bio

Barbara “Willy” Mendes, born in 1948, studied art throughout her youth in NYC. She then published stories and covers in Underground Comics under the name “Willy Mendes”, including back covers for Gothic Blimp Works in NYC, back covers and stories in “It Ain’t Me Babe” and “All Girl Thrills” with Trina Robbins, in San Francisco, and edited “Illuminations”, which featured splash panels by great underground artists.

Ms. Mendes returned to creating brilliantly colored narrative paintings, epic in detail and scale, exhibiting them in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Florida, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem. Her Los Angeles studio/gallery is enhanced, with the permission of amazing landlords, by the intricate, blazing “Angel Wall” outdoor mural. In 2016, the corner was officially named “Barbara Mendes Square” and Ms. Mendes designated a “Los Angeles Cultural Treasure”.  Returning to Comics creation in 2017, her “Queen of Cosmos Comix” was published in 2020 by Red 5 Comics; the full color Volume Two launched at jewCE in 2023; Fantagraphics will bring out a single book containing Volumes One, Two, and Three!

Ms. Mendes was a Special Guest and received the Inkpot Award at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. For countless images and more information, see: BarbaraMendes.org, IG: @barbaramendesart, f/WillyMendes, X: @ArtbyMendes.