Julie Doucet
Encyclopedia
Julie Doucet is a Canadian former underground
cartoonist
and artist, best known for her autobiographical works such as Dirty Plotte and My New York Diary. Her work is concerned with such topics as "sex
, violence
, menstruation
and male/female issues
."
(a junior college) and after at the Université du Québec à Montréal
. Her university degree was in printing arts
. She began cartooning in 1987. She was published in small-press comics and self-published her own comic called Dirty Plotte. She used the photocopied zine
to record "her day to day life, her dreams, angsts, [and] fantasies." It was only when she was published in Weirdo
, Robert Crumb
's magazine that she began to attract critical attention.
. Although she moved to Seattle
the following year, her experiences in New York formed the basis of the critically acclaimed My New York Diary. She moved from Seattle to Berlin
in 1995, before finally returning to Montreal in 1998. While in Berlin, she had a book named Ciboire de criss published by L'Association
in Paris, her first book in French. Once back in Montreal, she released the twelfth and final issue of Dirty Plotte before beginning a brief hiatus from comics.
She returned to the field in 2000 with The Madame Paul Affair, a slice-of-life look at contemporary Montreal which was originally serialized in Ici-Montreal
, a local alternative weekly. At the same time, she was branching out into more experimental territory, culminating with the 2001 release of Long Time Relationship, a collection of prints and engravings. In 2004, Doucet also published in French an illustrated diary (Journal) chronicling about a year of her life and, in 2006, an autobiography
made from a collage
of words cut from magazines and newspapers (J comme Je). Also in spring of 2006 she had her first solo print show, named en souvenir du Melek, at the galerie B-312 in Montreal. In December 2007, Drawn & Quarterly published 365 Days: A Diary by Julie Doucet, in which she chronicled her life for a year, starting in late 2002.
, she declared that she had retired from long-form comics. She also said "...it's quite a lot of work, and not that much money. I went to a newspaper to propose a comic strip because I only had to draw a small page and it would be out the next week. For once it was regular pay and good money." She had a book of poetry published by L’Oie de Cravan
in 2006, À l’école de l’amour. Her current artwork consists of linocuts, collage and papier-mache sculptures. In 2007, Doucet designed the cover for Penguin
Classics Deluxe Edition of Louisa May Alcott
's Little Women
.
made a list of the top 100 comics of all time, she was on several of the short-lists and "Dirty Plotte" ranked 96th. In 2000, her book My New York Diary won the Firecracker award for best graphic novel. Doucet's book 365 Days: A Diary was nominated for best book award at the 2009 Doug Wright Awards
.
Underground comix
Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books which are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, including explicit drug use, sexuality and violence...
cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
and artist, best known for her autobiographical works such as Dirty Plotte and My New York Diary. Her work is concerned with such topics as "sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
, violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
, menstruation
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
and male/female issues
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
."
Early works
Julie Doucet was educated first at an all-girl's Catholic school, then studied fine arts at Cégep du Vieux MontréalCégep du Vieux Montréal
Cégep du Vieux Montréal is a CEGEP located at 255 rue Ontario Est, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
(a junior college) and after at the Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
. Her university degree was in printing arts
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
. She began cartooning in 1987. She was published in small-press comics and self-published her own comic called Dirty Plotte. She used the photocopied zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
to record "her day to day life, her dreams, angsts, [and] fantasies." It was only when she was published in Weirdo
Weirdo
Weirdo was a magazine-sized comics anthology created by Robert Crumb and published by Last Gasp from 1981 to 1993.Weirdo served as a "low art" counterpoint to its contemporary highbrow RAW...
, Robert Crumb
Robert Crumb
Robert Dennis Crumb —known as Robert Crumb and R. Crumb—is an American artist, illustrator, and musician recognized for the distinctive style of his drawings and his critical, satirical, subversive view of the American mainstream.Crumb was a founder of the underground comix movement and is regarded...
's magazine that she began to attract critical attention.
Comic works
Doucet began being published by Drawn & Quarterly in January 1991 in a regular sized comic series also named Dirty Plotte. Shortly thereafter, she moved to New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Although she moved to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
the following year, her experiences in New York formed the basis of the critically acclaimed My New York Diary. She moved from Seattle to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1995, before finally returning to Montreal in 1998. While in Berlin, she had a book named Ciboire de criss published by L'Association
L'Association
L'Association is a French publishing house which publishes comic books. It was founded in May 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu, Lewis Trondheim, David B., Mattt Konture, Patrice Killoffer, Stanislas, and Mokeït, who left soon thereafter...
in Paris, her first book in French. Once back in Montreal, she released the twelfth and final issue of Dirty Plotte before beginning a brief hiatus from comics.
She returned to the field in 2000 with The Madame Paul Affair, a slice-of-life look at contemporary Montreal which was originally serialized in Ici-Montreal
Ici (magazine)
ici was an alternative weekly French language magazine distributed in print in Montreal, Quebec, and online through the Canoe.ca network from 1997 to 2009.It had an audience of 89,000 readers a week...
, a local alternative weekly. At the same time, she was branching out into more experimental territory, culminating with the 2001 release of Long Time Relationship, a collection of prints and engravings. In 2004, Doucet also published in French an illustrated diary (Journal) chronicling about a year of her life and, in 2006, an autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
made from a collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
of words cut from magazines and newspapers (J comme Je). Also in spring of 2006 she had her first solo print show, named en souvenir du Melek, at the galerie B-312 in Montreal. In December 2007, Drawn & Quarterly published 365 Days: A Diary by Julie Doucet, in which she chronicled her life for a year, starting in late 2002.
Post-comic works
She remains a fixture in the Montreal arts community, but in an interview in the June 22, 2006 edition of the Montreal MirrorMontreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror is a free English language alternative newsweekly based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with a circulation of 70,000, and reaches a quarter of a million readers per week. It is published by Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée....
, she declared that she had retired from long-form comics. She also said "...it's quite a lot of work, and not that much money. I went to a newspaper to propose a comic strip because I only had to draw a small page and it would be out the next week. For once it was regular pay and good money." She had a book of poetry published by L’Oie de Cravan
L’Oie de Cravan
L’Oie de Cravan is a Canadian publishing house based in Montreal, Quebec that specializes in poetry. It was founded in January 1992 by poet and writer Benoît Chaput. The name is seen as a tribute to the poet-boxer Arthur Cravan. The authors published by L’Oie de Cravan are often influenced by the...
in 2006, À l’école de l’amour. Her current artwork consists of linocuts, collage and papier-mache sculptures. In 2007, Doucet designed the cover for Penguin
Penguin Group
The Penguin Group is a trade book publisher, the largest in the world , having overtaken Random House in 2009. The Penguin Group is the name of the incorporated division of parent Pearson PLC that oversees these publishing operations...
Classics Deluxe Edition of Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist. She is best known for the novel Little Women and its sequels Little Men and Jo's Boys. Little Women was set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts, and published in 1868...
's Little Women
Little Women
Little Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott . The book was written and set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts. It was published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869...
.
Awards and honours
In 1991, Dirty Plotte was nominated for best new series and Doucet won the Harvey Award for "Best New Talent". In 1999, when The Comics JournalThe Comics Journal
The Comics Journal, often abbreviated TCJ, is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels...
made a list of the top 100 comics of all time, she was on several of the short-lists and "Dirty Plotte" ranked 96th. In 2000, her book My New York Diary won the Firecracker award for best graphic novel. Doucet's book 365 Days: A Diary was nominated for best book award at the 2009 Doug Wright Awards
Doug Wright Awards
The Doug Wright Awards are literary awards handed out annually to Canadian cartoonists, honouring excellence in works published in English. The awards are named for Canadian cartoonist Doug Wright...
.