The first graphic memoir I ever read was Pulitzer Prize winner Maus by Art Spiegelman, about his father's experience as a Holocaust survivor. Since then, the genre has exploded, and numerous female writers and cartoonists have used it to explore everything from family dynamics to food to sexuality to punk rock. Through a deft combination of art and words, each of these artists gives her life a unique spin, serving up far more than either form could alone.

Image: Allie Brosh/Hyperbole And a Half