Hello, my name is Laura Zinger, Owner of 20K Films, and I am making a feature length documentary about Nicole Hollander, the legendary creator of feminist bombshell (more emphasis on the bomb than on the shell), Sylvia. Nicole Hollander approached me 5 years ago at the premiere of my first, independently produced documentary, Proceed and Be Bold! and in an act of utter kindness and total solidarity, she gave me one of her earrings and told me, “Here is your Oscar.” 
She then wandered away leaving me alone in complete shocked flattery with one of her earrings and the thought, “Holy cats! That was Nicole Hollander.” Nicole then returned two minutes and 36 seconds later and gave me the matching earring and told me I should have both. As Nicole handed me her second earring, I knew I had found the subject of my next documentary. That was over 5 years ago. Independent filmmaking is not something to take lightly, there are high costs, overwhelming time commitments, hours and hours and hours of unpaid labor, and the full knowledge that time stops for no one. I am immensely proud and pleased to officially announce that the documentary we started 5 years ago about the life and work of Nicole Hollander is in post-production. 
This blog is how we will keep track of the progress of the documentary from post-production to completion. Here is where I am logging my thoughts about how to take all of the research materials and documentary interviews and shape them into a story. This is a page for you, her wonderful fans. And here is a list of everyone we interviewed for the documentary. We welcome your thoughts and comments. We would also welcome your help. Please offer it. Visit this page for how you can help us finish this documentary and get it out to Nicole’s and Sylvia’s fans. 
Holy Cats! Nicole Hollander Documentary Report 
My mother was a hard core liberal and feminist from childhood. She bought bought us each a copy of the first issue of Ms. and both of us cut Sylvia from the newspaper—I still have a basket of yellowing strips. I have two copies of every Sylvia book on my shelves—the one I bought for myself and the one my mother bought.
We both loved Sylvia. Her cynical realism was exactly what we enjoyed and sometimes we laughed so hard we peed our pants. During the years her back was deteriorating and she was less and less able to get out of the house, my mother would call me in between my daily visits, sometimes three or five times in a day, usually while eating a cookie, and most often to share the new Sylvia cartoon in the newspaper.
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When I married in 1985, my hubby cleared his library of books by donating (or selling) them all. I had recently added my books to his collection, My lovingly collected books were gone! I envy your double collection! Also, your wonderful relationship with your mom reminds me of my own. I look forward to any of Nicole Hollander’s work, even a cookbook!
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That is terrible to lose your books! I have two married sons and the books will go to them. Mom often bought us each a copy of things she loved—never so many as she did Nicole Hollander’s books, but other things too. My brother took most of the doubles, which is only fair, but he didn’t take Sylvia! I am grateful to be able to pass them on some day.
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Jan, Thank you! Oddly enough, even though I created Sylvia and thought of myself and sylvia as the same entity, now that I don’t write and draw the strip, I miss her. A friend asked me this morning if I even thought of doing a cookbook and I remembered being approached by a woman who wrote a cooking column. I gathered many cartoons on the subject of Sylvia and cooking. Of course Sylvia was disdainful of cooking and every cartoon was snarky. No publisher wanted it! Maybe it was just too early in the century. And Jan I do appreciate your funny and thoughtful thoughts on Badgirlchats. nicole
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Thank you, Nicole! My mother would have been so pleased to read your blog, and I am proud that you noticed my words.
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The Sylvia cartoons I always clipped were the birthday zodiac ones (the more I studied Cancer, the more I realized that it fit me perfectly) and the goddesses for moms. It is tough to be a mom: we have to try not to make mistakes raising our kids, we nurture and support others and often deny ourselves. Who takes care of mom when she gets sick? Love the goddesses!
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Thanks Vanessa, I enjoyed doing the zodiac cartoons, I did ones with cat astrology too. I wonder how accurate they were? I think cats have a different astrology, ruled by another system entirely.
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