Dear MCAD Community,
It is with great sadness that we share the news that Diana Green, Distinguished Adjunct faculty in Liberal Arts, passed away suddenly this past weekend. An alumna of 1999 (BFA, Comic Book Illustration), Diana taught across MCAD's Liberal Arts, Design, Foundations, and Continuing Education departments. She was a gracious teacher and mentor to her students, a generously collaborative peer, and a passionate advocate for her community.
Diana was a comics creator, educator, and activist whose life and work helped open doors for transgender voices in comics and beyond. She was best known for her groundbreaking comic strip, Tranny Towers, one of the earliest works to feature openly transgender characters created by a transgender artist. Through her comics and illustrations, Diana brought humor, honesty, and humanity to stories that had rarely been seen, contributing to LGBTQ publications such as Gay Comix and Omaha the Cat Dancer, while also courageously self-publishing her own work.
Born into a military family, Diana spent her early childhood moving frequently before eventually making her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She came out as transgender in 1985 and lived openly and proudly at a time when doing so required extraordinary courage. Diana was a fierce advocate for transgender healthcare access, AIDS awareness, and LGBTQ+ rights, contributing her artistic talents to organizations such as the Minnesota AIDS Project and supporting many community causes. Her generosity, conviction, and willingness to speak up made her a trusted and respected presence within the queer and trans communities.
Diana was also a dedicated educator and mentor. After earning her BFA in Comic Book Illustration from MCAD, she went on to complete a master’s degree at Hamline University. Beginning in 2006, she taught generations of students at MCAD and in community programs, sharing her love of comics, storytelling, and visual art. She wrote thoughtfully about comics and queer history, exhibited her work widely, and continued creating new projects, including graphic memoirs and screenplays. Diana’s legacy lives on through her art, her students, and the many people who found representation, courage, and connection through her work.
Diana will be missed by so many in our community. We will keep the MCAD community informed when we hear about plans for a memorial. Please take care and reach out to Employee Assistance or Student Counseling as needed.
All our best,
Melissa Rands
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Robert Algeo, Associate Professor
President, Faculty Senate