20 Years of Angry Little Asian Girl, 1994-2014

Congratulations on two decades of Anger



One of the repeat questions I've gotten over the years: "Angry Asian Man? Are you at all related to Angry Little Asian Girl?" No. Not in any sort of trademarked affiliation. But I consider her a true sibling in Anger with a capital A. And definitely a major spiritual inspiration for the earliest iteration of this blog.

So, a massive congratulations goes my friend Lela Lee, creator of the comic strip Angry Little Asian Girl, which is celebrating twenty years of anger. Two decades of the baddest little foul-mouthed, middle finger-wielding Asian girl born of paper and ink, who spoke for a generation of Asian American women.

Lela Lee created Angry Little Asian Girl back in 1994 as a short video, made in reaction to some offensive cartoons she saw at an animation festival. Later, she took on the form of an online comic strip, which spawned books, merchandise, and a legion of fans -- including this Angry Asian blogger.

To celebrate these two glorious decades of anger, Lela has posted an online art show featuring some of the earliest renditions of ALAG, and the evolution of her comic strip. Check it out here. And for more on Angry Little Asian Girl, check out the website and follow updates on Facebook.

Again: congratulations, Lela. We salute you!

A Conversation with Lela Lee, October 19

Meet the creator of Angry Little Asian Girl



Hey, Los Angeles. Lela Lee, the mastermind behind the adorably awesome Angry Little Girls comic series, is coming to the Japanese American National Museum on Saturday, October 19 as part of its new exhibition, "Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics, 1942-1986." The artist and author will be talking about her comics and their impact on Asian America and beyond. If you're a JANM member, you can also speak with her during the members-only meet and greet:

You're angry too, you just don't know it yet!

Guest Post by Lela Lee



Hey, folks! I'm on vacation, taking a much-needed blog break. Time to recharge some batteries. But don't worry -- I've enlisted the generous help of some great guest bloggers to keep things fresh around here while I'm away. Here's Lela Lee, aka Angry Little Asian Girl, with some thoughts on being angry.

Hey everyone! Happy summer. I am honored to be a guest blogger this week. Phil and I are kindred spirits in that we are both angry Asian people. And lest you wonder, I am older and was angry first, but it doesn't really matter, as we need more Asians to realize that they too are angry.

Why am I angry? First off, for those who don't know me, I draw the comic strip "Angry Little Girls" which started with the original character "Angry Little Asian Girl." I created ALAG in video form in 1994 while I was an angry college student. Why was I angry? I was angry partly because my Korean parents were so frickin' strict and adhered to weird country rules about listening to the eldest even if the eldest was lying and making shit up. I was the youngest of four girls and sisters/girls/siblings can be mean.

"neither. I'm just angry."

The latest Angry Little Girls comic strip by Lela Lee, a sister in the struggle. I thought today's edition felt just right to share here. See more of Lela's stuff at the Angry Little Girls website.