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Graphic Medicine
Menopause: A Comic Treatment
Like so many other issues surrounding women's reproductive health, menopause has been treated as a cultural taboo. On the rare occasions that menopausal and perimenopausal women are depicted in popular culture, they are stereotypically cast as the butt of demeaning jokes that encourage us to laugh at their deteriorating bodies and emotional volatility. The result is that women facing menopause often feel isolated and ashamed. In a spirit of community and support, this collection of comics presents a different view of menopause that enables those experiencing it to be seen and to feel empowered.
Balancing levity with sincerity, these comics unapologetically depict menopause and all its attendant symptoms, from hot flashes and vaginal dryness to forgetfulness, social stigma, anxiety, and shame. Created from a variety of perspectives, they represent a range of life experiences, ages, gender identities, ethnicities, and health conditions. The common thread uniting these stories is the affirmation that, while we can and should laugh at ourselves, no one should be ashamed of menopause. The comics in this book encourage us to share our experiences and to support one another, and ourselves, through self-care and community.
Featuring works by a host of pioneering and up-and-coming comics artists, Menopause is a perfect foil to the simplistic, cheap-joke approach society at large has taken to this much-derided women's health issue. Readers will revel in the sly humor and universal truths found here.
Contributors include the following: Lynda Barry, Maureen Burdock, Jennifer Camper, KC Councilor, MK Czerwiec, Leslie Ewing, Joyce Farmer, Ellen Forney, Ann M. Fox, Keet Geniza, Roberta Gregory, Teva Harrison, Rachael House, Leah Jones, Monica Lalanda, Cathy Leamy, Ajuan Mance, Jessica Moran, Mimi Pond, Sharon Rosenzweig, Joyce Schachter, Susan Merrill Squier, Emily Steinberg, Nicola Streeten, A. K. Summers, Kimiko Tobimatsu, Carol Tyler, Shelley L. Wall, and Dana Walrath.
Balancing levity with sincerity, these comics unapologetically depict menopause and all its attendant symptoms, from hot flashes and vaginal dryness to forgetfulness, social stigma, anxiety, and shame. Created from a variety of perspectives, they represent a range of life experiences, ages, gender identities, ethnicities, and health conditions. The common thread uniting these stories is the affirmation that, while we can and should laugh at ourselves, no one should be ashamed of menopause. The comics in this book encourage us to share our experiences and to support one another, and ourselves, through self-care and community.
Featuring works by a host of pioneering and up-and-coming comics artists, Menopause is a perfect foil to the simplistic, cheap-joke approach society at large has taken to this much-derided women's health issue. Readers will revel in the sly humor and universal truths found here.
Contributors include the following: Lynda Barry, Maureen Burdock, Jennifer Camper, KC Councilor, MK Czerwiec, Leslie Ewing, Joyce Farmer, Ellen Forney, Ann M. Fox, Keet Geniza, Roberta Gregory, Teva Harrison, Rachael House, Leah Jones, Monica Lalanda, Cathy Leamy, Ajuan Mance, Jessica Moran, Mimi Pond, Sharon Rosenzweig, Joyce Schachter, Susan Merrill Squier, Emily Steinberg, Nicola Streeten, A. K. Summers, Kimiko Tobimatsu, Carol Tyler, Shelley L. Wall, and Dana Walrath.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published May 15, 2020
9 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
April 18, 2021
Quite possibly I am not the target audience of this comics collection of contributions by women about a topic typically verboten for males to know about. Is that true? Maybe not. If you living with or near a female anywhere from roughly forty to sixty, if you have a mother, you probably have some sense of "the change," but this is what I mean: I was almost forty when I found out that my mom had a miscarriage before she gave birth to me. Every single female family member had known about it for years. But no one had ever told me. This, like the monthly "sweet secret" Anne Frank names, was outside my area of exposure from females. And when I was teaching in Madison, (W) I met a woman who was writing her oral history-based dissertation on Menstruation Stories, which she saw as (even among women) a kid of cultural secret.
So of course, as a male, I didn't actually read this! (Kidding!) I read it because I know a lot of women going through this experience now and 1) I thought I might learn something about it, and 2) it features some of my favorite cartoonists such as Lynda Barry and Carol Tyler, many of whom tell their stories with some insight and humor about what it was like to have gone through menopause. There are of course many books/sites about menopause available for your perusal, but almost no comics, but this is a pretty good one, which also features perspectives from trans and gender nonconforming people and more people of color than I had expected, given the featured famous artists. I learned a few things, but not much more than I learn from talking with some of my friends, now that secrets are being shared with me in person. As a collection, as collections usually go, it has some great pieces (most of them very short and pithy) and some just okay ones.
So of course, as a male, I didn't actually read this! (Kidding!) I read it because I know a lot of women going through this experience now and 1) I thought I might learn something about it, and 2) it features some of my favorite cartoonists such as Lynda Barry and Carol Tyler, many of whom tell their stories with some insight and humor about what it was like to have gone through menopause. There are of course many books/sites about menopause available for your perusal, but almost no comics, but this is a pretty good one, which also features perspectives from trans and gender nonconforming people and more people of color than I had expected, given the featured famous artists. I learned a few things, but not much more than I learn from talking with some of my friends, now that secrets are being shared with me in person. As a collection, as collections usually go, it has some great pieces (most of them very short and pithy) and some just okay ones.
December 13, 2020
Erratic and uneven in quality as graphic anthologies of this sort tend to be. I liked the straightforward pieces over the ones that took an alt-comix approach. It was good to see some stories with LGBTQ+ perspectives, but it felt light on the BIPOC point of view. I hadn't given much consideration before to menopause being induced chemically or surgically and was interested in the stories of the younger women dealing with that situation, but with only a few pages available to each creator, there was never much depth to anything.
September 7, 2020
I never buy books for myself, and I bought this one because books about perimenopause and menopause are so rare. For that reason, Kate Haas co-edited a on the topic called Are You There God? It's Me, Menopause. One thing that Czerwiec, the editor of Menopause: A Comic Treatment did much better than Kate and I did, is get perspectives from trans and gender nonconforming people and more people of color.
Comics fans will see some favorite people among the contributors. I was excited about Lynda Barry and Jennifer Camper, who is like the classiest person in comics. I failed to note all of the passages (lol) I appreciated.
Moníca Lalanda invites us to pay attention to adverts with middle-aged women. "A lady running in a beautiful spot...is not about fancy holidays but about INCONTINENCE PADS. Message: older women are urine leakers" and the same for dentures and thin bones. I couldn't find an image. Sorry! Same with a page from the editor's piece, Burning Up that theorizes hot flashes as "give-a-shits burning off."
I'm going to hold onto the book for a bit, but will probably eventually give it away. Let me know if you want it.
Comics fans will see some favorite people among the contributors. I was excited about Lynda Barry and Jennifer Camper, who is like the classiest person in comics. I failed to note all of the passages (lol) I appreciated.
Moníca Lalanda invites us to pay attention to adverts with middle-aged women. "A lady running in a beautiful spot...is not about fancy holidays but about INCONTINENCE PADS. Message: older women are urine leakers" and the same for dentures and thin bones. I couldn't find an image. Sorry! Same with a page from the editor's piece, Burning Up that theorizes hot flashes as "give-a-shits burning off."
I'm going to hold onto the book for a bit, but will probably eventually give it away. Let me know if you want it.
March 30, 2021
I was really looking forward to this anthology of comics centered around the theme of Menopause. While I liked some of the art and pieces better than others, this collection did little to shed any new (much needed) light on the topic. Color me disappointed.
My video review: https://youtu.be/VB0Mfy1uBJ0
My video review: https://youtu.be/VB0Mfy1uBJ0
June 6, 2022
Hmmm... I don't know. I just feel like I can't relate to all these women complaining about how they suddenly feel invisible. Some of us have always been invisible. I just feel like there's so much value on what other people think of women, and this book really reflects that. I stopped caring about that so long ago, long before I got anywhere near perimenopause, because living in a fat body means you cannot ever meet anyone's standards of "acceptable". There's also a lot of focus on a woman as child-bearing, and that has never been of interest to me.
I preferred the few comics that spoke about feeling liberated from something that depleted so much time and energy. Menopause, while the symptoms of perimenopause are no fun, feels like freedom to me.
I dunno, I just want a book that talks about menopausal women as something other than ageing, diminished, broken versions of womanhood. I don't feel like that, and this book just felt like it was written for someone else.
I preferred the few comics that spoke about feeling liberated from something that depleted so much time and energy. Menopause, while the symptoms of perimenopause are no fun, feels like freedom to me.
I dunno, I just want a book that talks about menopausal women as something other than ageing, diminished, broken versions of womanhood. I don't feel like that, and this book just felt like it was written for someone else.
January 18, 2022
As Czerwiec says in the foreword, this collection from a variety of professional cartoonists testifies to the importance of sharing our stories. Comics have an unparalleled capability to take on stigmatized topics to emanate collective experience and of course, that essential collective humor. Of course if I’ve learned nothing else from reading this work, it’s to no longer consider menopause stigmatizable. (Is that a word? It should be.)
So great to revisit Lynda Barry and Mimi Pond-it’s been too long, ladies! And I was blown away by Dana Walrath. Incredible. Framable.
Another high-five for GraphicMedicine.org.
So great to revisit Lynda Barry and Mimi Pond-it’s been too long, ladies! And I was blown away by Dana Walrath. Incredible. Framable.
Another high-five for GraphicMedicine.org.
June 27, 2023
A superior anthology with a stellar roster of contributors ranging from established comics geniuses like Maureen Burdock, Mimi Pond, Carol Tyler and Jennifer Camper to lesser known but talented artists like Ajaun Mance, Emily Steinberg, Rachael House, and Dana Walrath. Editor MK Czerwiec did an excellent job of sequencing the stories into a seamless whole. Highly recommended.
Read
February 27, 2023Loved this. Lots of fun old gay old bloody old painfully vulnerably powerfully embodied times to be had with this equipment. This collection takes a playful, tender, and matter-of-fact tone by turns and is a gas.
July 21, 2021
Menopause: A Comic Treatment was an impulse borrow from the library. Partly out of joy: I was so happy I could go to the library again that my fingers got inordinately sticky. Partly out of desire for knowledge: menopause is something I need to know about and revel in!
MK Czerwiec explains in her introduction that this comic collection about menopause was created because nobody had done one before. Any menopause comics she could find were about husbands complaining while their partners suffered. In 2020, it’s high time that older people with uteri got some laughs in and articulated their experience in the comic art form. Czerwiec’s mission reminded me of Ali Wong’s effect on stand-up comedy. Her Netflix specials “Baby Cobra” and “Hard Knock Wife” spring-boarded a new motherhood comedy subgenre, and her frank stories about her sexuality and genitalia brought the vagina on the level of the penis comedians keep talking about.
And Czerwiec collects a damn good anthology. Gathering experienced and new voices, Czerwiec makes a point to include gender and racial minorities, people of different faiths, and varying disability and illness levels. A majority of the comics were what I was expecting—mourning over body changes and life stages; wondering if one is “less of a woman” without a period. The answer is no. And some people who have periods weren’t ever women. For someone like me going in pretty unresearched about menopause’s physical symptoms, they are thoroughly covered, with added commentary on the socio-political vectors.
Some comics are more funny, like Carol Tyler’s “Invisible Lady” who embarks on a successful life of crime, or Czerwiec’s own “Burning Up” about burning off the give-a-shits. Others are more serious musings, like Ajuan Mance’s “Any Day Now,” which wonders how menopause can be such a non-milestone for those outside the hetero-normative sphere. Lynda Barry’s “Menopositive!” and Roberta Gregory’s “Bitchy Bitch in the End…for Now….” focus on how knowledge about menopause is talked around by families and mothers, instead of a direct conversation. “#crockpotrunner” by Ann M. Fox feels like an outlier, but it was a pleasant enough comic about listening to the capabilities and limits of the body.
Bodies! We inhabit them. They change. It’s pain and joy. Overall, a very enjoyable, oft hilarious, oft serious collection. I’m adding Czerwiec’s other work to my TBR.
MK Czerwiec explains in her introduction that this comic collection about menopause was created because nobody had done one before. Any menopause comics she could find were about husbands complaining while their partners suffered. In 2020, it’s high time that older people with uteri got some laughs in and articulated their experience in the comic art form. Czerwiec’s mission reminded me of Ali Wong’s effect on stand-up comedy. Her Netflix specials “Baby Cobra” and “Hard Knock Wife” spring-boarded a new motherhood comedy subgenre, and her frank stories about her sexuality and genitalia brought the vagina on the level of the penis comedians keep talking about.
And Czerwiec collects a damn good anthology. Gathering experienced and new voices, Czerwiec makes a point to include gender and racial minorities, people of different faiths, and varying disability and illness levels. A majority of the comics were what I was expecting—mourning over body changes and life stages; wondering if one is “less of a woman” without a period. The answer is no. And some people who have periods weren’t ever women. For someone like me going in pretty unresearched about menopause’s physical symptoms, they are thoroughly covered, with added commentary on the socio-political vectors.
Some comics are more funny, like Carol Tyler’s “Invisible Lady” who embarks on a successful life of crime, or Czerwiec’s own “Burning Up” about burning off the give-a-shits. Others are more serious musings, like Ajuan Mance’s “Any Day Now,” which wonders how menopause can be such a non-milestone for those outside the hetero-normative sphere. Lynda Barry’s “Menopositive!” and Roberta Gregory’s “Bitchy Bitch in the End…for Now….” focus on how knowledge about menopause is talked around by families and mothers, instead of a direct conversation. “#crockpotrunner” by Ann M. Fox feels like an outlier, but it was a pleasant enough comic about listening to the capabilities and limits of the body.
Bodies! We inhabit them. They change. It’s pain and joy. Overall, a very enjoyable, oft hilarious, oft serious collection. I’m adding Czerwiec’s other work to my TBR.
April 18, 2025
I’m not sure how to rate this, so I based it on need. We need books like this: approachable, informative, honest. Menopause should not be such a secret, although that’s not surprising. Our (American) culture hides everything that happens in a body with a female reproductive system. If we were more open, many people’s lives would be easier.
April 21, 2022
and today I’m going to be talking about the comics anthology Menopause a Comics Treatment, edited by MK Czerwiec. Published by Pennsylvania State University Press (Graphic Medicine) in 2020.
Content notes for some entries link menopause with the social construct of womanhood, nudity, and some discussion of fertility.
If you don’t recognize the name MK Czerwiec (comics nurse), you should go back and check out my review of their comic Taking Turns that I reviewed back in January. She is involved in a lot of things in the Graphic Medicine movement, so I’m entirely not surprised that she was the editor for this anthology.
Stories included were written by MK Czerwiec, Lynda Barry, Maureen Burdock, Jennifer Camper, KC Councilor, Leslie Ewing, Joyce Farmer, Ellen Forney (author/artist behind Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice From My Bipolar Life, which I reviewed in 2018), Ann M Fox, Keet Geniza, Roberta Gregory, Teva Harrison, Rachael House, Leah Jones, Monica Lalanda, Cathy Leamy, Ajuan Mance, Jessica Moran, Mimi Pond, Sharon Rosenzweig, Joyce Schachter, Susan M Squier, Emily Steinberg, Dr. Nicola Streeten, A.K. Summers, Kimiko Tobimatsu, Carol Tyler, Sheeley Wall, and Dana Walrath.
What kinds of keywords came to mind when I read this anthology: uterus, playful, aging, personal, doctors, adaption, and defiance.
The official synopsis is ” Like so many other issues surrounding women’s reproductive health, menopause has been treated as a cultural taboo. On the rare occasions that menopausal and perimenopausal women are depicted in popular culture, they are stereotypically cast as the butt of demeaning jokes that encourage us to laugh at their deteriorating bodies and emotional volatility. The result is that women facing menopause often feel isolated and ashamed. In a spirit of community and support, this collection of comics presents a different view of menopause that enables those experiencing it to be seen and to feel empowered.
Balancing levity with sincerity, these comics unapologetically depict menopause and all its attendant symptoms, from hot flashes and vaginal dryness to forgetfulness, social stigma, anxiety, and shame. Created from a variety of perspectives, they represent a range of life experiences, ages, gender identities, ethnicities, and health conditions. The common thread uniting these stories is the affirmation that, while we can and should laugh at ourselves, no one should be ashamed of menopause. The comics in this book encourage us to share our experiences and to support one another, and ourselves, through self-care and community.
Featuring works by a host of pioneering and up-and-coming comics artists,Menopauseis a perfect foil to the simplistic, cheap-joke approach society at large has taken to this much-derided women’s health issue. Readers will revel in the sly humor and universal truths found here.”
As an anthology it is hard to comment on the writing and art as it does change a lot through out. I can appreciate the diversity of perspectives that are coming to bear on the issue of Menopause and it was edifying to see this topic addressed in very classicaly indie comic ways. Looking at some other reviews some people seemed to have been a bit thrown off by how little Menopause facts are highlighted. Definitely more personal narratives, many other issues of aging and/or illness are interwoven. So also not highly focused. A great way to commiserate if you share any of these challenges.
Art wise, largely black and white, some entries are in colour. I liked how expressive the art was, it really helped with differentiating the stories as they aren’t very strongly divided otherwise.
Digging into the representation side of things, the biggest question I had going into this anthology is how it would treat gender. Because there are some people who would hypothesize that women are the only people who can go through menopause, when not all women do, and men and nonbinary people can also have or have had wombs, periods and go through menopause. Living in a large city I do see a lot of language changing around the medical care of people born with wombs but it’s not universaland hatred of the trans community is certainly only becoming more popular.
On the pro side this collection includes the work of one transgender creator, namely KC Councilor. Plus, of the women represented there is a fair amount of diversityin how they present their gender. So anything but one note.
On the negative side the opening story really leans into the woman, triple goddess, life giving blood, moonblood, and witchcraft side of things which I know rubs more then just me the wrong way. Plus you had the description, that I just read, that definitely linked women with menopause. Although, as I said in the content notes section, this level of menopause = the woman experience did vary in the entries themselves. There’s also an entry from A.K. Summers, who also wrote Pregnant Butch, which I read very hopefully but was ultimately disappointed by the entirely uncalled for rant about how many “chemicals” trans men are supposedly putting in their bodies. Duck duck go did not turn up if she still holds such opinions or if she has become more or less transphobic.
Not having run into most of these contributors before I did not turn up any information on most of these authors and their perspectives on gender. Although a few have contributed to other queer trans inclusive collections and Lynda Barry appears to have done some workshops specifically for the trans community.
Sexuality wise we do see some diversity across the hetero to queer spectrum. We also saw a bit of racial diversity. Class was largely ignored as far as I can remember, but disability did pop up from time to time. I was glad to see an entry from Kimiko Tobmatsu, I haven’t read Kimiko does Cancer yet but it’s very high on my TBR. Seeing representation of what she calls surgical menopause is also really needed.
But before we conclude, one other complaint (fairly minor) of some of the stories is that there is some discussion about how they’ve apparently become invisible as they have become older. This is certainly not a new concept to me, but I’ve often felt invisible already. My feelings have certainly not always lined up with reality, but I know I’m not alone in feeling overlooked just because I’m not attractive (and not just for romantic or sexual things). Maybe this just means I’ll feel extra invisible as I age, but I don’t know, just felt like bringing it up.
Final thought, four out of five stars, I hope this is only the start of a larger discussion about menopause.
Content notes for some entries link menopause with the social construct of womanhood, nudity, and some discussion of fertility.
If you don’t recognize the name MK Czerwiec (comics nurse), you should go back and check out my review of their comic Taking Turns that I reviewed back in January. She is involved in a lot of things in the Graphic Medicine movement, so I’m entirely not surprised that she was the editor for this anthology.
Stories included were written by MK Czerwiec, Lynda Barry, Maureen Burdock, Jennifer Camper, KC Councilor, Leslie Ewing, Joyce Farmer, Ellen Forney (author/artist behind Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice From My Bipolar Life, which I reviewed in 2018), Ann M Fox, Keet Geniza, Roberta Gregory, Teva Harrison, Rachael House, Leah Jones, Monica Lalanda, Cathy Leamy, Ajuan Mance, Jessica Moran, Mimi Pond, Sharon Rosenzweig, Joyce Schachter, Susan M Squier, Emily Steinberg, Dr. Nicola Streeten, A.K. Summers, Kimiko Tobimatsu, Carol Tyler, Sheeley Wall, and Dana Walrath.
What kinds of keywords came to mind when I read this anthology: uterus, playful, aging, personal, doctors, adaption, and defiance.
The official synopsis is ” Like so many other issues surrounding women’s reproductive health, menopause has been treated as a cultural taboo. On the rare occasions that menopausal and perimenopausal women are depicted in popular culture, they are stereotypically cast as the butt of demeaning jokes that encourage us to laugh at their deteriorating bodies and emotional volatility. The result is that women facing menopause often feel isolated and ashamed. In a spirit of community and support, this collection of comics presents a different view of menopause that enables those experiencing it to be seen and to feel empowered.
Balancing levity with sincerity, these comics unapologetically depict menopause and all its attendant symptoms, from hot flashes and vaginal dryness to forgetfulness, social stigma, anxiety, and shame. Created from a variety of perspectives, they represent a range of life experiences, ages, gender identities, ethnicities, and health conditions. The common thread uniting these stories is the affirmation that, while we can and should laugh at ourselves, no one should be ashamed of menopause. The comics in this book encourage us to share our experiences and to support one another, and ourselves, through self-care and community.
Featuring works by a host of pioneering and up-and-coming comics artists,Menopauseis a perfect foil to the simplistic, cheap-joke approach society at large has taken to this much-derided women’s health issue. Readers will revel in the sly humor and universal truths found here.”
As an anthology it is hard to comment on the writing and art as it does change a lot through out. I can appreciate the diversity of perspectives that are coming to bear on the issue of Menopause and it was edifying to see this topic addressed in very classicaly indie comic ways. Looking at some other reviews some people seemed to have been a bit thrown off by how little Menopause facts are highlighted. Definitely more personal narratives, many other issues of aging and/or illness are interwoven. So also not highly focused. A great way to commiserate if you share any of these challenges.
Art wise, largely black and white, some entries are in colour. I liked how expressive the art was, it really helped with differentiating the stories as they aren’t very strongly divided otherwise.
Digging into the representation side of things, the biggest question I had going into this anthology is how it would treat gender. Because there are some people who would hypothesize that women are the only people who can go through menopause, when not all women do, and men and nonbinary people can also have or have had wombs, periods and go through menopause. Living in a large city I do see a lot of language changing around the medical care of people born with wombs but it’s not universaland hatred of the trans community is certainly only becoming more popular.
On the pro side this collection includes the work of one transgender creator, namely KC Councilor. Plus, of the women represented there is a fair amount of diversityin how they present their gender. So anything but one note.
On the negative side the opening story really leans into the woman, triple goddess, life giving blood, moonblood, and witchcraft side of things which I know rubs more then just me the wrong way. Plus you had the description, that I just read, that definitely linked women with menopause. Although, as I said in the content notes section, this level of menopause = the woman experience did vary in the entries themselves. There’s also an entry from A.K. Summers, who also wrote Pregnant Butch, which I read very hopefully but was ultimately disappointed by the entirely uncalled for rant about how many “chemicals” trans men are supposedly putting in their bodies. Duck duck go did not turn up if she still holds such opinions or if she has become more or less transphobic.
Not having run into most of these contributors before I did not turn up any information on most of these authors and their perspectives on gender. Although a few have contributed to other queer trans inclusive collections and Lynda Barry appears to have done some workshops specifically for the trans community.
Sexuality wise we do see some diversity across the hetero to queer spectrum. We also saw a bit of racial diversity. Class was largely ignored as far as I can remember, but disability did pop up from time to time. I was glad to see an entry from Kimiko Tobmatsu, I haven’t read Kimiko does Cancer yet but it’s very high on my TBR. Seeing representation of what she calls surgical menopause is also really needed.
But before we conclude, one other complaint (fairly minor) of some of the stories is that there is some discussion about how they’ve apparently become invisible as they have become older. This is certainly not a new concept to me, but I’ve often felt invisible already. My feelings have certainly not always lined up with reality, but I know I’m not alone in feeling overlooked just because I’m not attractive (and not just for romantic or sexual things). Maybe this just means I’ll feel extra invisible as I age, but I don’t know, just felt like bringing it up.
Final thought, four out of five stars, I hope this is only the start of a larger discussion about menopause.
March 13, 2022
Unlike the *men* who have reviewed this saying they are "not the target audience" I am ABSOLUTELY the target audience. I knew a few (but not all) of the comics, but I found each of them powerful in their own way. Repeating themes of being invisible are powerful (Jennifer Camper, Lynda Barry and Carol Tyler absolutely CRUSH invisibility!).
Will recommend to all my friends of a certain age.
Will recommend to all my friends of a certain age.
July 11, 2024
2.5 stars, I guess? I appreciate hearing from elders who have been through menopause before me, but this book somehow misses the mark of being as good as it could have been. I was hoping for a graphic novel collection of stories, perhaps organized by topic. Instead it's more like a big zine of random things. It feels like the editor cast too wide a net and didn't give authors enough direction. Some submissions are as short as one page, and don't really add a whole lot. Some artists appear to be new to the comic format, so their submissions are lacking in quality. I get that the field of menopausal or post-menopausal comic book authors is small because the comic industry is as patriarchal as all the other art and media industries, but I would've rather had more pages from the real professional comic artists.
Also must note that while there are queer and genderqueer authors featured, the book also includes a panel where an author wonders if a particular women's health center is run by "a bunch of dykes." I had to read the whole page a second time to be sure she was using the word as a pejorative because it seemed so out of place in what is mostly an affirming book. Very strange they opted to include this.
Anyway. Glad I found this at the library and didn't plunk down any money for it. There is a lot lacking in societal support around this big life change that half the population goes through, so I do think it is a worthwhile read... but it's sadly not worth going out of your way to get your hands on a copy.
Also must note that while there are queer and genderqueer authors featured, the book also includes a panel where an author wonders if a particular women's health center is run by "a bunch of dykes." I had to read the whole page a second time to be sure she was using the word as a pejorative because it seemed so out of place in what is mostly an affirming book. Very strange they opted to include this.
Anyway. Glad I found this at the library and didn't plunk down any money for it. There is a lot lacking in societal support around this big life change that half the population goes through, so I do think it is a worthwhile read... but it's sadly not worth going out of your way to get your hands on a copy.
August 16, 2021
Menopause: A Comic Treatment is, surprisingly, both quite funny and quite touching. As there is much shame and general embarrassment surrounding aging, menopause is not a widely or openly discussed topic. How many movies, television shows, or novels have you read that explore the topic in-depth?
The graphic shorts in this collection include queer and trans perspectives, and explore not just symptoms but also look to find meaning in changes and life development. They point out the societal attitudes towards women and women’s health issues are not always positive or enlightened. A pattern that I did not expect was a feeling of invisibility and eventual freedom from that feeling.
Perhaps the most amusing of all the shorts was Mimi Pond’s “When the Menopause Carnival Comes to Town” in which elements of menopause and womanhood become carnival rides and exhibits. It helps to laugh.
KC Councilor’s “Cycles” ends with the provocative question, “What does it feel like to relate to the body you’re in?” It is a question that cuts to the core.
A less surprising but generally disturbing trend was the view of menstruation as a burden. How many other biological processes do we view as burdens? And actively feel bitter about?
I was unaware that there is a graphic medicine genre, but now that I know, I am certainly going to seek it out.
The graphic shorts in this collection include queer and trans perspectives, and explore not just symptoms but also look to find meaning in changes and life development. They point out the societal attitudes towards women and women’s health issues are not always positive or enlightened. A pattern that I did not expect was a feeling of invisibility and eventual freedom from that feeling.
Perhaps the most amusing of all the shorts was Mimi Pond’s “When the Menopause Carnival Comes to Town” in which elements of menopause and womanhood become carnival rides and exhibits. It helps to laugh.
KC Councilor’s “Cycles” ends with the provocative question, “What does it feel like to relate to the body you’re in?” It is a question that cuts to the core.
A less surprising but generally disturbing trend was the view of menstruation as a burden. How many other biological processes do we view as burdens? And actively feel bitter about?
I was unaware that there is a graphic medicine genre, but now that I know, I am certainly going to seek it out.
December 14, 2025
Funny, cute and quirky. I really loved learning about everyone’s individual experiences. The art was the best part! I’m not in menopause but perimenopause is kinda kicking my ass right now.
The surprising part was the parts where folks that aren’t feminine or cater to the line of femininity show how they view menopause and how they deal with it, especially those who never wanted children or had them.
What am I going to take away from this book: Getting older is inevitable. It’s kinda scary but it will happen. How will I deal with being/getting older? How am I dealing with it now?
The surprising part was the parts where folks that aren’t feminine or cater to the line of femininity show how they view menopause and how they deal with it, especially those who never wanted children or had them.
What am I going to take away from this book: Getting older is inevitable. It’s kinda scary but it will happen. How will I deal with being/getting older? How am I dealing with it now?
February 6, 2021
A collection of short autobiographical comics in a range of styles reflecting on menopause. Many are “comic” in the sense of funny as well, but there is a lot of more serious reflection on life changes mixed in with the humour. I appreciated the representation of queer, gender-queer and disabled people’s experiences and also some women experiencing medically-induced menopause. I wish this had existed a few years ago when I could have used it more. Certainly women I know don’t talk about it much, especially the emotional experience, and I could have used more openness.
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September 2, 2020This collection of comics about menopause is a delight. How refreshing to have the subject treated with such bluntness and creativity.
October 31, 2020
Loved this. More books being honest and creative in telling the truth about women’s bodies please.
February 3, 2022
Art about the physical and cultural effects of menopause and aging. Lynda Barry and Mimi Pond are the real standouts here, but everything's good.
October 1, 2021
I have learned that there is a name for one of my favorite genres of memoir. "Graphic medicine is the use of comics to tell personal stories of illness and health."
Update: I have learned that this book is one in a series of 23 graphic medicine volumes!
Update: I have learned that this book is one in a series of 23 graphic medicine volumes!
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May 22, 2022A collection of comics that examine menopause from many angles. Some resonated with me more than others, but in general I appreciated the existence of this collection. I particularly appreciated the the stories approached menopause from the pov of someone who did not identify as a woman, or someone who had never had children. There was a decent amount of variety here.
The less a body is a mystery, the better.
The less a body is a mystery, the better.
June 15, 2023
Here again, I'd go for 3.5 but 4 is a bit farther than I'm willing to go. I suspect I'd give this a 4 on re-reading, but I was disappointed in my expectations on first read through. It is always nice to be introduced to artist/authors you aren't familiar with. I felt like a lot of the same ground was covered - yes. We all know about the hot flashes. I guess I was looking for a little more depth here. Some of the entries, notably Mimi Pond's went farther and I loved her metaphor of the carnival. I wonder if the book is more insightful for people who haven't been through menopause?
November 13, 2023
Having been born in the 50s, come of age in the 1970s and taught teenagers for 40 years, I have experienced what it means to be "female" from an strange amalgam of perspectives. I grew up calling my period "Aunt Matilda", was in my twenties during the height of the sexual revolution and now, in my 60s, I am living in a country which seems to be at war with women. What happened?!? I have come to feel, just as many of the cartoonists in this volume suggest, invisible. This new reality is very disconcerting and isolating. The types of rites of passage associated with menarche and motherhood are sorely lacking for most of us who are on the "crone" end of life. As many of the contributors in this book point out, the "final" phase of womanhood is often recognized only in the rearview mirror, long after the actual moment of one's last period has already come and gone. While I consider myself someone who is open-minded and used to look forward to my "wise woman" years, I now find myself viewed by prevailing attitudes as someone having little of value to contribute. Our country's rush towards a "new world" full of technology, has suddenly relegated those of my age to the back burner--especially those of us who are women and even more so for those of us who are minorities, practice religions other than Christianity, have a disability or are LBGTQIA. The contributors have taken a subject that is "unmentionable" and "taboo" and have brought it out into the daylight in all its messy glory:) I never had a clue until now that there is a field called graphic medicine in which art and medical science intersect. I must say as an artist and former art teacher that I am really excited by the possibilities that marriage of disciplines has opened up. Brava!
August 25, 2020
The cartoons in Menopause: A Comic Treatment depict what is generally considered an unbecoming, if not humiliating, life event. This collection, edited by M.K. Czerwiec, joins the Graphic Medicine Series (Escaping Wars and Waves) in treating a complex topic with candor and creativity. Twenty-five comics represent diverse women and their experiences, in drawing styles as distinctive as the artists.
"Comic Nurse" Czerwiec asked cartoonists "who are going through menopause, or who have already been through it, to make comics about their experiences and how they coped." In "Menopositive," the acclaimed Lynda Barry's wildly lined drawings show her in childhood listening, unnoticed, as her mother and aunt talk about "the change." Barry addresses the invisibility that often cloaks older women, saying, "The change for me is some kind of shift of focus, that capacity I had to just be somewhere when I was a kid.... It has come back." Sexuality is, unsurprisingly, the subject of many of the comics. "Climactic Calamity" by Rachael House is a wry anecdote of a doctor visit where "two words you never want to hear your doctor say--vaginal atrophy" is remembered in bold, primarily red drawings.
Czerwiec selects stories that encourage women to "find our voices rather than remain silent, to invite us into strength rather than push us further into shame." This book reveals a community of women reacting to aging with insight and humor. This will be the perfect gift for women approaching, or in, the stage of life called menopause.
-reviewed for Shelf Awareness 8-21-2020
"Comic Nurse" Czerwiec asked cartoonists "who are going through menopause, or who have already been through it, to make comics about their experiences and how they coped." In "Menopositive," the acclaimed Lynda Barry's wildly lined drawings show her in childhood listening, unnoticed, as her mother and aunt talk about "the change." Barry addresses the invisibility that often cloaks older women, saying, "The change for me is some kind of shift of focus, that capacity I had to just be somewhere when I was a kid.... It has come back." Sexuality is, unsurprisingly, the subject of many of the comics. "Climactic Calamity" by Rachael House is a wry anecdote of a doctor visit where "two words you never want to hear your doctor say--vaginal atrophy" is remembered in bold, primarily red drawings.
Czerwiec selects stories that encourage women to "find our voices rather than remain silent, to invite us into strength rather than push us further into shame." This book reveals a community of women reacting to aging with insight and humor. This will be the perfect gift for women approaching, or in, the stage of life called menopause.
-reviewed for Shelf Awareness 8-21-2020
January 7, 2024
Like all anthologies, this one is uneven. Lynda Barry is out-of-this word good per usual (I think she's incapable of missing; I just love her work so much) and Jennifer Camper and Roberta Gregory are unsurprisingly also amazing at making comics about whatever they're feeling; they also don't really miss. Nicola Streeten is really good -- haven't heard of Streeten until now; that one pager with the text in the background as intrusive thoughts/anxiety is amazing. And then: Joyce Farmer is someone I feel like I might know of? Maybe not, but I know what she's about from this comic and she knows what's up.
There's also a bunch of mid and maybe even bad comics here. I think it's clear who's been making comics for a while, and who's new to the game. Or maybe they aren't new to the game. Idk. The aesthetic and finesse and technique is just not there for some of these, for me.
Shout out to the comic that talks about how while North American experience such intense menopausal symptoms, Japanese women who are "the the height of their social power during menopause" only experience slight shoulder pain. I went to go look up the books cited there to see it it's true, and then realized I don't care if it's true; it's just c**t.
I love Lynda Barry, Jennifer Camper, and Roberta Gregory so much. They're just so good at art and comics and stuff.
There's also a bunch of mid and maybe even bad comics here. I think it's clear who's been making comics for a while, and who's new to the game. Or maybe they aren't new to the game. Idk. The aesthetic and finesse and technique is just not there for some of these, for me.
Shout out to the comic that talks about how while North American experience such intense menopausal symptoms, Japanese women who are "the the height of their social power during menopause" only experience slight shoulder pain. I went to go look up the books cited there to see it it's true, and then realized I don't care if it's true; it's just c**t.
I love Lynda Barry, Jennifer Camper, and Roberta Gregory so much. They're just so good at art and comics and stuff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2021
This book collects a series of individual comicbook contributions on the theme of the menopause. The comics vary widely in style, approach and background. Many of them are irreverant, very funny and joyful in the face of a subject rarely talked about in polite company.
Having had a hysterectomy and removal of an ovary at a young age I haven't really had the experience of menopause in the normal way and I find myself the other side of it with very few of the negative effects. I was still able to relate to much of this and actually found it incredibly empowering.
I was particularly touched by Dana Walrath's final panel...
https://jofoxadventuresinart.files.wo...
...where she links the final stage of being female to the wider biology of life on earth. I love it when a writer manages to capture something important and complex which I am also aware of but have found really hard to articulate. It really is true that "We read to know that we are not alone."
Having had a hysterectomy and removal of an ovary at a young age I haven't really had the experience of menopause in the normal way and I find myself the other side of it with very few of the negative effects. I was still able to relate to much of this and actually found it incredibly empowering.
I was particularly touched by Dana Walrath's final panel...
https://jofoxadventuresinart.files.wo...
...where she links the final stage of being female to the wider biology of life on earth. I love it when a writer manages to capture something important and complex which I am also aware of but have found really hard to articulate. It really is true that "We read to know that we are not alone."
November 21, 2021
First off, I am clearly NOT the target audience for this book. It is an edited collection of comics by people who have or will go through menopause. Many are first-time cartoonists; thus the quality of the graphics is highly variable.
Several of the pieces are actually about getting and or having a period and several are not about that or menopause. Makes me wonder why they were included. Again, as not the intended audience I don't know what to do with these thoughts. Maybe they don't matter and it is all fine.
Thankfully, there are other perspectives than the cis hetero female one.
At the back there is a page of resources that looks to be of more potential value than the comics themselves.
All in all, if you are facing or going through menopause I'd give it a light recommendation but there are probably better sources out there depending on the kind of engagement with the topic you are looking for.
Several of the pieces are actually about getting and or having a period and several are not about that or menopause. Makes me wonder why they were included. Again, as not the intended audience I don't know what to do with these thoughts. Maybe they don't matter and it is all fine.
Thankfully, there are other perspectives than the cis hetero female one.
At the back there is a page of resources that looks to be of more potential value than the comics themselves.
All in all, if you are facing or going through menopause I'd give it a light recommendation but there are probably better sources out there depending on the kind of engagement with the topic you are looking for.
October 15, 2024
I enjoyed this. It’s a selection of comics by a raft of different people, including the editor herself (one of my favourites), all centred around their experiences of peri/menopause. I recognized a few of them: Lynda Barry, Ellen Forney, Mimi Pond. Others I had never come across before but really enjoyed: Ajuan Mance, Jennifer Camper, Leah Jones & Cathy Leamy. There were a few I didn’t particularly care for or connect with, but none were objectively bad. I mostly just appreciated having an entire book featuring graphic art treatment of a subject that isn’t often addressed in popular culture in a way that doesn’t make it the butt of the joke. I mean, there are some pretty funny things about peri/menopause (see the Baroness von Sketch piece, “Is It Perimenopause?”) but I don’t particularly want to be laughed at or dismissed. Anyway, I quite liked it.
January 16, 2025
These comics evoke a range of emotions and present a wide variety of perspectives and experiences. I enjoyed the *spirit* of the book, but I still deeply disliked looking at this book. That's not a judgment specific to this book. I find it very unpleasant to look at visually chaotic things. Examples include: the social media platform formerly known as twitter, Times Square, and comics. If you find yourself wondering why a person would choose to look at this book when they already know their brain doesn't like looking at manga/comics/graphic novels, two words: reading challenge. My favorite comic is "Paused," by Emily Steinberg. Not only did I enjoy the story of this comic, I particularly appreciated that there is minimal text and large, full-page drawings. Despite the fact that looking at this book made my brain feel like a cat was licking it, I did enjoy the stories the comics told.
December 12, 2021
I can't say enough good things about this book. The book has an anthology format and each piece has a different creator. This book has even more meaning now that I've 'met' the editor via her 'appearance' on Google Meet as a guest on my library's podcast. On the episode we featured graphic medicine and MK Czerwiec was gracious enough to spend an hour chatting with my fellow CPL colleague Tayla along with Matthew Noe, who is the Lead Collection & Knowledge Management Librarian at Harvard Medical School.
Back to this book, I really loved reading about how all different folks are facing this phase of life that I am currently in: menopause. It's so much more than just hot flashes and I want to open the conversation to more and more people so this book is a great jumping off point.
Back to this book, I really loved reading about how all different folks are facing this phase of life that I am currently in: menopause. It's so much more than just hot flashes and I want to open the conversation to more and more people so this book is a great jumping off point.
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