Aline Kominsky-Crumb
by Kristin Buckless
Fall 2004

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Aline Kominsky was one of the first female comic creators. She was born and lived on Long Island until she went to college. She was also the editor of Weirdo magazine, a well-known magazine of Robert Crumb's work (her husband). Kominsky draws without paying extreme attention to detail but has a great use of contour lines. She has very curvaceous, round characters, which are mainly on the unattractive side contributed to her deformed drawing style. She has a great use of exaggerated forms especially in pertaining to the human body and its functions that aid to her story telling. This style goes well with her witty observations and stories that portray a somewhat troubled lifestyles, displaying the many insecurities people face, and also the crude world that young women can become submissive to. Her characters seem to encompass a New York Jewish accent representative of her own life and family
One of her comic books that is a good representation of her work and style is Love That Bunch. This was a comic that dealt with a large chunk of her life. It shows her adolescent years and the trials and tributes young girls have with their parents. It also further leads to her growing up and the thickening of such complications a women must face. It also deals with a lot of social issues pertaining to drugs, love, lust, body image and other trials of life. Her work is said to be full of self- loathing, yet she creates these stories filled with negative views of the "self" in such a comedic way. In her later work it begins to appear sunnier as her life has become more comfortable. Her work deals with life issues in a very blunt way, sometimes grotesque but always entertaining.

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