In 1966, she and husband Roger Brand moved from Oakland, California, to New York City, specifically to break into the comics business.
Michele's first comics credit was in the groundbreaking all female one-shot It Ain't Me, Babe (Last Gasp, 1970), with the story "Tirade Funnies.
She and her husband were part of the group of cartoonists who formed the United Cartoon Workers of America, an informal union designed to safeguard creators' rights.
[6] In c. 1974, during the downturn of the underground comix market, she moved to New York City and began working in the mainstream comics industry, mostly as a colorist.
[7] She often worked on projects illustrated by Bernie Wrightson, including Heavy Metal #65–70 (HM Communications, Inc., 1977), Stephen King's Creepshow (Plume/Penguin Group, 1982), and The Weird (DC Comics, 1988).