Rachel's wife Zoe reported that she passed away today at 12:45 PM

"I am sad to tell you that our beloved Rachel Pollack passed so peacefully and beautifully today at about 12:45 p.m. after a touching ceremony called Hand to Heart. Several of us stood in a circle. I had my hand on her heart. I began the circle by saying how much I love her and what she means to me. Each took their turn after me sharing their own feelings and appreciation of Rachel. I know that Rachel will continue to be a Light in this world and in the next. She will continue to inspire so many of our beloved Tarot community, the Science Fiction and Fantasy community, the Comics community, and the Transgender community for whom she shared so much respect and care. We have felt and cherished your love and prayers over the past months and years as Rachel experienced so many health challenges. We are One."

Rachel's criminally underappreciated Doom Patrol featured DC's first trans woman superheroine Kate Godwin, a.k.a. Coagula. She also worked on characters such as Brother Power the Geek, Tomahawk, and the New Gods.

She was awesome.

May her light shine brighter than ever for eons.

An obituary in The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2...ivist-and-comic-book-writer-dies-aged-77

That obituary was outstanding!

Thanks, Thoth.

I've done at least two write ups on Rachel's Doom Patrol

https://www.pointhorror.com/9790/doom-patrol-74-bootleg-steele-by-rachel-pollack-and-linda-medley/

https://www.comicosity.com/doom-and-bloom-rachel-pollack-and-the-evolution-of-the-doom-patrol/

I had already read Sarky's article focusing on DP issue 74, but this is the first time I've read the one covering the entire Rachel Pollack DP run.

Excellent work, Sarky. Thanks especially for pointing out the problematic aspects of Gaiman and Morrison's work as regards gender. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Gaiman acknowledges those flaws now, and would write the story differently today.

I don't hate him anymore. Better late than never.

When Magdalene Visaggio pitched her Sandman Universe miniseries about Wanda, Gaiman gave his full support knowing it was only right for her story to be handled by a trans woman.

I was reading Twomorrows Jack Kirby Old Gods and New. Rachel Pollack wrote nearly a dozen issues of a later version of the New Gods. I've not read these, but will keep them in mind for a future purcahse.

A warning about her New Gods issues: they have terrible Liefeld-style art. It doesn't completely ruin the interesting ideas she explored, but it does affect the entertainment level.

Thanks for the heads up. I've not really read any non-Kirby New Gods things. Outside Great Darkness Saga and Conway's JLA issues.

This year DC is releasing a special 96-page tribute book for Rachel Pollack as part of DC Pride, which is reprinting Doom Patrol #70, Vertigo Visions - The Geek, and is featuring a brand new short story by Rachel's close friend Joe Corallo and Rye Hickman that has the triumphant return of Kate Godwin.

Excellent!