Artbabe

Jessica Abel's Artbabe (1992–1996) is a five-issue, self-published comic that captures the raw, intimate energy of the '90s alternative-comics scene. Written and drawn entirely by Abel, the series follows the lives of young artists and musicians in Chicago, weaving together slice-of-life stories with a sharp, empathetic eye for character and place. A landmark of the early minicomics movement, Artbabe announced Abel as a singular new voice in autobiographical and observational storytelling, long before her acclaimed work on La Perdida.