I could not put this down. (It only took me so long to read because of the extensive footnotes in the back!)
So now I have two new heroes, Margaret Sanger who wanted to help women and people and the world and had to fight a tremendous amount of ignorance and opposition,
and Peter Bagge for expertly and wonderfully telling her story!
When I say fantastic I mean Superb (not outrageous.)
Even if you "know" who Margaret Sanger is, chances are you have bought into (or believed) some of the many LIES about her.
I did.
I heard things and I believed them.
And so I am very grateful for Peter Bagge's honest (and trust-worthy) portrayal of this heroic woman.
Yes he has done research, and yes this "graphic novel" has foot notes and a bibliography for corroboration. And being something of a cynical wise-ass (if you have read any of his "semi"-autobiographical HATE books you know what I mean) makes him (to me) trustworthy.
I could not put this down. (It only took me so long to read because of the extensive footnotes in the back!)
So now I have two new heroes, Margaret Sanger who wanted to help women and people and the world and had to fight a tremendous amount of ignorance and opposition,
and Peter Bagge for expertly and wonderfully telling her story!
September 22, 2015
I really enjoyed this! It's a complex look at a complex lady, and it highlights how brave she was without glossing over some of her more problematic actions. (Though it does flesh them out in some cases--like, yes, she did talk to the KKK women's auxiliary group, but she felt uncomfortable about it but ultimately decided that all women should have access to information about their bodies. Also, her involvement with eugenics is addressed but put into context somewhat.)
The artwork here is a little goofy but I think I liked it.
I will say--I ordered this for teen GNs because it was on a YALSA list but I think I'm going to send it to adult GNs... it's not that I don't think teens would enjoy it, or that they shouldn't learn about Margaret Sanger/abortion/etc... but there's like, a lot more talk about golden showers and other fairly kinky sex acts than I would have expected??? Sooooooo... there's that. (That said, I totally loved all the sexy historical gossip! Just feelin' sketch about shelving it in teen.)
The artwork here is a little goofy but I think I liked it.
I will say--I ordered this for teen GNs because it was on a YALSA list but I think I'm going to send it to adult GNs... it's not that I don't think teens would enjoy it, or that they shouldn't learn about Margaret Sanger/abortion/etc... but there's like, a lot more talk about golden showers and other fairly kinky sex acts than I would have expected??? Sooooooo... there's that. (That said, I totally loved all the sexy historical gossip! Just feelin' sketch about shelving it in teen.)
May 8, 2017
Interesting and fact-filled graphic novel biography of the birth control pioneer. Nice quick read. A bit of a hybrid; you really need to read the notes at the end to get the "full story" set forth in the graphic portion.
November 7, 2014
Fun, fast, furious. This book will make you want to take to the streets and also make you wonder why nobody does anymore. Great work from Brugge.
March 5, 2020
Fantástica novela gráfica de Peter Bagge sobre la vida de Margaret Sanger. Humor, lucha y dignidad.
May 25, 2019
I really appreciated learning more about Margaret Sanger - what a wild life this woman had! - but the layout of the book made it more challenging than it needed to be. There was an appendix at the end of the book for every single page with more detail, some of which was really crucial to understanding what the scene was and why it was significant. So as I was reading, I was reading a page, flipping to the back, reading the context, reading the next page, deciding whether or not to flip back, etc. Did not like - just include all the relevant info on the page.
Sanger’s name comes up a lot these days as a gotcha for Planned Parenthood for her belief in eugenics. I read this book hoping for detail on that, and I got it, but it was an incredibly rosy view that painted Sanger as a white woman hero who was pretty cognizant and together about fighting racism (this, despite a just truly terrible portrayal of Sanger’s maid, Daisy, who Bagge writes as lazy while also being her Black best friend with zero interests outside of Sanger). As a book written by a white man about a white woman, that just pings my bullshit meter and made me want to research more - so I guess points for piquing my interest, but this.... was already a topic I wanted to know more about. Anywho, in reading some releases by Planned Parenthood and articles on Sanger by women of color, I found that as usual the truth is somewhere in the middle: Sanger did have some seriously problematic actions while also working with civil rights leaders of the day to establish a number of important healthcare programs for Black women.
In conclusion, I didn’t feel like the author was reliable when it comes to a pretty important topic and the layout of the book was a pain, but I learned a lot about Sanger and the movement and reality around birth control and abortion in the early days of the 20th century. I don’t recommend the book, but definitely recommend learning more about Sanger and the movement she furiously fought for.
Sanger’s name comes up a lot these days as a gotcha for Planned Parenthood for her belief in eugenics. I read this book hoping for detail on that, and I got it, but it was an incredibly rosy view that painted Sanger as a white woman hero who was pretty cognizant and together about fighting racism (this, despite a just truly terrible portrayal of Sanger’s maid, Daisy, who Bagge writes as lazy while also being her Black best friend with zero interests outside of Sanger). As a book written by a white man about a white woman, that just pings my bullshit meter and made me want to research more - so I guess points for piquing my interest, but this.... was already a topic I wanted to know more about. Anywho, in reading some releases by Planned Parenthood and articles on Sanger by women of color, I found that as usual the truth is somewhere in the middle: Sanger did have some seriously problematic actions while also working with civil rights leaders of the day to establish a number of important healthcare programs for Black women.
In conclusion, I didn’t feel like the author was reliable when it comes to a pretty important topic and the layout of the book was a pain, but I learned a lot about Sanger and the movement and reality around birth control and abortion in the early days of the 20th century. I don’t recommend the book, but definitely recommend learning more about Sanger and the movement she furiously fought for.
January 15, 2020
Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story is a biographical graphic novel written and illustrated by Peter Bagge and recounts the life of Margaret Sanger, a birth control activist, during a time when talking about sex and birth control was tabooed.
Margaret Higgins Sanger was an American birth control activist, sex educator, writer, and nurse. Sanger popularized the term "birth control", opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, and established organizations that evolved into the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
The book recounts Sanger's life from her childhood (her mother had 18 pregnancies, and 11 live births) to her work as a women's health advocate during a time in history that it would be rebellious to do so.
Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story is written and constructed rather well. This graphic biography is both educational and entertaining. Bagge treats the famous activist as a real person, rather than an untouchable icon, though still handling her with great respect. She bursts into life on the page, via Bagge's wonderful facial expressions and exuberant line work, in a manner that no historical text can match. Bagge has conducted meticulous research to separate the truth about Sanger from the fiction, and he documents his work with extensive notes.
All in all, Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story is a wonderful, albeit cursory look at Margaret Sanger – birth control activist and sex educator.
Margaret Higgins Sanger was an American birth control activist, sex educator, writer, and nurse. Sanger popularized the term "birth control", opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, and established organizations that evolved into the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
The book recounts Sanger's life from her childhood (her mother had 18 pregnancies, and 11 live births) to her work as a women's health advocate during a time in history that it would be rebellious to do so.
Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story is written and constructed rather well. This graphic biography is both educational and entertaining. Bagge treats the famous activist as a real person, rather than an untouchable icon, though still handling her with great respect. She bursts into life on the page, via Bagge's wonderful facial expressions and exuberant line work, in a manner that no historical text can match. Bagge has conducted meticulous research to separate the truth about Sanger from the fiction, and he documents his work with extensive notes.
All in all, Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story is a wonderful, albeit cursory look at Margaret Sanger – birth control activist and sex educator.
April 7, 2022
Great storytelling of a great life story from a great cartoonist: read this book!
I had enjoyed learning about Sanger from some other 20th-century history, [in particular, Jill LePore, The Secret History of Wonder Woman] but, wow, now I want to read more.
I finished by reading Bagge's end notes, which are highly enjoyable light fun. Until last page, I missed his bibliographic references; they are there, and I've moved to another fine comics biography by Bagge.
The Forward here is an essay by the late, great Tom Spurgeon, former editor of The Comics Journal (tcj.com) in 1990s and major duomo, great spirit, and critic at comicsreporter.com That essay in introduction makes me miss his voice, a clear even-handed cultural guide.
Recommended!
Thanks for the loan, GSU Clarkston Library.
I had enjoyed learning about Sanger from some other 20th-century history, [in particular, Jill LePore, The Secret History of Wonder Woman] but, wow, now I want to read more.
I finished by reading Bagge's end notes, which are highly enjoyable light fun. Until last page, I missed his bibliographic references; they are there, and I've moved to another fine comics biography by Bagge.
The Forward here is an essay by the late, great Tom Spurgeon, former editor of The Comics Journal (tcj.com) in 1990s and major duomo, great spirit, and critic at comicsreporter.com That essay in introduction makes me miss his voice, a clear even-handed cultural guide.
Recommended!
Thanks for the loan, GSU Clarkston Library.
February 21, 2020
Fascinating, thoroughly researched biography on Margaret Sanger, an often misunderstood and maligned historical figure who helped found Planned Parenthood and became a champion of women's reproductive freedom. Bagge also adds copious end-notes regarding the figures that appear in the story and more research on Sanger's life after the graphic novel. He addresses all aspects of Sanger both good and bad, and dispels many of the myths that have been spread about her from various organizations that still seek to discount her revolutionary work on birth control. Extremely well done and well documented.
January 30, 2022
L'histoire d'une femme que je ne connaissais pas, qui a beaucoup fait pour le droit des femmes à l'avortement, la contraception et l'autonomie en générale. À une époque où l'Église se mêlait de tout et culpabilisait les gens dès qu'ils sortaient du moule, elle ne s'enfargeait pas dans les conventions et n'avait pas peur de se retrouver en prison si cela lui permettait de dénoncer une injustice.
J'ai enlevé une étoile parce qu'à mon avis, le style de dessin ne cadrait pas avec l'histoire. Trop "cartoon" alors que le sujet était sérieux et même tragique à certains moments. Mais cette BD vaut la peine d'être lue, ainsi que le dossier qui a été ajouté à la fin du livre.
J'ai enlevé une étoile parce qu'à mon avis, le style de dessin ne cadrait pas avec l'histoire. Trop "cartoon" alors que le sujet était sérieux et même tragique à certains moments. Mais cette BD vaut la peine d'être lue, ainsi que le dossier qui a été ajouté à la fin du livre.
April 13, 2017
Not knowing who Margaret Sanger was I picked this up to find out. I love books written about real people and this was no exception. Margaret did a lot for all women out there and I feel her message is still pertinent today. That's also what's really sad about this book. Margaret Sanger was fighting for Planned Parenthood and women's rights since the early 1900's and yet,what I feel should be commonplace today, is still something we're fighting for.
April 5, 2020
Se lee muy rápido la parte de cómic, y las notas no tanto, pero están muy bien ya que uno quiere saber más respecto al personaje, y -como nos cuenta el propio Bagge- va uno entendiendo porque -como en mi caso- no había escuchado antes de alguien tan relevante en darle forma al mundo actual.
Además es chistoso, dinámico y nunca sacraliza a la protagonista, falto eso sí que la "portada" ocurriera en el cómic y no quedará solo como nota introductoria.
Buscaré Hate.
Además es chistoso, dinámico y nunca sacraliza a la protagonista, falto eso sí que la "portada" ocurriera en el cómic y no quedará solo como nota introductoria.
Buscaré Hate.
August 31, 2017
Une femme incroyable, inspirante, entière et si avant-gardiste!
Une belle découverte que cette BD.
Une belle découverte que cette BD.
November 6, 2022
J’ai beaucoup aimé l’histoire mais je ne pourrais pas dire la même chose pour les illustrations
September 18, 2018
Fascinating book on Sanger. So much I didn’t know. She led an amazing and fascinating life fighting for the rights of women.
June 25, 2023
Interesante libro bien documentado y en formato cómic sobre la creadora de los centros de Planificación Familiar y toda su interesante vida. Muy recomendable si se quiere saber algo más sobre sobre esta pionera.
July 17, 2024
Me gustó que al final tuviera esa explicación por parte del autor, para profundizar aún más en como fueron los sucesos en realidad y que también haya compartido su bibliografía para el que esté interesado en saber más.
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