The 100th Anniversary of Sherlock Jr.

Sherlock Jr. (1924) remains one of Buster Keaton's most famous movies. It also remains one of the most famous silent movies of all time. Its special effects were revolutionary for the time, and still hold up today. Indeed, the effects in Sherlock Jr. look better than much of the CGI used today. It was 100 years ago on this date that Sherlock Jr. was released.

Sherlock Jr. centres on a poor, young projectionist at a small town theatre who is in love with the daughter of a wealthy man (Kathryn MacGuire). Unfortunately, he has a rival in the form of the Local Sheik (Ward Crane), who steals and pawns the girl's father's pocket watch, and then frames the projectionist for it. While running a film at the theatre, the projectionist falls asleep and dreams that he enters the movie being shown. Titled Hearts and Pearls, the movie is about the theft of a string of pearls. The Projectionist then dreams that he is a great detective, Sherlock Jr., who is called to find the missing pearls.

Buster Keaton would later state that the idea of his character walking into the screen of a movie being shown at a theatre was "the reason for making the whole picture ... Just that one situation." The movie was then built around that idea. The movie was originally titled The Misfit. Marion Harlan was originally cast as The Girl, but she fell ill. She was then replaced by Kathryn McGuire, who had appeared in such films as The Silent Call (1921), Playing with Fire (1921), and The Sheik of Araby (1923). The Girl's Father was played by none other than Buster Keaton's father, Joe Keaton, who had already appeared in several of his son's films, including "The Electric House" (1922) and Our Hospitality (1923). Ward Crane, who played The Local Sheik and the villain of Sherlock Jr., had appeared in such movies as French Heels (1922) and Destiny's Isle (1922). Erwin Connelly, who played The Hired Man (and in the movie within a movie, Hearts and Pearls, the butler), had already appeared with Buster Keaton in the movie Our Hospitality (1923).

Although often credited to Buster Keaton, there is some question as to who directed Sherlock Jr. In 1923 Camera! magazine stated that Buster Keaton was the film's sole director. The only directorial credit in the film itself belongs to Buster Keaton. Despite this, in Buster Keaton's autobiography he states that he wanted to help his old friend and co-star Roscoe Arbuckle, who was still reeling from the 1921 scandal involving the death of actress Virginia Rappe, and so he hired him to co-direct Sherlock Jr. As it turned out, Mr. Arbuckle's disposition had changed since the scandal. He was bad-tempered and even abusive towards the actors. Even having worked with Roscoe Arbuckle on several films, Buster Keaton found him difficult to work with. According to Buster Keaton, he was reluctant to let Roscoe Arbuckle go, but he felt he had to. He said that his business manager, Lou Anger, proposed that Mr. Keaton ask Marion Davies hire him for her next film, The Red Mill. The problem with this is that The Red Mill would not even start production until well after Sherlock Jr. was being made.

While there are those who maintain that Roscoe Arbuckle directed all of Sherlock Jr., Kevin Brownlow and David Gill came to the conclusion that Mr. Arbuckle started Sherlock Jr., but did not finish it, as he was directing Al. St. John films at the time. This seems to be a likely explanation, particularly given Sherlock Jr. is credited to Buster Keaton and not Roscoe Arbuckle under a pseudonym (following the scandal, he used the pseudonym William Goodrich to direct movies).

Of course, Sherlock Jr. remains well-known for its special effects and stunts. Among the most remarkable effects in the film is that of Buster Keaton's character walking into a screen as a movie is playing. What makes the sequence even more remarkable is that the scenery often changes around Mr. Keaton. The effect was accomplished by Elgin Lessley, who had already worked with Buster Keaton on several films, including "Cops" (1922), "The Electric House" (1922), Three Ages (1923), and Our Hospitality (1923), among others. In order to achieve the effect of Buster Keaton entering the movie screen, surveyor's equipment was used so that Elgin Lessley could keep exact measurements for Buster Keaton's distance from the camera for each and every shot. Here I have to digress to point out that Elgin Lessley was born in Higbee, Missouri, making him a Randolph Countian like myself.

Elgin Lessley was not the only cameraman on Sherlock Jr., as Byron Houck also worked on the movie. Byron Houck had been a baseball player, having played with the Philadelphia, Athletics, the Brooklyn Tip-Tops, the St. Louis Browns, and the Vernon Tigers. Roscoe Arbuckle bought the Tigers and this was how Byron Houck entered the film industry. Sherlock Jr. would be his first film, He would later shoot Buster Keaton's movies The Navigator (1924),  Seven Chances (1925), and The General (1926).

While Elgin Lessley was responsible for many of the effects in Sherlock Jr., Buster Keaton was responsible for one of the most amazing effects in the movie. During a chase, Sherlock Jr. jumps into a small suitcase and disappears. According to Buster Keaton, this was an old trick his father, Joe Keaton, had developed in vaudeville. In 1957 Mr. Keaton performed the stunt on The Ed Sullivan Show. Buster Keaton never revealed how he did the trick.

In addition to the special effects, Sherlock Jr. is also known for the many stunts in the film. What is more, as usual, Buster Keaton performed his own stunts. One of the most famous stunts resulted in an injury to Buster Keaton. In one scene Mr. Keaton is running atop a moving a train and then grabs the drop-spout of a railroad water tower. The water from the spout poured down on Buster Keaton with more force than expected, and when he was slammed to the ground his neck hit a steel rail. Buster Keaton was in intense pain and had to stop shooting later in the day. He would have headaches for weeks afterwards. Regardless, he continued working. It would not be until 1935 that Buster Keaton realized he had broken his neck in that scene, after a doctor uncovered a callus that had grown over a fracture through an X-ray. This wasn't the only accident Buster Keaton had while making Sherlock Jr. During a scene in which he was on a motorcycle, the motorcycle skidded and Buster Keaton was thrown into a car.

Buster Keaton previewed what was still titled The Misfit in Long Beach, California. Noticing there were few laughs, Mr. Keaton then re-edited the movie. A second preview proved even more disheartening, and so he edited it down to five reels. It was after the previews that the movie was renamed Sherlock Jr. It was released on April 21 1924. The movie did respectably well, but it made less money that the first film he had directed, Three Ages (1923). It also received mixed reviews upon its release. While The New York Times described it as  "one of the best screen tricks ever incorporated in a comedy," Variety claimed it lacked any "ingenuity and originality."

Since then many critics and movie buffs have disagreed with Variety and count Sherlock Jr. as a classic. In 2000 the American Film Institute ranked it as no. 62 on their list of "AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs." Also in 2000, Time magazine included it in their list of the All-Time 100 Movies. As might be expected, in 1991 it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "...culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films."

There is little wonder that Sherlock Jr.'s reputation would grow over the years. While some films do not age particularly well, Sherlock Jr. still feels modern even at 100 years of age. It was one of the first films to depict a movie within a movie, with Buster Keaton's character entering the fictional movie Hearts and Pearls. The movie even features an early pop culture reference. Sherlock Jr.'s assistant in Hearts and Pearls is named "Gillette." This is a reference to William Gillette, an actor known for playing Sherlock Holmes several times on stage and in the 1916 film Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Jr. also moves at a good clip, with several sight gags, stunts, and outright slapstick so that things never slow down. Sherlock Jr. remains one of the greatest films ever made by Buster Keaton, a director who made many great films.

Leading the Witness by Scott Fivelson

The thriller genre emerged in the early 20th Century. Over the years the genre developed its own clichés and tropes, so that it is rare one sees anything original when it comes to thrillers regardless of the medium. When something in the thriller genre, whether it is a novel, movie, or play, comes out that is starkly original, it is then worthy of notice. This is certainly the case with the one-act play Leading the Witness by Scott Fivelson.

Leading the Witness centres on Maddy, a former stripper, now tragically blind, who had the misfortune of witnessing the murder of her roommate in their own apartment. The killer is still at large, and as a result, Maddy is under protection detail until such time as the killer can be caught. Maddy does not particularly get along with the police assigned to protect her, until she is finally assigned a detective who has a good deal in common with her. Their developing relationship and the danger from the killer still at large are at the heart of Leading the Witness.

Not only is the premise of Leading the Witness original, but the play is a deft blend of suspense and love story. What is more, Maddy is a fresh break from many heroines in thrillers. She is quick-witted and self-reliant, while at the same time feminine. There is real chemistry between her and John, the detective ultimately assigned to protect her. The identity of the killer is a thread that runs throughout the play, and when their identity is revealed it is a surprise, but at the same time makes total sense. Leading the Witness brings to mind classic thrillers and mysteries, while at the same time bringing something new to the genre.

Leading the Witness  premiered at the Upstairs at the Gatehouse Theatre in London on July 23, 2012, starring James Tormé. It is published by Hen House Press.

Cast photo from Leading the Witness at the Accidental Theatre in Belfast in 2019.

The "Peter Gunn Theme" by Henry Mancini

It was 100 years ago today that composer Henry Mancini was born in Maple Heights, Ohio. After serving in the United States Army Air Forces, he became a pianist and arranger for the re-organized Glenn Miller Orchestra (Glenn Miller had gone missing in a plane over the English Channel on December 15 1944). In 1952 he became part of the music department at Universal-International. At Universal-International he contributed to such movies as The Glenn Miller Story (1954), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), Destry (1954), Tarantula (1955), Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955), and others.

Henry Mancini left Universal-International became a freelance composer and arranger in 1958, at which point he did some of his most famous work. He was responsible for the music on the hit television show Peter Gunn, including writing the show's iconic theme. The "Peter Gunn Theme" proved to be a hit, reaching no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 12 on the R&B chart. Henry Mancini would later record different versions of the theme (including one for the 1967 feature film Gunn).

Of course, Henry Mancini would go onto yet more success following Peter Gunn. He was responsible for the music on the TV show Mr. Lucky. While that show was not as successful as Peter Gunn, its theme proved to be a hit, going to no. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. He would go onto compose the song "Moon River for Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), the iconic Pink Panther theme, and music for movies from The Great Race (1965) to Victor/Victoria (1982).

In tribute to the 100th anniversary of Henry Mancini's birth, there is the "Peter Gunn Theme."

Thirty Years with Turner Classic Movies

It was thirty years ago today, on April 14 1994, that Turner Classic Movies was launched in a ceremony at Times Square in New York City that included founder Ted Turner, original host Robert Osborne, and such classic film stars as Arlene Dahl, Jane Powell, Celeste Holm, and Van Johnson. The first film TCM ever showed was Gone with the Wind (1939). It would be an understatement to say that since then Turner Classic Movies has become an institution. It would be more accurate to say that it has become a national treasure, not only beloved by its fans, but by critics, film historians and movie makers alike. Indeed, Turner Classic Movies has had an enormous impact on my own life.

I am not sure when or how I first heard about Turner Classic Movies, but it was before it was launched. Unfortunately, I would not have access to TCM in its earliest days. I would have to visit my best friend Brian in another town to watch Turner Classic Movies. Fortunately, I got access to TCM within a year or two of its launch and it has remained a constant in my home ever since. I wish I could remember what the first movie I watched on Turner Classic Movies was, but I cannot. If I had known how important TCM would become in my life, I would have made a point to remember what film it was. Regardless, Turner Classic Movies quickly became my favourite channel. There had been American Movie Classics (AMC) and a few other classic movie channels before it, but TCM had access to the pre-1986 MGM library and the Associated Artists Productions library, the Warner Bros. films made before 1950, and the U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to the RKO Pictures library. This meant they could show a wider variety of films than AMC or the other channels. Of course, they also had those wonderful intros and outros by Robert Osborne. TCM would get even better after the Turner Broadcasting System merged with Time Warner in 1996. Now they had access to the Warner Bros. library, and libraries that Time Warner had acquired, such as the Saul Zaentz and National General Pictures libraries.

As much as I love Turner Classic Movies and as huge an impact it has had on my life, I cannot say that it introduced me to classic movies. As a member of Generation X, I grew up at a time when local television stations, particularly the independents, still showed classic movies on a regular basis. By the time TCM had launched, I had already seen such classics as Casablanca (1942), Citizen Kane (1941), Singing' in the Rain (1952),  and many others, and even such foreign classics as Seven Samurai (1954) and Blood and Black Lace (1964). While I was already a classic movie fan when Turner Classic Movies launched, I would see many classics on the channel for the first time in my life. TCM introduced me to Pandora's Box (1929), Out of the Past (1947), The Loved One (1965), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), The Robe (1953), and many others. I had seen Pre-Code films before TCM had launched, but the channel would introduce me to many, many more.

Not only did TCM introduce me to movies I had never seen before, but it would be through the community of fans that Turner Classic Movies developed that would I meet many of my closest friends. It was initially through this very blog that I met many of my closest friends, bloggers who blogged about classic movies or, like me, nostalgia in general. I would find even more fellow TCM fans who would become friends after I joined Twitter in 2009. This was particularly true after TCMParty, the informal group of TCM fans who live tweet movies on the channel using that hashtag, started in 2011. It would be through TCMParty that I would meet my dearest friend and a woman I adore, Vanessa Marquez. I then owe Turner Classic Movies more than I could ever repay. Here I also have to point out that TCM is so close to their fans that I even have friends and acquaintances who work for the channel.

TCM has also afforded me opportunities I might not have had otherwise. In 2014 TCM began a series of segments called Fan Favourites, in which fans would get to introduce a favourite movie with Ben Mankiewicz through the miracle of video chat. It was on April 11 2015 that I got to introduce A Hard Day's Night on TCM with Mr. Mankiewicz. For a time Turner Classic Movies had an official fan club called TCM Backlot. Each year TCM Backlot members would submit pitches as to why Turner Classic Movies should hold an event in their home town. In 2019 St. Louis was selected, and Turner Classic Movies held a free screening of Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) at the Tivoli Theatre in St. Louis. The screening included a special introduction by Ben Mankiewicz before the movie, followed by a Q&A with Margaret O'Brien (who played Tootie in Meet Me in St. Louis). I was lucky enough to be one of the fans who was selected to attend the VIP Meet and Greet, in which one would get to meet Margaret O'Brien and Ben Mankiewicz in person. I then got to meet Margaret O'Brien (who was delighted when I brought up her guest appearance on Perry Mason), as well as Ben Mankiewicz (with whom I had talked on video chat, but this was my first time meeting him in person).

One thing I regret is that I have never gotten to attend the TCM Classic Film Festival. Sadly, the cost of air fare and lodging is simply more than I can afford. Many of my friends have attended the TCM Classic Film Festival, so that I can experience the festival vicariously through them. For that reason I always look forward to the TCM Classic Film Festival. I enjoy watching the many videos and photos from the festival, posted by both TCM and its fans. And I enjoy watching content from the festival on Turner Classic Movies itself.

It was last year that TCM fans were alarmed by layoffs at Turner Classic Movies, and for the first time ever many of us were concerned about the future of our favourite channel. The reaction of TCM fans was swift and immediate, with fans writing letters, writing emails, and posting to social media. Some who had been laid off, including senior vice president in charge of content and programming Charlie Tabesh and TCM Film Festival Director Genevieve McGillicuddy, would see their positions restored. The media credited much of this to such luminaries as directors Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Paul Thomas Anderson and actors Ryan Reynolds, Ellen Barkin, and Brian Cox, but I personally think it was the outcry on the part of the huge number of TCM fans. Quite simply, Turner Classic Movies has made a difference in our lives and we don't want to see it disappear.

For myself, there is perhaps no greater example of how important Turner Classic Movies is to me than my life following the death of my beloved Vanessa Marquez. It was my fellow TCM fans and TCM who helped me get through those dark months following her death. If not for the difference they made I am not sure that I would even still be here. I'm certainly not alone in feeling Turner Classic Movies saved my life. The channel has been a comfort to many others going through grief, illness, divorce, the loss of a job, or other hardships.

In the end, I can say that Turner Classic Movies changed my life. If not for TCM, I might never have met many of my closest friends, including the most important person in my life. I would never have gotten to introduce A Hard Day's Night on television and it is unlikely I would have ever met Margaret O'Brien. Turner Classic Movies went well beyond being a cable channel that shows classic movies long ago. It has even gone beyond being a brand. Turner Classic Movies has become a means of bringing people together, of providing a community for fans of classic movies. And, for many suffering hardships, it has even become a beacon of hope. The world would be much poorer without Turner Classic Movies.

"The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship: 30 Years of TCM"

Tomorrow will be the 30th anniversary of Turner Classic Movies. It was earlier this month that Turner Classic Movies, as one of their TCM Originals, released a video recounting the beginnings of TCM from those who were with the channel at the very beginning. The video was produced and directed by Scott McGee, the Senior Director, Original Programming at TCM. It was edited by Rob Hampton of Splat Pictures. The Director of Photography was Pete Wages.

Titled "The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship" is must-see for TCM fans. Even as much as I know about the history of the channel, there were even some things I learned. The video is a bit bittersweet, as many of those in the video are no longer with the channel. It is also sad seeing the old logos and interstitials, which in my humble opinion are far better than what Turner Classic Movies has now. Regardless, "The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship" is a wonder to behold for TCM fans, and all involved with it are to be congratulated for a job well done.

My Picks for the 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival

Although I have always wanted to, I have never gotten to attend the TCM Classic Film Festival. I especially wanted to attend last year, when they screened Stand and Deliver (1988). Despite this, every year I enjoy going through the schedule to see what I would want to watch if I were at the festival. Of course, inevitably there going to be conflicts. A perfect example is the first night of the festival this year. Pulp Fiction is at the Chinese Multiplex at 6:30 PM. At 7:00 PM Send Me No Flowers (1964) is also at the Chinese Multiplex. If that wasn't enough of a conflict, White Heat (1949) is at the Egyptian Theatre at 7:00 PM. If I were attending the TCM Classic Film Festival (which unfolds in Hollywood from Thursday, April 18 to Sunday, April 21 this year), I would have trouble deciding what to watch on opening night.

Regardless, I have decided to give it a try, as I usually do. Here then is what I would pick to watch each day. Keep in mind while I have been to Hollywood, I have never walked that part of Hollywood Boulevard, so I have no idea how long it would take to get from venue to venue! For purposes of this blog post, let assume I have the speed of The Flash or the ability to teleport.

Thursday, April 18:
7:00 PM White Heat (1949): This was a difficult choice for me, as I love both Pulp Fiction and Send Me No Flowers. In the end, I decided on White Heat as I saw Pulp Fiction on the big screen when it first came out and, as much as I love Send Me No Flowers, I don't love it quite as much as White Heat.
9:15 PM Grand Hotel (1932): It wasn't nearly as hard for me to pick what film to watch later Thursday night. I have always wanted to see Grand Hotel (1932) on the big screen, but I have never had the chance.

Friday, April 19:
9:00 AM The Caine Mutiny (1954): The Caine Mutiny is one of my all-time favourite movies. Mighty Joe Young (1949) is also at the Chinese Multiplex, but I don't love it nearly as much as The Caine Mutiny.
12:00 PM Them! (1954): I have never seen a giant insect movie on the big screen, and Them! is the greatest of them all.
6:15 PM Rear Window (1954): I have seen Rear Window on the big screen, but it is one of my favourite Hitchcock movies. I wouldn't be able to pass up a chance to see it on the big screen again, especially at the Egyptian Theatre.
9:00 PM Jailhouse Rock (1957): It Happened One Night (1934) is showing at the Egyptian at 9:30 PM, but I have seen it in the theatre. I have never seen Jailhouse Rock in a theatre, or any other Elvis movie for that matter.

Saturday, April 20:
10:00 AM El Cid (1961): El Cid is one of my all-time favourite movies, but I have never seen it on the big screen. There's nothing else showing at the same time that really can compete with it where I am concerned.
2:45 PM: North by Northwest (1959): I have seen North by Northwest in the theatre, but it is my all-time favourite Alfred Hitchcock movie. And it would be cool to see it at the Chinese Multiplex.
6:15 PM The Shawshank Redemption (1994): I have always loved this movie, but I've never seen it in a theatre.

Sunday, April 21:
9:00 AM Double Indemnity (1944): I have never seen Double Indemnity on the big screen and I have always wanted to. It is one of the essential film noirs, and one of Billy Wilder's best films.
12:15 PM Sabrina (1954): More Billy Wilder. Aside from Akira Kurosawa, he is my favourite director.
2:45 PM The Lavender Hill Mob (1951): Okay, I would hate missing Chinatown (1974) at 3:20 PM, but I love Ealing comedies and this is one of the best. It's always one of the greatest caper movies of all time.
7:45 PM The Asphalt Jungle (1950): The Asphalt Jungle set the blueprint for nearly every heist film to come, and it still remains one of the greatest, if not he greatest heist film. I would have to see it on the big sceen.

The Late Great Trina Robbins

Legendary cartoonist and comics historian Trina Robbins died at the age of 85 yesterday, April 10 2024, following a stroke. She was at the forefront of underground comics in the late Sixties and Seventies, and the first woman to ever draw Wonder Woman in a DC comic book. She was also the foremost historian chronicling the history of women in comic strips and comic books.

Trina Robbins was born Trina Perlson on August 17 1938 in Brooklyn, New York. She became a comic book fan while still very young, and took to drawing from a young age as well. She became active in science fiction fandom in the Fifties and Sixties, and artwork appeared in various fanzines, including the Hugo award-winning Habakkuk. In the late Sixties she operated a clothing boutique called Broccoli, where she outfitted such music legends as Mama Cass, David Crosby, Donovan, and yet others. Joni Mitchell memorialized her in the song "Ladies of the Canyon," after Miss Robbins had moved to California.

Trina Robbins's first comics were published in the underground newspaper The East Village Other. She contributed to The East Village Other spinoff Gothic Blimp Works during its brief run. In 1969 Miss Robbins designed the original costume for Vampirella (rendered by Frank Frazetta on the cover Vampirella no. 1). In 1970 she moved from New York City to San Francisco. There she worked on the underground feminist newspaper It Ain't Me Babe. It was in 1970 that she produced It Ain't Me Babe Comix with Barbara "Willy" Mendes, the first comic book produced entirely by women. In 1972 she became one of the original artists to work on Wimmin's Comix, the legendary, all-female, underground comics anthology that lasted until 1992. Trina Robbins was involved in Wimmin's Comix for its entire twenty years. She also worked on the underground newspaper Good Times. In the late Seventies she worked on Mama! Dramas for the underground comics publishing company EduComics.

In the Eighties Trina Robbins adapted the Sax Rohmer novel Dope for Eclipse Comics and the Tanith Lee novel The Silver Metal Lover for Crown Books. For Marvel Comics' younger readers imprint Star Comics she wrote and illustrated Misty, a spinoff of long running Marvel character Millie the Model (Misty was Millie's niece). In 1986, Trina Robbins illustrated the four issue limited series The Legend of Wonder Woman, written by Kurt Busiek. Miss Robbins then became the first woman to ever illustrate Wonder Woman in an official DC comic book. For Eclipse Comics she wrote and illustrated the series California Girls, with contributions from Barb Rausch. During the decade she also contributed to such anthologies as Gates of Eden,  Good Girls, and Gay Comix. She edited and co-edited Strip AIDS U.S.A.: A Collection of Cartoon Art to Benefit People With AIDS. She edited and contributed to Choices: A Pro-Choice Benefit Comic Anthology for the National Organization for Women.

It was in 1994 that Trina Robbins, with fellow comic book professionals Heidi MacDonald, Deni Loubert, Anina Bennett, Liz Schiller, and Jackie Estrada, founded Friends of Lulu, a non-profit organization that encouraged comic book readership in women as well as supporting women in the comic book industry. She contributed to War News, an underground newspaper founded to protest the Gulf War. She also contributed to the anthologies Alien Apocalypse 2006 and Gay Comix. At DC she wrote Wonder Woman: The Once and Future Story, with illustrations by Colleen Doran.

In the Naughts Trina Robbins worked on GoGirl! for Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics. She also wrote an adaptation of Honey West for Moonstone Books. She also contributed to The Phantom Chronicles at Moonstone and Girl Comics at Marvel. In the Teens Trina Robbins wrote Honey West and The Cat  for Moonstone Books.

Of course, Trina Robbins was also known as a comic book historian, and she was the foremost historian when it came to women in comic books. Her first non-fiction book, Women and the Comics, was written with fellow comic book professional Catherine Yronwode. Over the years she would write several more non-fiction books, including A Century of Women Cartoonists (1993), The Great Women Superheroes.(1996), The Great Women Cartoonists (2001), Wild Irish Roses: Tales of Brigits, Kathleens, and Warrior Queens (2004),  Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs (2009), Lily Renée, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer (2011), Babes in Arms: Women in Comics During the Second World War (2017), Flapper Queens: Women Cartoonists of the Jazz Age (2020), and Gladys Parker: A Life in Comics, a Passion for Fashion (2022), as well as many others.

In 2015 CBR readers named Trina Robbins one of the greatest female comic book artists of all time. It was certainly an honour that was well-deserved. Ms. Robbins had an utterly unique style that blended the style of underground comics with mainstream Golden Age comics. What is more, as an artist she was very adaptable. Her work on The Legend of Wonder Woman evoked H. G. Peter's original version of the character from the Golden Age. Her work on Misty brought to mind the work of Dan DeCarlo, while still remaining readily recognizable as the work of Trina Robbins. She was also a great writer of comic books, with a gift for creating fully-realized characters. The women in any of Trina Robbins's work were always strong and true to life.

In addition to being a talented artist and writer, Trina Robbins was also a tireless activist. In the Seventies she spoke out against the misogyny present in the work of some underground comic book artists, particularly Robert Crumb. She did a lot of work towards getting more women reading comic books, as well as getting more women in the comic book industry. Much of her work in comic books was meant to appeal to young girls and encourage them to read comic books. For example, GoGirl! centred on a teenaged female superhero.

Trina Robbins's work as a historian was an outgrowth of her activism. Despite the many contributions of women to both newspaper comic strips and comic books, They were often neglected or outright ignored in histories of the medium. Trina Robbins corrected this with her many books on female comic strip and comic book creators. In fact, Trina Robbins and Catherine Yronwode's Women and the Comics was the first ever history of female comics creators. Of course, Trina Robbins's work as a historian went beyond comic books. Over the years she wrote about everything from female killers to Irish women to Chinese nightclubs.As a historian Trina Robbins had an enjoyable, entertaining style and an eye for detail. One not only learns from her history books, but they are thoroughly entertained as well.

Trina Robbins was a talented writer and artist, and she certainly increased the visibility of women in comics. From those who had the privilege to have met her, I also know that she was charming, funny, and extremely knowledgeable. She was well-known for her kindness and generosity. She was supportive of new talent and fans alike, Trina Robbins was more than a great talent, more than a great activist, even more than a great historian. Trina Robbins was simply a great human being.