Why You Need to Read Rachel Pollack's The Geek

If you think modern comic books have a monopoly on bizarre, mind-bending social satire, think again. Step into the time machine and dial it back to 1993, because Vertigo Visions: The Geek #1, written by the legendary, late sc-fi and Taort master Rachel Pollack, with wildly energetic art by Michael Allred, is the psychedelic, heartfelt, and punchy hidden gem your comic-book TBR list has been missing!

For the uninitiated, The Geek resurrects one of DC's strangest vintage creations: Brother Power the Geek, a floppy, mop-topped "Doll Elemental" brought to life in the flower-power era of the 1960s. After being shot into space by the establishment's figureheads, who couldn't handle his peaceful vibes, Brother Power returns to Earth. But this isn't the America he left behind.

In a genius move of dark, satirical brilliance, Pollack has the innocent doll tempted by modern “Corruption Elementals.” To fit into a cynical, greedy new world, he tries on a hilarious, self-destructive carousel of 90s identities, shifting from a ruthless junk bond dealer to a codependent, and even a white supremacist, before hitting rock bottom as a literal circus freak (aka “geek).

Rachel Pollack was a trailblazer who did not shy away from bold, risky storytelling. Beneath the bizarre, satirical shape-shifting lies a genuinely moving story about reclaiming lost innocence, fighting corruption (personified by the diabolical Dr. Cull), and finding your footing in a world that has lost its mind.

If you are a fan of Michael Allred’s work on Madman his iconic run for Silver Surfer, his art in The Geek is an absolute feast. His retro, high-energy, pop art style is the perfect match for Pollack’s surrealism. It’s colorful, dynamic, and wonderfully weird.

Released under DC’s legendary Vertigo imprint, the one-shot reads like a fever-dream capsule of the 90s anxieties that still rings incredibly true today.

The Geek is a beautifully bizarre, compassionate, and punk-rock reclamation of a forgotten character. It proves that no matter how deep you fall into the trap of modern greed, cynicism, or narcissism, there is always a path back to your true self.

Do yourself a favor. Skip the cookie-cutter superhero beat-em-ups this weekend, hunt down this 57-page masterpiece of Vertigo history, and let Rachel Pollack remind you what comic books are capable of!

~ AH - May 2026

New Editions!

Tarot the Open Labyrinth, 40th Anniversary Edition, AVAILABLE NOW.

Rachel Pollack approached Tarot as a living exchange between the reader, the subject, and the images. In Tarot: The Open Labyrinth, she brings us inside that exchange, revealing a mind at work—curious, disciplined, and open to surprise. Each reading unfolds with a depth and immediacy of lived experience, where interpretation becomes an art of attention and discovery. What emerges is not a method to imitate, but a way of seeing that deepens with practice and returns, always, to the self. 

 “Rachel Pollack was one of tarot’s greatest teachers, and this book shows why. I taught with her for forty years, and she demonstrates that transformation through deep soul work makes all things possible. By letting her lead you into the labyrinthine center of real readings and back out again, your own readings will be forever changed. The cards show us the way if we let them. This rerelease is a gift you’ll not want to miss.”
—Mary K. Greer, author of Essence of Tarot 

A Secret Woman, reprinted by Feminist Press, releases on January 12, 2027.

Pairing iconic author Rachel Pollack’s ahead-of-its-time 2002 mystery with contemporary commentary that sheds new light on her fiction and its place in trans literary history, this reissue of A Secret Woman reveals a strange, specific transfeminine world of the past that remains fresh and relevant today. Here, Pollack gives us a virtuosic mystery novel that contains its own secret: the most direct and personal statement she made about being a trans woman. 

 “When A Secret Woman appeared in 2002, it was a courageous outlier. Part gripping police procedural, part thought-provoking exploration of gender transition, the novel captures a particular historical moment while remaining surprisingly relevant today. Pollack links the mystery of a murder to larger questions of identity, secrecy, and self-discovery, allowing each to deepen and complicate the other. The result is an innovative work that expands our sense of what both queer fiction and crime fiction can do, demonstrating how the mystery novel can illuminate not only hidden crimes but hidden selves.”

 —John Copenhaver, author of Hall of Mirrors 

Manhattan, Chicago & Palm Springs

Rachel Pollack's Legacy on Display Across America

Rachel Pollack's voice continues to inspire, challenge, and illuminate audiences far beyond the pages of her books.

This year, her work, artwork, manuscripts, and personal artifacts are being honored in museum exhibitions spanning the United States—from New York City to Chicago to Palm Springs. Visitors can encounter Rachel's extraordinary legacy at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan, the American Writers Museum in Chicago, and the Palm Springs Art Museum, where her contributions to literature, tarot, art, and queer cultural history continue to reach new audiences. These exhibitions reflect the remarkable breadth of her influence and ensure that her work remains a living conversation.

For exhibition details, dates, and ways to visit, please explore the Present Tense page on this website, where you'll find information about each museum presentation and Rachel's continuing presence in the cultural landscape.