TRIXIE BIKER
"A fun 12-page comic short...Craig's enthusiasm for the characters shines through." - Kieron Mullens, Comics International #200
INTRODUCTION
An act of charity saw JANE JASPER rewarded with powers and abilities beyond those of ordinary men. Aided and abetted by THE GOGO PIXIES and DIXIE THE SUPERBIKE, Jane Jasper is TRIXIE BIKER, Hero of Deva City: dedicated to the struggle against crime, injustice and the stifling ennui of daily life!
Trixie Biker exploded, fully-formed, out of the back of my head, in the spring of 2003.
It's hard to pin down her exact inspiration, but I can't help thinking that she was a bit of a reaction to the po-faced seriousness of the Matrix sequels and Ben Affleck's Daredevil. Her sense of constant, barreling motion and that killer smile sold it to me from the off - here was a superhero that not only enjoyed her powers, but revelled in them. Of course, there's nothing new in that, so after a while, I started to wonder what might be behind that smile. What was Trixie Biker trying to escape? The answer was staring me in the face: everything. Every crappy little stone in the shoe of daily life. Dull jobs. Crap men. Family guilt. The broken promises of adulthood, and the isolation that living in the Big City can bring with it. In that way, Trixie Biker speaks to the most fundamental facet of the superhero genre - escapism. But it's an escapism that comes from embracing the world around us, as opposed to hiding from it - for Trixie as well as the reader. Trixie Biker, then, is Superhero as Recreation. Superhero as Hobby. Superhero as Volunteer Work. Superhero as...whatever people do to give their lives additional meaning. Freeing your heart, as well as your mind. But with fighting.STRIP INDEX
There are four Trixie Biker stories on The Matthew Craig Dot Com, two of which are available in print editions from the Shop. I'd dearly love to do a full-length Trixie graphic novel someday (that's a hint, publishers!), but for now, I hope you enjoy these shorter tales. Feel free to email me with comments and/or questions. THE BALLAD OF TRIXIE BIKER - Secret Origins!