Enlarge Cover
Media/Desk Copy Request
An expansive, rigorously researched journey back in time to prehistoric womanhood, this graphic history richly illustrates how art and science have informed our perception of gender
In the canon of prehistory, men are the constant focal point, depicted hunting, striking flint, or painting caves. Yet nearly all of the images that depict humans, left to us by prehistoric humans themselves, are depictions of women. What kind of societies were these that portrayed women so centrally, and what can they tell us about the ways in which our perception of gender has evolved—or devolved?
Building on years of research, Ulli Lust crafts a vastly scaled graphic history about the beginnings of art, the evolution of womanhood, and the importance of empathy for the survival of our species. Going back to the beginning of humanity, Lust draws on scientific findings in archaeology, anthropology, art history, and her own lived experience to illustrate how the role of women in human history has remained largely underrepresented.
In her signature style of intricate illustrations and comprehensive storyboards, Ulli Lust breaks down long-entrenched beliefs and unearths a fresh approach to the intersection of culture and gender, depicting a time in which the hero’s journey was a group effort that could only be completed together—by women, men, children, and even nonbinary people, in roles that run the gamut of human experience.
“Praise for the German edition of Early Man Was a Woman
"The time has long since arrived when such books must be written. Ulli Lust captivates readers and draws them deeply into the social life of early humans . . . [creating] a compelling mix for reflection on our understanding of ‘womanhood.’”—Christine Neugebauer-Maresch, Institute of Prehistory and Historical Archaeology at the University of Vienna
“[Early Man Was a Woman] offers a completely new perspective on our prehistory and early history. And this perspective is feminine.”—Nina Apin, taz
“Praise for Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life and How I Tried to Be a Good Person
"[A] sprawling, meditative graphic novel . . . [that] ripples with exuberance: [Lust] convincingly evokes her teenage feelings of fury and joy, and the small details of the way she experienced unfamiliar places for the first time.”—Douglas Wolk, The New York Times
“An intimate and imaginative follow-up graphic memoir to Lust’s Ignatz award–winning punk travelogue.”—Publishers Weekly
“Lust’s energetic, searching book . . . reveals the power of desire—and the pain when jealousy rears its head.”—The Guardian
“This comic is a sensation. Ulli Lust has a story to tell that is unparalleled.”—Andreas Platthaus, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung