Women's Month Graphic Novels: Persepolis vs Tank Girl

"take two, they're small!" - Tank Girl

In celebration of Women's Month 2026 we dive deep into a pivotal Generation X format: the Graphic Novel! And in honor of another compromised institution, we may get all academicy and start discussing The Gaze, Who Gets To Represent, and even the Patriarchal Hierarchy Embedded In Language and Art. Plus SNaCks.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a single graphic novel and easy to find:

Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.
Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, with laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love.

There's also a lovely animated feature length film version of Persepolis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRTzV9m5YP0

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The Tank girl series has many issues (...). Pick up a collection or read whatever TG issues you can find. Many are available on archive.org. Have some fun and get a sense of character, attitude and approach. I will bring a copy of "Tank Girl The Collection" (Dark Horse Comics 1993) to share in color.

By the nature of its mere existence, a Tank Girl comic book defies definition or explanation. The book operates as its heroine operates – moving ahead at full-speed through a post-apocalyptic world with the attention span of a 4-year old. A few of these segments are 1-page spreads of chaotic art with free-form poetry, while others are longer form bits that can end in punchlines or violence (and you can never tell which of those you will get).
Though Tank Girl is tailor made for those who appreciate counter-culture or who actively tread off the beaten path in art and media, there is a surprising amount of infantile toilet humor pervading through these vignettes. The word “fart” is present almost as much as that other F-word. Perhaps that, in itself, is counter-culture. Perhaps it serves to keep the political or societal statements light. Perhaps it’s just annoying. Whatever it is, you know that’s what you’re signing up for when you pick up a Tank Girl comic book.

It's also worth looking at the 1995 Tank Girl film adaptation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP4o_Cf7ubM
...or it's trailers, at least long enough to compare your impressions of the main character and humor between comic origin and this feature film interpretation.

We are a media-positive book group. Prepare yourself for lively, non-disrespectful discussion - and BYO snacks / beverages!