The Body Politic in Comics

Jennifer Hayden came to comics from fiction-writing and children's book illustration. Her first collection of comics, Underwire, was excerpted in the Best American Comics of 2013. Her work has appeared in various anthologies and she posts two strips on the web: S’Crapbook at activatecomix.com and her diary comic, Rushes, at the goddessrushes.blogspot.com. Jennifer Hayden’s a graphic novel about her life and her experience with breast cancer is the aptly named The Story of My Tits (Top Shelf Productions). In its starred review, Publisher Weekly writes, “Truly moving. Hayden has created a heartfelt and often hilarious tribute to her life—and to the resilience of women everywhere."

Joan Hilty is an independent editor, and co-founder of Pageturner, a boutique book agency and content production company specializing in graphic novels and illustrated works, developing and managing projects for authors, literary agents, publishers, and media companies. As a senior editor at DC Comics, she directed an all-ages licensed property comics line and acquired and edited literary graphic novels, including Cairo, Cuba: My Revolution, Gone to Amerikay, Shooters, and Bad Houses. Her awards include the Eisner Award, Harvey Award, Best Graphic Story from the International Horror Guild, the Glyph Comics Award, and Best American Comics 2013. Hilty wrote and drew the syndicated comic strip Bitter Girl; and her illustrated and prose writing has appeared in the Village Voice, The Advocate, Ms. Magazine, Women’s Review of Books, and The Guardian. She is currently a faculty member at NYC’s School of Visual Arts and the Maryland Institute College of Art; a member of the PowderKeg writers’ residency; and serves on programming committees for the Miami Book Fair and Brooklyn Book Festival. She is also a founder of the independent editors group 5E.

Leah Hayes is an illustrator, musician, graphic novelist, songwriter and producer. She has published several books with Fantagraphics, including Funeral of the Heart and Holy Moly.  She also has several albums out with her band, Scary Mansion, writes songs, and produces beats for pop and hip-hop artists. Her latest illustrated novel is Not Funny Ha-Ha (Fantagraphics), is a non-judgmental, comforting, even humorous look at what a woman can go through during an abortion. Writing for Booklist, Annie Bostrom writes, “. . . it’s deeply empathetic, uniquely unflinching, and unlike any book on the topic, particularly with regards to its gentle presentation.”