In Queen of Cosmos Comix Trilogy, underground cartoonist, fine artist, and muralist Barbara “Willy” Mendes chronicles women creators’ psychedelic journey through Biblical tableaux, modern life, and into a fantastical, interstellar future, weaving in her own intimate stories of being an artist, mother, and grandmother, especially in the never-before-published third volume. Inspired by Jewish mysticism, Mendes presents a creation myth shaped by feminine cosmic consciousness, with new, immersive worlds — and a radical reimagining of this one.
Includes an illuminating and entertaining interview with Mendes, as well as the 3rd never-before-published chapter of the trilogy.
Barbara Mendes studied art throughout her youth in New York City, then published stories and covers in Underground Comix under the name “Willy Mendes.” She developed her style of brilliantly colored narrative paintings, epic in detail and scale, and has exhibited them in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Florida, and Tel Aviv. Her Biblical murals are on permanent display in Jerusalem and Florida. In Los Angeles, her studio/gallery is open to the public in a building bathed in her intricate and blazing outdoor “Angel Mural.” The corner was officially named “Barbara Mendes Square” in 2016, and Ms. Mendes was designated a “Los Angeles Cultural Treasure.” Her newest work, Queen of Cosmos Comix, has been on display at the Palazzo Merulana Museum in Rome. In 2022, she won a SDCC lnkpot Award.
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