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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
I enjoyed this collection of vignettes centered around black women’s hair. My only critique is that some of the writing was stylized in a way that was difficult to read.
dark
sad
Loved it -- a collection of illustrated short stories about the physical, cultural, and emotional impact of black hair, in a storytelling style reminiscent of Lynda Barry's Ernie Pook strips. Devoured in one sitting. I know this book just came out, but I can't wait to see what Flowers does next.
Entirely charming! Love the author's drawings. Particularly poignant (and stark, and upsetting, and "makes ya think") is the episode about the grandmom arguing with her daughter about another daughter - never seen in this chapter, but who has created too much chaos in the family - while the little granddaughter escapes to the bedroom to try on grandmom's wigs. Too many families like this, and not just in this socioeconomic realm.
Thank you, Ebony Flowers, for a peek into this fascinating world of hair entwined in black culture (ok, I didn't word that right, but...!). Looking forward to seeing more of this young author/illustrator's work.
Thank you, Ebony Flowers, for a peek into this fascinating world of hair entwined in black culture (ok, I didn't word that right, but...!). Looking forward to seeing more of this young author/illustrator's work.
The f-bomb and “b*itch” do appear in this graphic novel, but, honestly, kids know these words. Kids say these words, even if they don’t say them around their parents. This is an important graphic novel since there is so much discrimination against natural Black hairstyles. We’ve seen it happen. We’ve seen a referee force a high school student to cut his locs or forfeit his match. We’ve seen schools claim Black hairstyles are “inappropriate.” We see it in the workplace, too. So, yes, this is important.
The story about Lena broke my heart. Her white teammates wanted to touch her hair and talk about her hair so much that Lena developed a disorder and started to pull her hair out strand by strand. This is an example of how damaging it can be to focus so much on someone’s hair and to treat it as unnatural. The following story after Lena’s is an example of what a white dude should never say to or about his Black girlfriend. The sad thing is, I can see white dudes saying and thinking what the guy in this story did.
After reading this graphic novel, I suggest learning about and supporting The CROWN Act.
I did have a little trouble reading the cursive lettering. My eyes are not what they used to be. lol
The story about Lena broke my heart. Her white teammates wanted to touch her hair and talk about her hair so much that Lena developed a disorder and started to pull her hair out strand by strand. This is an example of how damaging it can be to focus so much on someone’s hair and to treat it as unnatural. The following story after Lena’s is an example of what a white dude should never say to or about his Black girlfriend. The sad thing is, I can see white dudes saying and thinking what the guy in this story did.
After reading this graphic novel, I suggest learning about and supporting The CROWN Act.
I did have a little trouble reading the cursive lettering. My eyes are not what they used to be. lol
A short collection of stories all featuring black women with a focus on their relationships, primarily with their hair (as the title implies) and other women in their lives.
Ebony Flowers Hot Comb is a breath of fresh air in the comics scene. People of colour, especially women, are woefully underrepresented in this format and this genre (memoir/autobio + realistic/contemporary fiction). Strides are being made to improve this, but we have a long way to go and Flowers’ work is a step in the right direction.
Though the stories are short (though the titular Hot Comb is on the longer side), they hit their mark and were surprisingly affective. Flowers has a sketchy, cartoon-y style that I wasn’t 100% sure about at first but I came to really enjoy it and jive with its comix vibe.
While it’s only one perspective, this is an insightful glimpse into the lives of African American women. Highly recommended.
Ebony Flowers Hot Comb is a breath of fresh air in the comics scene. People of colour, especially women, are woefully underrepresented in this format and this genre (memoir/autobio + realistic/contemporary fiction). Strides are being made to improve this, but we have a long way to go and Flowers’ work is a step in the right direction.
Though the stories are short (though the titular Hot Comb is on the longer side), they hit their mark and were surprisingly affective. Flowers has a sketchy, cartoon-y style that I wasn’t 100% sure about at first but I came to really enjoy it and jive with its comix vibe.
While it’s only one perspective, this is an insightful glimpse into the lives of African American women. Highly recommended.
Read as a part of my graphic novels & comics MLS course
Graphic novel of short stories, some of which were memoirs! Some of the stories were incredibly emotional, some landed a little flat for me, but I enjoyed the collection over all. The best story imo was My Little Sister Lena—so heart wrenching. I sometimes found the art and lettering a little difficult to understand, though Flowers’s style over all was unique and fun.
Graphic novel of short stories, some of which were memoirs! Some of the stories were incredibly emotional, some landed a little flat for me, but I enjoyed the collection over all. The best story imo was My Little Sister Lena—so heart wrenching. I sometimes found the art and lettering a little difficult to understand, though Flowers’s style over all was unique and fun.
Hot Comb is a collection of short story comics that touch on everything from family to identity, often through the lens of hair. It took me a little bit to get used to the art style but once I did, I really enjoyed the short stories. Flowers does an incredible job of telling impactful stories in such a short number of panels.
C/W:death of a family member, discussion of mental illness, addiction
C/W:
In 2021, I have set a goal to read more graphic novels. I found a copy of Hot Comb at my local library. Something I have noticed about the world of graphic novels is that there is a lack of representation of POC, especially female artists. Hot Comb is a compilation of short stories written and designed by Ebony Flowers. The stories have a running theme centered around hair. In each vignette the reader is introduced to a character and how hair plays into their story. Sometimes its a Black teenager feeling awkward because her all-white softball team is obsessed with her hair, or a mother walking her daughter to the park so she can get her hair done while she plays, or what it's like to get a perm for the first time as a young girl. In between each story is a full page advertisement for haircare products promising all kinds of wonderful things to the buyer.
I really liked this anthology. My only criticism is that Flowers handwrote her captions, often in cursive and in the margins of her drawings which are often elaborate, so sometimes it can be difficult to read. I really liked the stories told in snapshots, but I wish they went a little deeper/longer.
I really liked this anthology. My only criticism is that Flowers handwrote her captions, often in cursive and in the margins of her drawings which are often elaborate, so sometimes it can be difficult to read. I really liked the stories told in snapshots, but I wish they went a little deeper/longer.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced