Diane DiMassa

I’m not yer fuckin’ spritz head girlfriend, I’m HOTHEAD PAISAN!

This is a great book because Hothead moves past just killing horrible men who annoy her (which can be wonderful fun when it’s just a comic), she learns and grows. Her spiritual mentor is a lamp and her cat Chicken is one of the very best fictional felines.

DiMassa's artwork is urgent and messy, emotional and grotesque. Her writing is intimate and violent, desperate and punk. Hothead Paisan begins as a caricatured embodiment of the revenge fantasy, guiltlessly slaughtering loathsome males by the score; but if her homicidal sprees are without consequence, how can they make a difference? Once the angriest words are said, DiMassa brings things down to a more mortal level, and it's Hothead's grumpy reactions to the mundane challenges of life that show more really turn her into a complex protagonist. Dating, dealing with casual insensitivity, finding solace in a pet-- what does a "homicidal lesbian terrorist" do when she doesn't reach for her axe? That's what makes Hothead Paisan good reading. show less

This book is a little over the top, but it's such a joy to read. The characters are all quirky and fun, and I love Chicken! This is the kind of book I rip through and then get really sad when I get to the end.

It's CHICKEN! Fans of Hothead Paisan will immediately recognize what this means -- a comic devoted to Hothead's fez-wearing cat. Much lighter in tone than Hothead and featuring some actual cat information, this probably won't make a lot of sense to people unfamiliar with Hothead but is a must-read for anyone who is.