Cartoonist Robbins gets nod from Prada
Underground comics cartoonist and historian Trina Robbins, who began her career making science fiction illustrations and, in the ’80s, became the first woman to draw Wonder Woman, is among the eight female artists whose work has been incorporated into fabric for the Prada spring/summer 2018 line. Robbins, who lives in San Francisco, said it is “incredibly exciting” to be one of the three English-speaking women whose work was chosen for the honor.
Robbins, whose career includes a stint making custom-tailored clothing for rock stars in an East Village store, says that Prada contacted her and asked her to send samples of her work from the ’60s and ’70s. She hasn’t seen the Prada fabric samples in person yet, but from the pictures thinks that the pattern was printed on several types of cloth.
“I’m getting 10 items,” from the line, she said, including “six things for me and four for my daughter.” This makes her happy, but “I wanted one of each.” (Bravo to a true feminist who always wants more.) “You’ll be able to recognize me because I’ll be the woman walking down Market Street wearing comics on my coat,” she said.
How much will the garments cost? “I cannot conceive of how much they will be selling for,” she said. “I mean, it’s beyond my ken. You’re speaking to the queen of San Francisco thrift shops. I don’t know how much clothes cost in Macy’s.”
Considering the holiday season, Sean O’Donnell complains: “There is an emoji for the most sublime and plebeian libations: beer, Champagne, martinis, sake cocktails, whiskey and, of course, red wine. But none for white wine . ... Truly? Has our esteemed greater Bay Area — nay, the northern half of our state — been overlooked with a dismissive wave of a corkscrew?” O’Donnell urges equally outraged white-wine drinkers to “voice your moral outrage and petty indignation on Twitter at #ViveL’EmojiBlanc, and make a difference in the life (albeit brief ) of a grape.”
Over the years, several readers have sent clippings from ads for the Neptune Society in which prospective customers are invited to seminars in cafes and restaurants. The irony, for example, is talking about cremation in a barbecue joint. But Kent Peterman has forwarded one with a perfect location. The site for Dec. 5-7 sessions in Crockett is a restaurant called the Dead Fish.
Adda Dada reminds us that we are rapidly approaching the bicentennial of Emperor Norton, who was born on an unspecified date in 1818. The unspecificity of that date gives us a whole year to celebrate.
Adda suggests that in homage to the emperor, the San Francisco Art Commission should create some formal honoring of “all the eccentrics (current and past) of San Francisco. His own list begins with the Space Lady, who wore a helmet and played street music in San Francisco in the ’70s and ’80s (and according to her Facebook page, has a new record and is about to tour Australia). He goes on to include Sister Boom Boom, Frank Chu, Strange de Jim, Tom Sweeney, Gypsy Taub, Anton LaVey, Heklina and more.
Plenty of time for other nominations, though.
Neil Davis lives in Sebastopol, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a defender of San Francisco’s icons. Having seen The Chronicle’s picture of portable toilets dolled up like the Painted Ladies of Alamo Square, he rises in defense of these classic Victorian houses. “What’s next? A porta-potty cable car? A Coit Tower porta-potty? The tiling Millennium Tower? Grace Cathedral? Golden Gate Bridge? De Young? Alcatraz? The possibilities are endless and tasteless. This went through a design review committee?”
P.S. Learning that big business is trying to squeeze its way into the cannabis profit-makers’ tent, Julian Grant is speculating about the future: Pot-tery Barn, Trader Mary Jane’s and Bed, Bong & Beyond.
PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING “Can I buy you a bottle of water? It’s vegan.” Young woman to young man, overheard at a g ym by John Kuhn
Dire Warnings Gazette, No. 6: From Conversica, a company that employs artificial intelligence technology for fake tete-a-tetes in order to sell something “via natural, two-way conversations”: The company says it has discovered that “Americans want A.I. to help them during the holidays. When asked how they would want an A.I.-powered assistant to help with a holiday purchase, the top choice was gift recommendations.”
But then, the question is what do you buy for Siri, the woman who has everything? Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik