Graphic Rage

by Aubrey Hirsch

Rage isn’t just an emotion—it’s a shield, a weapon, and a survival tactic for women battling the everyday frustrations of womanhood in America.

Why is our pain dismissed, our autonomy debated, our worth measured by our appeal to the male gaze?
Why do we have to laugh off harassment just to get through the day?
And why do people still think women aren’t funny?

In 25 sharp, unflinching, and darkly funny feminist comics, Aubrey Hirsch’s Graphic Rage exposes the absurdities and injustices that women know all too well, turning rage into razor-sharp wit and pushing back against the world’s worst takes. From the impossible standards of beauty to the very real dangers of living in a legislated body, Hirsch channels frustration into fearless humor and incisive critique. Whether you’re laughing, seething, or both at once, Graphic Rage reminds us that sometimes the only way to stay sane is to get mad.

"Aubrey Hirsch is a master of the graphic essay form. In her collection, Graphic Comics on Gender, Justice, and Life As a Woman in America, she brings her fierce intellect and commitment to justice to the page in deeply affecting ways. Whether writing about women living in legislated bodies or the gender inequities of medical research or being a woman online, Hirsch demonstrates a keen understanding of contemporary womanhood. These essays are beautifully drawn and full of visual wit. They are rigorously researched and they teach the most critical things we need to know without being overly didactic. Graphic Rage is, also, an exceptional expression of the eminently justifiable rage felt by anyone who sees the world as it is. The collection is necessary and urgent, now more than ever."
—Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist and Hunger

"Graphic Rage is an irresistible blend of comics, cultural criticism, research, and reportage, served with a scathing, and often hilarious, side-eye toward the patriarchy. No one else is doing what Aubrey Hirsch does. Hers is a voice I’ve come to rely on in these strange times—a voice we need more than ever."
—Maggie Smith, New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful

"Aubrey Hirsch's work is a feminist magnifying glass—when she points her sharp lens at an issue, the paper may actually burst into flames. Her comics skillfully connect personal experiences to larger societal issues, making her readers feel less alone as we see the bigger picture we're all (unfortunately) part of."
—Shay Mirk, author of Making Nonfiction A Guide to Graphic Narrative

"Fearless and unflinching, Aubrey Hirsch’s Graphic Rage confronts injustice with sharp wit and raw honesty—both a searing indictment and a manifesto for hope."
—Robert James Russell, author of Hard Body

Kindle Edition

First published October 7, 2025

About the author

Aubrey Hirsch is the author of Graphic Rage: Comics on Gender, Justice, and Life as a Woman in America, and Why We Never Talk About Sugar, a short story collection. Her comics, essays, and stories have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vox, The Nib, TIME Magazine, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in literature and an Individual Artist Award from the Sustainable Arts foundation.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turns out I’d read most of these online. Resonant and infuriating.

[Allison Renner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book! It’s like doomscrolling but fact-based, and it’s a book instead of a screen! So while it did make me angry because of the subject matter of feminism and politics, I love the illustrations and how everything has a source.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

she's so good

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading Aubrey Hirsch's comics online, so I was happy to preorder her book. I think there were a few included that I've never seen before. Unfortunately, some were in the wrong order and I saw a typo or two, hopefully the second edition will be better edited! Still, I adore an easy to digest social justice comic, and Hirsch always hits the spot. I had to take breaks because the reality of our world does fill me with rage!

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d read many of these before, but that didn’t diminish their potency. Hirsch is great at pacing each comic, great at filling them with equal parts fact and feeling, great at designing illustrations that say something prose alone could not. Her closing panels are especially strong. She distills complicated issues into clear, pocket-sized analysis. I’ll return to these.

[frannie.qb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing is as visceral, intimate and liberating as women's rage.

Incredible.
The words hit home, the careful and studied complexity of the illustrations even more.

One of the best books I've read this year, I will not be forgetting this any time soon.

[Mary Andres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. Have enjoyed her work for years, and this is a compilation of important research backing personal experiences about the barriers and challenges impacted by sexism. I wish every good-intentioned man would read it and tell his friends in anecdotal ways to facilitate empathy and change.

[Marian Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful. Packed with stats, studies, quotes from studies and women on our plight as the lesser sex - our uphill battle for control over our bodies. The illustrations pack a punch.

[Hildie · Rating 5 out of 5]

cool graphic journey through issues that affect women and female identifying folk

[Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes harrowing, incredibly educational, and all around empowering collection of graphic essays on being a woman in the United States. I especially appreciate how anger is illustrated as a valid and necessary weapon in the face of injustice.

[Split Lip Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Aubrey Hirsch is a master of the graphic essay form." —Roxane Gay

Rage isn’t just an emotion—it’s a shield, a weapon, and a survival tactic for women battling the everyday frustrations of womanhood in America.

Why is our pain dismissed, our autonomy debated, our worth measured by our appeal to the male gaze?

Why do we have to laugh off harassment just to get through the day?

And why do people still think women aren’t funny?

In 25 sharp, unflinching, and darkly funny feminist comics, Aubrey Hirsch’s Graphic Rage exposes the absurdities and injustices that women know all too well, turning rage into razor-sharp wit and pushing back against the world’s worst takes. From the impossible standards of beauty to the very real dangers of living in a legislated body, Hirsch channels frustration into fearless humor and incisive critique. Whether you’re laughing, seething, or both at once, Graphic Rage reminds us that sometimes the only way to stay sane is to get mad.

Blurbed by Maggie Smith, Shay Mirk, Robert James Russell, and Roxane Gay, quoted above!