Robbins became an active member of science fiction fandom in the 1950s, and her illustrations appeared in science fiction fanzines such as the Hugo-nominated Habakkuk.

Robbins' first comics were printed in the East Village Other. In 1970 she left New York for San Francisco, where she worked at the feminist underground newspaper It Ain't Me, Babe. She subsequently established the first all-woman comic book titled It Ain't Me, Babe Comix. She became increasingly involved in creating outlets for and promoting female comics artists, through projects such as the comics anthology Wimmen's Comix. She was also the penciller on Wonder Woman for a time in the 1980s.

She also worked on an adaptation of Sax Rohmer's Dope for Eclipse Comics and GoGirl with artist Anne Timmons for Image Comics.

Trina designed Vampirella's costume for Forrest Ackerman and Jim Warren.

Non-fiction

In addition to her comics work, Robbins is an author of non-fiction books, including several with an emphasis on the history of women in cartooning.

• Women and the Comics by Catherine Yronwode and Trina Robbins (Eclipse, 1983) ISBN 0-913035-01-7
• A Century of Women Cartoonists (Kitchen Sink, 1993) ISBN 0-87816-206-2
• The Great Women Superheroes (Kitchen Sink, 1997) ISBN 0-87816-482-0
• From Girls to Grrrlz: A History of Women’s Comics from Teens to Zines (Chronicle, 1999) ISBN 0-8118-2199-4
• The Great Women Cartoonists (Watson-Guptill, 2001) ISBN 0-8230-2170-X
• Nell Brinkley and the New Woman in the Early 20th Century (McFarland & Co., 2001) ISBN 0-7864-1151-1
• Eternally Bad: Goddesses with Attitude (Conari Press, 2001) ISBN 1-57324-550-X
• Tender Murderers: Women Who Kill (Conari Press, 2003) ISBN 1-57324-821-5
• Wild Irish Roses: Tales of Brigits, Kathleens, and Warrior Queens (Conari Press, 2004) ISBN 1-57324952-1
• The Brinkley Girls (Fantagraphics Books, 2009) ISBN 978-1560979708
• Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs (Hampton Press, 2009) ISBN 978-1572739475

She is the first of the three "Ladies of the Canyon" in Joni Mitchell's classic song from the album of the same name.

Trina Robbins won a Special Achievement Award from the San Diego Comic Con in 1989 for her work on Strip AIDS U.S.A., a benefit book that she co-edited with Bill Sienkiewicz and Robert Triptow.