The Complete Hothead Paisan: Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist

Hothead Paisan #1-2

by Diane DiMassa

Hothead Paisan, the over-caffeinated, media-crazed psychotic lesbian "with scary hair and a fetish for guns, grenades, mallets, and sharp objects, " returns for more search-and-destroy missions and preventative homicides A cult favorite, The Complete Collection combines Hothead Paisan and Revenge of Hothead Paisan with new strips in a single volume for the first time.

Genres: Queer, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Humor, Feminism, Graphic Novels Comics

428 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Dorian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite cathartic in many ways, and fun to read. DiMassa's treatment of trans people leaves a lot to be desired and is particularly disappointing in light of how liberating this comic can be.

Mis or ungendering trans people is really not supportive, and framing transition as easy or something you do because you don't like your gender roles is dangerously false and misleading. The fact that only FTM's were really represented openly is recreating an unfortunate tendency in feminist and queer literature. specifically the tendency to treat trans men as "really girls but appropriating masculinity" instead of as the men they identify as while ignoring the existence of trans women all together.

Its really a shame, since in all other respects, this is a brilliantly funny critique of society from the perspective of the marginalized. It could have done without adding to the marginalization of others.

[Nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until we have a queer feminist militia, there's Hothead Paisan. So much cheaper than a course in anger management, so much less time-consuming than prison. I keep mine next to my machete collection.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Complete Collection combines Hothead Paisan and Revenge of Hothead Paisan with new strips in a single volume for the first time.

Holy smokes, but how have I not read this before?

Are you old enough to remember zines? Ah, the good old days of subversive zines. That I missed reading this when I was younger is a pity. If you are looking for fine art and colored illustrations look elsewhere. If you are a person who still thinks that girls are made of sugar and spice and all things nice, what rock have you been living under?

This feminist, queer positive graphic novel, is comprised of black and white comic strips, with sketchy art, and a no-holds-barred-take-no-prisoners attitude, and is as fab and relevant today as when it was first published. As for Chicken, who does not love a cat who does yoga?

I have thoroughly enjoyed my travels to this fantasy world where sexists and homophones get what's coming to them. Why was this not made into a movie again?

[J. Rogue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now, don't get me wrong, there are things I like(d) about Hothead Paisan, but I just can't forgive Diane DiMassa'a transphobia:


Excerpt from Diane DiMassa Interview
Bitch magazine, Summer 2004 (Issue #25)

[About a musical based on DiMassa's cartoon, Hothead Paisan being premiered at Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, which excludes transsexual women:]

Bitch: What about the MTFs?

DiMassa: Oh, they're very angry. Okay. It started out with, "We knew you were such a supporter of the transgender community because you drew [the ambiguously gendered Hothead character] Daphne, and how could you let this happen?" and on and on and on. Then it turned into the rumor: "I heard you're putting on a Hothead play that excludes Daphne!"

So, you know, it's a widening fire. But, as Susan has explained to me, Michigan's official policy is that Michigan is a space for women-born women who have experienced what it's like to grow up female in our patriarchal society. And just by saying that, they recognize that there are different types of women.

Now--should I say this on the record? It's just fucking typical that a man-born lesbian can't get the concept of not being allowed somewhere. "How dare you! I must be allowed in there."

------


Check this out instead--->http://www.camp-trans.org/

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

First few dozen pages of Hothead Paison: lots of graphic violence and a psychotic main character. I thought, "Why would my friend, Red, who is super sweet, non-violent, and into meditation suggest this book to me? This is totally not her!" But the more you read, the more you see the true heart of the story. Hothead and her vigilante antics aren't the real story or purpose behind the book. It's really about recognizing the fucked up things that are happening in this world and still being able to find the love. To temper the violence, DiMassa characterizes Hothead as immature and impulsive, like a child, unable to channel her frustration in any other way. And Hothead's best friends are her biggest critics.

Who among us doesn't feel like Hothead some days? When you see queers and women killed, shoved aside, belittled, and held up to ridiculous standards, who doesn't feel like locking up our conscience, downing a pot of coffee, and throwing a few grenades at some douchebags?

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so apparently I'm not supposed to like Hothead Paisan, partially because Diane DiMassa is reported to be transphobic. I guess I can see that, plus the whole hating men and wanting to kill them thing. I'm not saying I approve. I'm just saying I laughed. But then, I'm a bad person.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuz it's not just about hating men, it's about hating people!

[Sandra Bassett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every enraged lesbian feminist and everything she has ever wanted to do, is in here. She wacks off male members and is surprisingly metaphysically aware (she contemplates existence a lot for a cartoon). This is no 'Dykes to Watch Out For'. This is fantastically deranged.

[Lieutenant Retancourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

En dépit d'une fin confuse où la personnage se perd dans le queerisme, cette BD m'a rendue totalement extatique par sa force et le déchaînement de violence envers les hommes: références au féminisme radical, à Mary Daly, à la Déesse représentée sous la forme d'une lampe sans oublier des chattes qui tombent amoureuses les unes des autres, des copines goudoues adorables et drôles, une critique profonde et vénère du patriarcat, de la féminité et des oppressions systémiques! Hothead, une lesbienne punk comme on n'en voit jamais, drôle et grinçante, essayant de survivre au jour le jour à la violence physique et symbolique de l'hétéropatriarcat. L'auto-destruction, le désespoir, l'impuissance sont par contre présents, corollaires de la violence quotidienne et notre héroïne lutte contre eux et parfois à l'impression de perdre.

[Wolverina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is glorious. One of the most beautiful, uncompromising and sustained angry rants possible, and manages to show rage as exhausting even when completely justified.

Bits are hard to stomach (like getting too caught up in damaging anger is I guess). Absolutely cutting.

Probably if you are part of the mob couldn't stand Requires Hate, this isn't the book for you. Intensely critical of its own community as well as the wider world and soooooooooooo mean.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? I adore Diana DiMassa, and want to have her babies. Hothead is my favorite character and everyday I ask WWHHD? (What would Hothead do?) Would she take it lying down? Would she let the world leave treadmarks on her? Hell no! She gets right back up, fuels herself with strong coffee, and kicks ass. I love it.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helped me get through tough situations in 1994 and again in 2006! You don't have to be gay to read and love Hothead Paisan. You just have to be aware.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good book for when you're having one of those man-hatin' days. Unfortunately, I wasn't having one of them and it got old. Every issue's plot basically boils down to Hothead drinks coffee, Hothead goes out on the town, man says something stupid, Hothead responds in one of three ways:
1) shoots him
2) blows him up
3) cuts off his wanker.
I like a good satire as much as the next person but this was just bad satire.

The only reason it gets 2 stars is because her sidekick, Chicken the cat, is funny. I actually debated between 2 and 3 stars just because of Chicken. But this isn't entitled Chicken Paisan so I went with 2.

[Jonah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't stand the misandry.

I bought this book because I loved Dykes to Watch Out For, and I looked for books using the keywords "lesbian comic," and this turned up, and I had a gift certificate, so I bought it.

While this book does have its good points, and while the author or main character certainly mellows out by the end ... you're not going to enjoy this book if you don't enjoy violent fantasies, or the portrayal of men as being universally driven by a desire to be worshipped (sexually and otherwise) by women.

[Leigh Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist strikes! It's a wonderful, at times surrealist, graphic novel that provides catharsis for all those times you just wanted to find that serial rapist you've been reading about in the news and exact painful bloody revenge. But in spite of the graphic violence, Hothead and her vengeful antics aren't the real story or purpose behind the book. The real book is about seeing the things that are happening and still finding peace and love. Worth the read.

[Sabrina Chapadjiev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. The interchange of DiMassa's text and clever images makes the weight of the issues she's tackling just a bit easier to bear. Her humor, rage and love are apparent in every single strip, and it is the most accurate depiction of the rage I've often felt. If you think no one understands- turn to Hothead. She does.

[Gitta · Rating 5 out of 5]

One for the raving, man-hating separatist lesbian feminist hatemonger in me. She's small, and she doesn't get out much, but why shouldn't she want a quality read?
I recommend it to everyone. Everyone.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hothead Paisan was part of my feminist awakening. Love the "crude" drawing, love Chicken, love the violence and outrage. Wish it was less of a one-note comic; can't read that much of it without wanting more variation in story line. :)

[kubby]

what can i say? it's that crazy hothead. sometimes she's a bit much for me, but i'm thankful she exists

[Matt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh.
Just read Alison Bechdel.

[Stephanie G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive, and the author’s TERF-ness clearly comes through in Hothead’s fixation on genitalia.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the title suggests, Hotheaded Paisan is a Homicidal LesbianTerrorist who spends all her time isolating in her house chugging coffee watching TV and getting so furious at the media that she works herself into a frenzy. If she ever goes outside she engages in extreme cartoonish violence toward nearly any man she sees. I get that the over the top violence is cathartic and cartoonish (she does things like pull dude’s spines out of their body through their asshole) but it does get pretty repetitive. Hothead isolates herself and only feels anger, because she doesn’t really have a community or anywhere positive to channel her (justified) anger at the misogyny and homophobia of the world. She gets so angry watching TV that she paralyzes herself. She has one friend, Roz, a friendly older butch who is blind, who constantly tries to get her to stop watching TV and go touch grass. Obviously I get why Hothead’s so enraged all the time, there are so many -isms in the world. She doesn’t feel she can do anything about the problems of the world other than despair, with occasional moments of catharsis through violence. Hothead is reminded by Roz and by a little lamp that represents her superego that this defeatism is what the powers that be want and she’s playing right into their hands. Hothead is the precursor to people who sit on twitter all day and work themselves into a frenzy of anger that goes nowhere and helps no one. (I’m occasionally guilty of this! We all are)

I try to keep in mind that this was made almost 30 years ago and gender discourse is very different and this is supposed to be over the top etc etc, but I was uncomfortable with some things here. The misandry is VERY focused on penis mutilation. Near the end of the collection she meets Daphne and they begin to fall in love. I thought this was going to be a real turning point for Hothead, because she was in dire need of love and friendship. I thought the implication was that Daphne was a trans woman and I thought that was going to throw a wrench in Hothead’s whole anti-penis biology based hatred. Daphne’s gender is intentionally left ambiguous, but I read after finishing that the author has made some womyn-born-womyn comments so I think my interpretation might be wrong. Hothead has such contempt for femininity that she often sounds just as misogynistic as the men she hates so much. The superego figures, the lamp and the 4th wall breaks with the author, and Roz, all criticize Hothead pretty often for the fact that she frequently replicates the same type of hatred she ought to be fighting against. So it’s clear that Hothead is meant to warn against becoming so isolated and angry that you can’t function. Alas I wanted to like this much more than I did, I mean Hothead is demonstrating an important lesson about how/why the oppressed can oppress, and I like the drawing style, but it became pretty tedious to have Hothead get violent over and over again, learn from Roz/Lamp etc why that outburst was unproductive, and then never change in the next installment.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The extreme reactionary violence in these serialised comics are meant to be cathartic and work as rage therapy, and it does an excellent job at achieving that to a degree that makes one chuckle at parts. Putting the rage aside, I love how Hothead Paisan, hardly represented as someone entirely hateful, otherwise offers lots of comic relief, shares an only too sweet relationship with her baby cat Chicken, and lives a very charming Dionysian life with her friends and lovers, which contrasts well with Hothead's deeply metaphysical and existential moments of agony and despair. The narrative also punches with sarcasm, wit, and a hard-hitting condemnation of society. The author–artist herself steps into the frame several times to give Hothead a firm hand or relieve her of some disquieting narrative element or the other. With that, DiMassa openly uses these comics as a channel for her own frustrations and joys with writing, drawing, and so on and treats them as her response to the fan/hate mail received in real life. Excellent read if you can forgive the unfocused randomness of the plot. 'Cute' isn't a word you'd instinctively use for a book about a homicidal terrorist, but that's what I'm going with.

[Thomas Hale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read concurrently with Bitchy Butch. A snapshot of lesbian separatist fury from the early 90s, Hothead is a foul-mouthed, mass-murdering animal full of righteous anger against a world built to destroy her and those few people (read: women) she cares about. There's also a surprising amount of introspection here, with HH frequently talking with some ineffable deity, or DiMassa herself, and trying to deal with the psychological turmoil that fuels her. There's even a romance with an ambiguously trans love interest, which is written sweetly and seems to be one of the few shreds of joy in HH's life that aren't cat-based! Shame the author would go on to be vocally anti-trans. Welp. The artwork is scrappy and angry and serves mostly to illustrate bouts of spleen-venting. It's interesting, so clearly a product of its time, and has aged pretty poorly, and the cycles of violence and revenge get old fast. But now my curiosity is sated.

[Anna Sellheim · Rating 5 out of 5]

More brilliant and ahead of times with every reread.

There's some crude and outdated terminology and depictions but it was written 30 yo. In some respects it was so ahead of it's time that there are issues in it thatit didn't have codified language to fully discuss it by todays standards. For example, Daphne is trans Non Binary before the NB term was created.

Also, heads up, the accusations about DiMassa being transphobic are from an interview she did in 2004. I cannot find any apology or double down ANYWHERE because she has no online presence, but as someone that was making anti trans remarks as recently as 2011 I personally would think twice about repeating those accusations. Esp considering how beautifully Daphne is depicted (I wanted to grow up and be as beautiful as them since I first read HH in freshman year of HS).

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trying to put DiMassa's issues with huge sections of the queer community in mind, I can sit around three stars. Art's a mess, but that's kind of part of the point and culture, but for pure entertainment? I've gotta say I need a copy to show to people in my library at home.

[Shaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fucking awesome. Radically, unapologetically lesbian. And hilarious. It is a product of its time, but it is nonetheless a wonderful piece of queer media that I hope every lesbian or sapphic can read at least once.

[MacKenzie Carlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cherish the Hothead Paisan series. Diane DiMassa really did something good here. I hope it can see a repub soon to get into more hands.

[Annaliese Poto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found my new bible

[Finn Reidman · Rating 5 out of 5]

brash and graphic, very inspirational for me personally. sucks that the author is a TERF now but i still like this series a lot