Rainbow Reflections: Body Image Comics for Queer Men

by Stephanie Gauvin (Editor), Phillip Joy (Editor, Contributor), Matthew Lee (Editor)

This unique anthology combines comics with scholarship for a stunning and heart-felt inquiry into the current state of queer men's physical, mental, emotional and sexual health. With over 30 contributing artists, comics explore subjects like online dating, fat-shaming, gender dysphoria, top surgery, good consent, and overcoming adversity with the help of a friend or partner. 'Rainbow Reflections' is, at its core, a book of self-love and self-care.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Queer, LGBT, Comics, Gay, Mental Health, Graphic Novels Comics

170 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Proud to be in this book! It's very useful in the conversation of body dysmorphia, fat shame, etc. for gay men, trans men, and everyone who identifies as queer male. I contributed the three-page "My Queer Body (Issues)," a light-hearted look at my struggles with body image & self-perception. Among a few of the other comics I really liked are "Let it Go" by Justin Hubbell, "Masc Man" by Ollie Rollins, "Brand New D(G)ay" by Jeff Macklin, "Skinny Fat" by Tim Singleton, and all the interstitial pieces by James Niesh, who also rendered the wonderful cover art. The book was edited by three academics from Dalhousie University in Ontario, so naturally there's an appendix of reference material on these topics. If you are a queer man and have a body, get this now.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is gay, studies psychology (in particular different psychological impacts on LGBT peoples) and loves queer media this was everything I didn't even know I needed. Add my own struggles with body dysmorphia and this was a book literally hand crafted for me. I enjoyed all the studies peppered throughout and the wide range of art styles and stories told and would love if this were only the tip of the ice berg for more works of this kind!

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW! Holy cow!
Amazing Artwork by many fantastic artists!
This was one of those books where I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was very pleasantly surprised.
I really enjoy books where I see myself reflected in the writing.
As a gay man who had constantly felt like I didn't fit into a box of queer culture, this book would have been very helpful ages ago. I'm very glad that it exists now.

Some of the struggles addressed in the book hit way too close to home, but they're not untrue (imo)

The book is structured in a way as to address some of the many facets facing queer men across the spectrum of the rainbow:
-Social Constructions of Masculinity
-Nutritional Health
-Mental Health
-Emotional Health
-Sexual Health
-Cultural Constructions of the Body
-Getting the right kind of help
All of this information is crammed with 38 comics, as visually appealing as every body.

You are enough. You are beautiful. Your body is your own. This book addresses it well and respectfully.

[Jonathan Pavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the personalized experiences that people shared through their art and storytelling. I also enjoy the facts and stats throughout. Being a guy born with an enlarged liver and stretched and relaxed stomach muscles it’s nice to have content to read like this.

[Akiva ꙮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this sounds like it might be interesting or useful to you, you're probably right. Lots of trans rep.

[Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collaboration of the intersection of research and art. Overall, it was clear that the art wasn't done by a group of professional artists, but rather by students. Some were wildly successful and others didn't look polished at all. However, there weren't many that were duds in this collection, even if I found there to be a decent amount of repetition. It was quick, thought provoking, and the ones that soared were really excellent micro-comics

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm insanely happy this is the book that gets me to my reading goal for the year. I love this comics anthology. Not only is it personal experience but there is research cited between blocks of stories. The art is gorgeous. The stories are wonderful and some are heartbreaking.

Go read this!