by Miss Lask-Gross Escape From Special is the coming-of-age story of Melissa, who we first meet as a small child and depart from at the end of the book just before she enters high school. Drawn in black and white and washed in moody blues and full spectrum grays, Lasko-Gross's art, with its detailed backgrounds and expressive, clean-line characters, exquisitely conveys the story's blend of humor (sometimes of the gross-out variety) and keenly observed insights. Miss Lasko-Gross, who has the sensibility of a love child of Linda Barry and David B. midwifed by Judy Blume, has created a graphic novel that should appeal not only to the growing readers of graphic novels, but to teens grappling with similar unresolved questions.

Escape from "Special"

Comics & Graphic Novels

Lasko-Gross, Miss

Graphic Novels

Fantagraphics Books

A troubled teen encounters the pitfalls of adolescence. Miss Lasko-Gross' semiautobiographical follow-up A Mess of Everything picks up where her debut Escape from "Special" left off: nonconformist Melissa is now in high school, coping with an anxiety-induced drug habit and an anorexic best friend. Even when the situation is not life-and-death, Melissa must negotiate the everyday problems that face young adults. By the end of the graphic novel, Melissa faces the choice that we all do at some point: whether to pursue her ambitions or settle for a more secure routine. As Melissa has grown, so has Miss Lasko-Gross' craftsmanship: A Mess of Everything retains the moodiness of her debut, but there's a new clarity to the art and characters' expressions and body language are more nuanced. Coupled with the unsentimental truthfulness that is the hallmark of Lasko-Gross' work, this intense book has appeal for anyone who is now navigating, or whose life has ever been touched by, these issues.

A Mess of Everything

“The art's lush, rich tones blend into luminous blues and purples, and characters are charmingly expressive, echoing classic children's book illustrations. Lasko-Gross has crafted a coming-of-age story that's weird, cool, and touching.” -- Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review) “Powerful.... The art style is fantastical and somewhat grotesque, an homage, it seems, to Maurice Sendak. Though the story is far more adult than “Where the Wild Things Are.” “Henni” tells the tale of a young girl, a humanoid cat creature by the title name, as she is oppressed repeatedly by various kinds of religious philistines, all of whom happen to be men. It's a story that champions feminism and advocates a supreme distaste for religious extremism of all kinds.”-- SALON In a fantastical world where old traditions and religion dominate every aspect of life, lives a girl named Henni. Unlike most in her village, Henni questions and wonders what the world is like as she comes of age. Striking out on her own, Henni goes out in search of truth, adventure, and more! Written and drawn my Miss Lasko Gross (A Mess of Everything and Escape From Special), Henni is a commentary on, religion, coming of age, and being yourself. “One of the most challenging cartoonists working today.... [HENNI is a] significant new work”--BLEEDING COOL “A classic, clever, smart, timeless adventure story that builds an interesting, scary world with layers of storytelling that will make it a rewarding reading experience for almost anyone. It's like Maurice Sendak making A Handmaid's Tale.”--The VILLAGE VOICE's TOPLESS ROBOT “Henni is set in a world run by a close-minded religious patriarchy and the titular young girl runs away when she realizes she doesn't want to live the life they've set for her. As she goes off discovering the world, she is bravely indifferent to questioning everything and everyone she comes across, making this kind of a fairy tale for teens... with a strong message about not being afraid to speak up and challenge authority.”--MENTAL FLOSS "Henni isn't so much a coming of age tale as it is a refutation of our formative years-the time when adults, in their sureness of purpose, attempt to force structure upon those they can overpower. A story about art, feminism, and the paradigm-halting power of imagination in the face of repressive belief-systems, Lasko-Gross's vision teems with the sort of beauty Maurice Sendak might have lent to a children's book written by George Orwell, Virginia Woolf, or Sylvia Plath."--Samuel Sattin, LEAGUE OF SOMEBODIES

Henni

Manga

Z2 Comics

The Sweetness by wife and husband duo Miss Lasko Gross and Kevin Golden follows two badass female intergalactic smugglers of a mysterious controlled substance who cater to the unique tastes of alien drug addicts. An off kilter romp through the stars The Sweetness is an humorous slant at Sci Fi.

The Sweetness

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Lasko-Gross, Miss. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Lasko-Gross, Miss

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Lasko-Gross, Miss. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Escape from "Special"

A Mess of Everything

Henni

The Sweetness