There’s no denying that Julia Child is an American icon.

Numerous books have been written about Child’s life and the impact she had on the culinary world. Movies about her have attracted such stars as Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci.

Brace yourself for the next round of Julia worship – a comic book.

That’s right, a comic book.

Bluewater Productions has just published a comic book about Child’s life as part of its “Female Force” series. Female Force is part of a “female empowerment series” the company is producing to showcase women who have made a difference in the world.

Previous comic books have focused on actress Carris Fisher’s lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder and Olivia Newton-John’s fight with breast cancer. Future titles will feature Martha Stewart, the Queen of England and Mary Pickford.

(One wonders what happened to women like the late Sally Ride, Sandra Day O’Conor, Jane Goodall, Indira Gandhi and Madeleine Albright. But that’s another blog post.)

The Julia Child comic is playful, portraying Child first in her crib, holding onto a spatula and a spoon. It spends some time on her youth, when she was a privileged California girl who liked golf, tennis and other sports. (There’s a not-intentionally funny drawing of the beloved chef holding a gun almost as big as she is, to illustrate her interest in small game hunting.)

The comic covers Child’s time in Paris, her writing of the classic cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” and her foray into the world of television cooking shows. There’s even a humorous drawing of Dan Akroyd doing his famous Julia Child imitation on Saturday Night Live (although the blood spurting out of his cut hand looks more like chicken gravy than blood).

“Female Force: Julia Child” was written by Michael Troy, and the art is by Nathan Girtin. The print version of the 32-page comic can be ordered at Comic Flea Market for $3.99.
Digital versions are available on iTunes, Nook, Kindle, Google Play, Comixology and Amazon.

As Julia would say, “Bon Appetit!”

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About the Author

Meredith Goad has harvested oysters on the Chesapeake Bay, eaten reindeer in Finland and sipped hot chai in the Himalayas. She writes the weekly Soup to Nuts column and enjoys a good cocktail.

Meredith can be contacted at 791-6332 or mgoad@pressherald.com
On Twitter: @meredithgoad

Susan Axelrod's food writing career began in the kitchen; she owned a restaurant and catering business before turning to journalism more than a decade ago. To relax, she bakes, gardens and hikes with her husband and their two dogs. A newcomer to Portland, she is an online content producer for the Press Herald.

Susan can be contacted at 791-6310 or saxelrod [at] pressherald.com.
On Twitter: @susansaxelrod

Wendy Almeida and her family have a smattering of livestock and a summer garden. After 10 years of her kids being involved in 4-H, she's finally accepted the term "hobby farm" to describe her family's work at sustainable living. These days her morning starts with milking a goat before heading into the office for her day job as an assistant editor for features.

Wendy can be contacted at wea [at] mainetoday.com or on Twitter @wea1021.

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