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QU33R
In 2012, Justin Hall edited a book called No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics, that took readers on a journey from the beginnings of LGBT comics history to the present day. QU33R is an all-new project featuring queer comics legends as well as new talents that picks up where No Straight Lines left off. We've set down our history, now QU33R shines a light on our future!
QU33R had its genesis in an all-color queer comic zine called THREE, which featured three stories by three creators or teams per issue. Rob Kirby published three installments of THREE annually from 2010 to 2012, and the series did well, garnering not only an Ignatz nomination for Outstanding Anthology or Collection but also earning Rob the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant in 2011.
Producing the anthology was immensely gratifying, but featuring just three comics and publishing only once per year meant a lot of cartoonists weren’t getting the exposure they deserved. The publishing opportunities for queer cartoonists and queer subject matter are still limited, even today, and Rob longed for a wider distribution than he was able to manage on his own. He approached Northwest Press about doing a bigger compendium of all-new work.
While THREE was happening, Justin Hall was preparing his book No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics, which Fantagraphics published in the summer of 2012. No Straight Lines traced the history of queer comics from their humble beginnings in the late '60s/early '70s all the way up to the present. The book was a whopping, award-winning success. Rob got to thinking that a follow-up volume—a sort-of-sequel focusing on all new work—would seal the deal, informing the world at large that we are still here, still queer, and still producing fresh and innovative work. He wanted to include not only several queer comics veterans, but also some fresh new faces and a few folks who haven’t necessarily belonged to the orthodox "queer comics scene" but have been doing non-heteronormative work all along.
QU33R had its genesis in an all-color queer comic zine called THREE, which featured three stories by three creators or teams per issue. Rob Kirby published three installments of THREE annually from 2010 to 2012, and the series did well, garnering not only an Ignatz nomination for Outstanding Anthology or Collection but also earning Rob the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant in 2011.
Producing the anthology was immensely gratifying, but featuring just three comics and publishing only once per year meant a lot of cartoonists weren’t getting the exposure they deserved. The publishing opportunities for queer cartoonists and queer subject matter are still limited, even today, and Rob longed for a wider distribution than he was able to manage on his own. He approached Northwest Press about doing a bigger compendium of all-new work.
While THREE was happening, Justin Hall was preparing his book No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics, which Fantagraphics published in the summer of 2012. No Straight Lines traced the history of queer comics from their humble beginnings in the late '60s/early '70s all the way up to the present. The book was a whopping, award-winning success. Rob got to thinking that a follow-up volume—a sort-of-sequel focusing on all new work—would seal the deal, informing the world at large that we are still here, still queer, and still producing fresh and innovative work. He wanted to include not only several queer comics veterans, but also some fresh new faces and a few folks who haven’t necessarily belonged to the orthodox "queer comics scene" but have been doing non-heteronormative work all along.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 22, 2014
4 people are currently reading
510 people want to read
About the author
Robert Kirby
43 books134 followersRob Kirby's solo books include Curbside and Curbside Boys. His anthologies include two volumes of The Book of Boy Trouble; 3 issues of the Ignatz-nominated series THREE; the Ignatz Award-winning QU33R; What's Your Sign, Girl?, & The Shirley Jackson Project. His graphic memoir, Marry Me a Little, is now available from Graphic Mundi/PSU Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 24, 2017
My latest book! It just got nominated for an Ignatz Award for Outstanding Anthology or Collection this week, which makes me proud: http://www.spxpo.com/2014-ignatz-awards
9/13/14 Update: QU33R won the Ignatz award tonight! Super proud.
6/24/17: Update: thrillingly, QU33R contributor Sasha Steinberg, aka the one and only Sasha Velour, just won Season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race! Yes, Sasha! We luv u!! (Also Eric Kostiuk Williams' fab comic in QU33R happens to be ABOUT RuPaul's Drag Race! Little did any of us know, back in the day...) xo
9/13/14 Update: QU33R won the Ignatz award tonight! Super proud.
6/24/17: Update: thrillingly, QU33R contributor Sasha Steinberg, aka the one and only Sasha Velour, just won Season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race! Yes, Sasha! We luv u!! (Also Eric Kostiuk Williams' fab comic in QU33R happens to be ABOUT RuPaul's Drag Race! Little did any of us know, back in the day...) xo
March 15, 2014
I was fortunate enough to get this lovely book in a hardcover format for being a contributor to their kickstarter campaign...signed by Rob Kirby! I was made aware of the project by one of their contributors, the very talented Eric Orner and was eager to check out his work as well as get acquainted with some artists that were new to me.
It is a gorgeous anthology of stories by some of todays best and most talented artists / cartoonists representing what it means to them and others in society to be part of the LBGTQ community. Having been a volunteer for over 10 years for gay rights organizations as well as support groups like PFLAG, I was very excited to see this book come out and think everyone should take a look and maybe through laughter and some humor gain a new understanding. There are some darker pieces here as well but I like that they are all different and though you might not like or agree with everything in this book, it will open your mind for sure!
***** 5 ***** powerful, funny and engaging stars =)
It is a gorgeous anthology of stories by some of todays best and most talented artists / cartoonists representing what it means to them and others in society to be part of the LBGTQ community. Having been a volunteer for over 10 years for gay rights organizations as well as support groups like PFLAG, I was very excited to see this book come out and think everyone should take a look and maybe through laughter and some humor gain a new understanding. There are some darker pieces here as well but I like that they are all different and though you might not like or agree with everything in this book, it will open your mind for sure!
***** 5 ***** powerful, funny and engaging stars =)
January 5, 2014
First book of the year, and it was lovely. Queer, varied, at turns dark or humorous, this collection has such variety to it that it felt a little like walking into a crowded room and finding that everyone is queer and welcoming, and that you'd like to be a friend to these people - because they're just as warped as you are.
Okay, so there was no way I was going to walk away from short fiction so easily, was there? Truth be told, I'm kind of missing having a tale to talk about every day - but I am liking that days where my head is pounding or I'm running from start to finish have one less item on the to-do list.
Still...
As a compromise, I figured I'd change daily to weekly. Sundays are three-out-of-four times a day off for me - also, I like alliteration - so I bring you the first "Sunday Shorts."
Sometimes I'll chat about a whole collection, sometimes maybe it'll just be a story - or maybe I'll flit around with multiple stories from one author. Whatever I feel like, or whatever has captured my attention. Hopefully, it's just as fun and enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a delve into short fiction in whatever form I might feel like chatting about.
And - as always - please let me know if you've bumped into short fiction that made you sit up and take notice.
QU33R, edited by Rob Kirby
I helped kickstart this anthology of thirty-three queer stories featuring queer comics legends and new talents. It even has my name in the "thank you" page, and it's even spelled correctly which is always an added bonus (I'm looking at you, Lambda Literary).
What was most impressive about this anthology was the range of art and the diversity of stories being told - some tales are uplifting, some are dark. A few made me laugh out loud. Some moved into the oft-neglected "T" of the LGBT community, and more than a few of the titles touched upon inter-sectional diversity.
Though there wasn't a clunker in the bunch, of course a few struck me more than others. Right off the bat I have to go a wee bit fan-boy over the Dylan Edwards story, "the Transformers." This tale - about kids who gender-swap their toys - was a wonderful mix of nostalgia and kick-ass kid-power that I loved. Brilliantly and deftly done.
On a completely different note, the assassin in Jennifer Camper's "Just Another Night in Carbon City" was lesbian noir done right. This story - about the latest hit, a possible romantic interlude, and things not being what they seem - is packed into such a short space that the tale is a perfect example of not wasting a single word.
There are so many more tales in QU33R worth reading, and I'm sure there's something here for everyone. If you're at all interested in graphic novels and LGBT tales, this one is for you.
Okay, so there was no way I was going to walk away from short fiction so easily, was there? Truth be told, I'm kind of missing having a tale to talk about every day - but I am liking that days where my head is pounding or I'm running from start to finish have one less item on the to-do list.
Still...
As a compromise, I figured I'd change daily to weekly. Sundays are three-out-of-four times a day off for me - also, I like alliteration - so I bring you the first "Sunday Shorts."
Sometimes I'll chat about a whole collection, sometimes maybe it'll just be a story - or maybe I'll flit around with multiple stories from one author. Whatever I feel like, or whatever has captured my attention. Hopefully, it's just as fun and enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a delve into short fiction in whatever form I might feel like chatting about.
And - as always - please let me know if you've bumped into short fiction that made you sit up and take notice.
QU33R, edited by Rob Kirby
I helped kickstart this anthology of thirty-three queer stories featuring queer comics legends and new talents. It even has my name in the "thank you" page, and it's even spelled correctly which is always an added bonus (I'm looking at you, Lambda Literary).
What was most impressive about this anthology was the range of art and the diversity of stories being told - some tales are uplifting, some are dark. A few made me laugh out loud. Some moved into the oft-neglected "T" of the LGBT community, and more than a few of the titles touched upon inter-sectional diversity.
Though there wasn't a clunker in the bunch, of course a few struck me more than others. Right off the bat I have to go a wee bit fan-boy over the Dylan Edwards story, "the Transformers." This tale - about kids who gender-swap their toys - was a wonderful mix of nostalgia and kick-ass kid-power that I loved. Brilliantly and deftly done.
On a completely different note, the assassin in Jennifer Camper's "Just Another Night in Carbon City" was lesbian noir done right. This story - about the latest hit, a possible romantic interlude, and things not being what they seem - is packed into such a short space that the tale is a perfect example of not wasting a single word.
There are so many more tales in QU33R worth reading, and I'm sure there's something here for everyone. If you're at all interested in graphic novels and LGBT tales, this one is for you.
September 2, 2017
I was a big fan of Rob Kirby's consistently solid anthology THREE, so of course I loved this book-length follow up, QU33R, at least 11x's as much. The pieces by Eric Orner, Justin Hall, and Steve Macisaac are up there with the best short stories I've read -- Powerful. I also loved the stories by MariNaomi (which I got to see her read live last year), Carrie McNinch (a sequel to her story in THREE #3), Andy Hartzell (an amazing piece incorporating the transcripts of Chelsea Manning's IM's with a hacker), Craig Bostick (told from the overlapping points of view of 3 bandmates), and Kirby himself (whose "Music for No Boyfriends" blew me away with its unique storytelling and subtle depth). From dark subject matter and challenging experimental work to hilarious jams and other comic relief, the beauty of this anthology is in its variety.
January 17, 2014
I love this anthology and I'm so honored to be a part of it.
March 6, 2016
Quite possibly the ugliest artwork I've ever seen. Only a few artists were interesting or had something to say. Otherwise, same gay tropes with nothing new. Not recommended.
December 1, 2021
Great collection of comics from LGBT creators. Yes, it's hit or miss but most of the selections in this anthology are hits. It also includes a great variety of artistic styles, stories, characters, and points of view.
April 17, 2019
On one hand, I’m really glad that this exists. One the other hand, I have a major problem with the fact that almost every story in this anthology features a queer person who is depressed, down-on-their luck, not having good time, etc. To clarify—I’m not commenting on each creator’s individual choice of what to narrate. Rather, I’m not having this anthology; the fact that this anthology labels itself as a sampling of what queer comics could be in the future and just about exclusively features stories about sad queer people is a problem. Queer people—it turns out—can be happy, and while we do need stories about the pressures and problems that accompany being queer, we also need (and maybe more so) stories about the complexities of what happens when we’re happy.
December 9, 2016
As with any anthology, there are parts I liked more than others. But this is essentially an overview of queer comics and well worth a look. My fave was the junior superhero who talks his way into a gay bar (of sorts) for full-fledged superheroes, written by Ivan Velez, Jr., but there were many entertaining stories and varied artwork and styles of storytelling.
June 29, 2024
Qu33r is an excellent collection of LGBTQIA+ comics. I really appreciated the range of the selections and the different artists represented. This book is a sustained effort to preserve queer creativity. We need more books like this one.
January 14, 2018
Like all compilation books, there were comics I loved and some I hated.
The bad: there were some that were included that I couldn't understand for the life of me. Not just bad storylines (everyone's got their own taste), but poorly done with pencil lines still included or white out marks. There were quite a few that reinforced some dangerous (in my mind) stereotypes about the queer community.
The good: there were heartfelt stories about coming out, about first loves, about reconciling what you feel and what society expects you to feel and believe that spoke to me as a queer person.
The amazing: I was blown away by the pieces from the following artists: Ed Luce, Dylan Edwards, Steve Macisaac, Andy Hartzell, Craig Bostick, Sasha Steinberg, Jon Macy, and L. Nichols in particular. They either had stories that I thought were incredibly important, artwork that was visually stunning, or both. While the book focused heavily on gay men, there were pieces about gender identity as well, which I loved.
All in all, I'd recommend it. Just be aware that there will be stereotypes that are not particularly flattering for the gay community included.
The bad: there were some that were included that I couldn't understand for the life of me. Not just bad storylines (everyone's got their own taste), but poorly done with pencil lines still included or white out marks. There were quite a few that reinforced some dangerous (in my mind) stereotypes about the queer community.
The good: there were heartfelt stories about coming out, about first loves, about reconciling what you feel and what society expects you to feel and believe that spoke to me as a queer person.
The amazing: I was blown away by the pieces from the following artists: Ed Luce, Dylan Edwards, Steve Macisaac, Andy Hartzell, Craig Bostick, Sasha Steinberg, Jon Macy, and L. Nichols in particular. They either had stories that I thought were incredibly important, artwork that was visually stunning, or both. While the book focused heavily on gay men, there were pieces about gender identity as well, which I loved.
All in all, I'd recommend it. Just be aware that there will be stereotypes that are not particularly flattering for the gay community included.
July 16, 2019
Whoa, a friend from High School has an entry in this book! Whoa!
Also, my darling (and pretty straight) husband picked it up and read at least half of it and had a lot of good and perceptive things to say about it. There's a really good piece about a bear encountering his high school tormentor and his daughter at the grocery store that we both really liked and really sort of speaks to how far queer comics have come ... a little skewed to the dude side, but this is a pretty great reflection of the complexities (and not-so-complexities) of queer identity today. Good stuff man.
Also, my darling (and pretty straight) husband picked it up and read at least half of it and had a lot of good and perceptive things to say about it. There's a really good piece about a bear encountering his high school tormentor and his daughter at the grocery store that we both really liked and really sort of speaks to how far queer comics have come ... a little skewed to the dude side, but this is a pretty great reflection of the complexities (and not-so-complexities) of queer identity today. Good stuff man.
July 28, 2020
i'm a huge fan of both comic and queer stories so I went in expecting to at least like this, but sadly all the stories fell flat for me. there was no depth to most characters even though a lot seemed to have autobiographical elements which is quite baffling. and the worst part for me was that I didn't like almost any of the art styles, they often seemed either amateurish, sloppy or plain ugly. i read 'till the end hoping at least one comic would redeem the experience, but at the end I regret having picked this up.
June 17, 2021
I wish I read more comics and graphic novels. Great anthology of various queer artists, about a wide range of queer experiences. My favorite one is Just Another Night in Carbon City. There were so many that I liked. Loneliness is a common theme across many stories. It is not just being alone when one can be lonely though.
September 18, 2021
Some misses in this one, as in every anthology, but mostly hits.
Favourites:
Porno by Eric Orner
Kindness of Strangers by Ed Luce (I loved the art style of this one, too, it's absolutely my favourite in the collection)
Just Another Night in Carbon City by Jennifer Camper
Vacant Lots by Steve MacIsaac
Manning/Lamo Project by Andy Hartzell
Favourites:
Porno by Eric Orner
Kindness of Strangers by Ed Luce (I loved the art style of this one, too, it's absolutely my favourite in the collection)
Just Another Night in Carbon City by Jennifer Camper
Vacant Lots by Steve MacIsaac
Manning/Lamo Project by Andy Hartzell
September 9, 2020
As with every anthology, there were a few comics where I asked myself "How did this get in here?" But overall, this was absolutely gold. My favourite comic was one of the first ones by artist Eric Orner. I adored it, but it is absolutely heartbreaking.
February 6, 2023
I think anthologies in graphic novel form may just not be for me. I felt like every time I was just really getting into the narrative of one story, it was already over. So while I enjoyed the stories, they all left me feeling unsatisfied.
July 17, 2018
QU33R is another Gem from Northwest Press. I have been supporting this brand on Kickstarter for a while and they never disappoint in terms of book quality or in honest, vibrant, and much needed queer voices in the world. This particular book goes all over the place in stories and representation. I highly recommend it
July 17, 2019
Loved this anthology but not five stars since there were some I loved less. Have me some great new queer comics to check out. Awesome!!
November 23, 2019
It was... fine.
January 19, 2020
An essential collection. Fantastic art and a range of storytelling.
September 20, 2020
Found a Carrie Mcninch in here.
March 7, 2021
Lovely collection of comics with various themes and emotions. Each creator poured their complete self into each piece.
September 17, 2020
Really great book. The comics in this book are all varying degrees of vibrant, funny, raw, sweet and beautiful.
Since the death of the gay free weeklies and the small comics press its hard to find queer comics, printed, on a regular basis. This is a great compilation for those who miss the ol' days of queer, printed comix.
Since the death of the gay free weeklies and the small comics press its hard to find queer comics, printed, on a regular basis. This is a great compilation for those who miss the ol' days of queer, printed comix.
January 23, 2020
Some good ones (like the first one), but also plenty of short stories with art so subpart that they are almost non-readable. Being stylish doesn't mean abandoning the basic rules of graphic storytelling.
September 29, 2014
A fun, cute, sad, but mostly eclectic barrage of LGBTQ comics from some brilliant and often little-known minds. Some stories act as eye-openers to a culture and lifestyle completely unknown to you. Some will be probably be painfully close to home and you may have difficulty getting through even a four page comic spread because it drips with shared experiences. A few of these stories will make absolutely no sense whatsoever while others will speak to you across time and space. In the end, it's probably the most diverse, fascinating LGBTQ comic anthology you'll ever pick up.
October 8, 2014
Whoa, a friend from High School has an entry in this book! Whoa!
Also, my darling (and pretty straight) husband picked it up and read at least half of it and had a lot of good and perceptive things to say about it. There's a really good piece about a bear encountering his high school tormentor and his daughter at the grocery store that we both really liked and really sort of speaks to how far queer comics have come ... a little skewed to the dude side, but this is a pretty great reflection of the complexities (and not-so-complexities) of queer identity today. Good stuff man.
Also, my darling (and pretty straight) husband picked it up and read at least half of it and had a lot of good and perceptive things to say about it. There's a really good piece about a bear encountering his high school tormentor and his daughter at the grocery store that we both really liked and really sort of speaks to how far queer comics have come ... a little skewed to the dude side, but this is a pretty great reflection of the complexities (and not-so-complexities) of queer identity today. Good stuff man.
February 26, 2014
Overall a very good graphic anthology containing a variety of responses to what "queer" means/is. As with all anthologies, some contributions are better than others. Some of the stories presented are pretty disturbing, which is augmented in Graphic Novel form, but those are important additions as they force the reader to grapple with many of the issues faced by the LGBTQ community.
May 4, 2015
I wanted to love this one a lot, but a lot of the stories were just too short and choppy though. It takes some real skill to produce a flash graphic story, but I was happy to see some obvious up and coming talents get a chance to showcase their work!
July 23, 2015
Anthology of mostly very good GLBTQ comics. The comic illustrating webchats of Bradley/Chelsea Manning from Iraq before wikileaks is really memorable. Lots of colorful naked bits; people sitting next to you in the carpool will notice what you're reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews