Hysterical Women: A collection of 100 Australian feminist cartoons
Edited by Annie Goldflam, Denise Morgan and Ruth Greble
Women's Electoral Lobby (WA), 1993
Reviewed by Jenny Long
This collection, put together by WEL (WA) with the support of other state WEL branches, represented the best of the 250 cartoons sent in response to its first feminist cartoon competition. The name for the collection is attributed to Barbara Walker, who reportedly said, "Hysteria was given its present meaning by Renaissance doctors who explained women's diseases with a theory that the womb (Greek: hystera) sometimes became detached from its place and wandered about inside the body, causing uncontrolled behaviour".
The book is very funny in that sharp, feminist, lampooning everything that's wrong with the world sort of way. Some of the cartoonists have also published their work in Green Left Weekly — Angie "Ange" Lyndon, Judy Horacek and Vicki Bosworth.
The next piece of good news is that it's happening all over again. WEL (WA) is putting out the call to Australian feminist humorists — "fumorists" — everywhere to send in their cartoons. Women entering the comp may win one of the Hysterical Women Feminist Cartoon awards; be published in the second book of 100 Hysterical Women Cartoons; gain recognition as a feminist cartoonist; and, most importantly, raise awareness of feminist issues.
The deadline for entries is May 17. To obtain an entry form or a copy of Hysterical Women, volume 1, contact WEL (WA), PO Box 8215, Perth Business Centre WA 6849, phone (09) 328 2407.