Profiling History's Troublemaking Women, French Cartoonist Gets 'Brazen'

Reading Brazen, French artist Pénélope Bagieu's cartoon celebration of rule-breaking women, I kept thinking about the feminist uses of cuteness. Not kittens-and-puppies cuteness, but the kind of cuteness associated with femininity — and not, usually, with feminism. Bagieu's brand of feminism comes with frills and curlicues galore. Her voice is pert and saucy, and her cartoons are darling.

Alas, though, the radical acts of "rebelis at its best when Bagieu's ladies are shielded from physical violence and meet happy ends: Artist Tove Jansson, astronaut , swimmer Annette Kellerman and ancient gynecologist Agnodice are all ideal subjects. Her curly, pretty line is unexpectedly perfect for the life of underappreciated 1970s singer/songwriter Betty Davis. Under Bagieu's pen, the intimidatingly raunchy Davis is strong but girly.