Queereaders discussion

This is kind of a new world for me. Does anyone have favorites they want to recommend?

I'm particularly intrigued by Robert Kirby's work. Anyone familiar with it?


Robert Kirby
The Book of Boy Trouble: Gay Boy Comics with a New Attitude

An early comic with a subtly gay character is Rawhide Kid— from the '60s and '70s. IIRC, it has been revived. Check eBay for examples and http://www.comics.org for more info.

There was a great online comic called Boy Meets Boy that ended I think around 2004, but perhaps you'd still be able to find it floating around.

Hi, I'm Rob Kirby (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...) - thanks to Robert Dunbar (whose book Monsters and Martyrs I HIGHLY recommend) for asking about me here. I don't think there are a lot of my readers on this site (nor for many of the amazing queer alt-cartoonists out there), but here is a recent nice review of my latest comic anthology, courtesy of Lambda Literary, to give anyone who cares a starting point:

http://www.lambdaliterary.org/reviews...

Another Goodreads cartoonist/author whose work I highly recommend is Steve MacIsaac; his work is literary, often erotic, and always visually beautiful:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

Hello,

It's so great to stumble across this discussion topic as I am also seeking recommendations for graphic novels/comics...

I totally agree with Nikki; Alison Bechdel is awesome!

I endorse Nikki's recommendation of both Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic and The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For

Here are my reviews:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

and

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Enjoy...

Yes, Alison and her Dykes and esp. Fun Home = greatness!

Each time I search for must-read Lesbian Graphic Novels I come across Ariel Schrag and her autobiographical series. Any thoughts? Anyone?

Robert, I came across the review for THREE at Lambda Literary the other day -- congratulations! Great review!

(I also have fond memories of "Dykes to Watch Out For.")

Yah, I just happen to have a running list of nice notices which I feel I simply must share here:

http://gaycomicslist.free.fr/blog/ind...

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources....
y-224/

http://www.readaboutcomics.com/2010/0...

http://www.orthocomics.com/wordpress/

http://www.gayleague.com/wordpress/20...

http://www.lambdaliterary.org/reviews...
e-2299

http://thedailycrosshatch.com/tag/rob...

http://www.fanboysoftheuniverse.com/i...
_number/

http://www.gaypeopleschronicle.com/st...

The jury is in: THREE is awesome. :O)

Impressive!!!!!!!!

Thanks, Robert. Nice collection :D

There are some gay superheroes now, if you read and look.. I know that Rictor and Shatterstar are having a relationship in X-Factor, and that Northstar from Alpha Flight is gay, and one of the young X-men, (I think his superhero name is Anole) is gay, too.

I am more of a superhero nerd, so when I DO read comics, it is usually trying to catch up with the X-men.


Though I just finished the graphic novel series "Blackest Night" involving the Green Lanters and almost all of the DC heroes. I don't realy read DC but it was a good story arc. And also not gay. But entertaining.

I'll just shut up now.

I've never been much of a comics fan, though I did occasionally enjoy the adventures of Archie, Jughead and Veronica when I was a child. I know I have a few of those issues around somewhere, probably in the same box as my baseball card collection.

Superheroes were more appealing on TV than in comics.

The suggestions here look great, but I'm very much a beginner and don't have a clue where to start.

You're not alone in exploring this genre, Nancy. I'm just beginning to work myself into the world of Lesbian Graphic Novels and would appreciate as many recommendations as possible...

Go here: http://prismcomics.org/

That oughta get you started. There's a lot of superhero stuff I don't care about on here, but tons of great male and female queer artists. Some excellent lesbian cartoonists, off the top of my head: Paige Braddock, Leanne Franson, Joan Hilty, Diane DiMassa, Jen Camper, and of course, the queen, Alison Bechdel, whose Fun Home is an acknowledged masterpiece of the autobio/queer graphic novel form.

Robert, this is a fantastic link; thank you so much! As previously mentioned, I am utterly obsessed with the work of Queen Alison, however I am yet to delve into Complete Hothead Paisan and all of the other artists are unfamiliar to me. I am very much looking forward to checking them out...and of course adding to my ever growing 'to-read' stack!

I really like the look and tone of Rude Girls and Dangerous Women...

Fiona, yup, check that one out! Jen Camper is a pal of mine from way back. She is possessed of a particularly biting wit & will be appearing in the second issue of my series THREE.

Great! I'll check you out too... Thanks Robert :)

Thanks, Fiona, there is so much more to comics than far too many people believe. It is an amazing art form. I hope you find a whole bunch of things to enjoy!

Thanks so much for the link, Robert! Sadly, my local library doesn't carry graphic novels, but I can get quite a few through interlibrary loan. A Goodreads friends recommended I start with Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned. Has anyone read this? And is it good for someone new to comics?

Nancy, I recently stumbled across the graphic novel series you mention whilst browsing through the bookshelves of one of my 'friends' on Goodreads; I highly value her ratings and reviews as she always expresses herself with such honesty, so the four stars she gave Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned has convinced me to give it a try some time soon.

I am also extremely interested in the highly-acclaimed holocaust survival narrative The Complete Maus.

Have you read any Marjane Satrapi? The Complete Persepolis and Embroideries are definitely worth your time and attention.

Nancy, the first graphic novels I ever read, many years ago now, were written by Neil Gaiman. Genius. I highly recommend that you begin exploring his work with Preludes and Nocturnes. Legendary.

I'm currently thinking about re-familiarising myself with all of Charles Schulz’s classic Peanuts characters... Hmmm, I really should begin stacking each volume onto my 'to-read- 'graphic novel' shelf. Tee-hee, I love Lucy van Pelt! :)

I finally read Maus a few years ago, thinking "this can't be be as good as everyone says it is." It totally is - it's great.

Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse is a classic coming-of-age story of a closeted gay man drawn against the backdrop of the civil rights movement of the early 60's south. It stands beside Alison Bechdel's Fun Home as a great queer-themed (among other themes, of course) graphic novel.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83...

In a completely different vein, The Complete Peanuts is also great - at least for the first decade or two (after the early 70s I mostly lost interest). Fantagraphics is releasing the entire run of the strip, volume by volume, each one featuring a full year of strips - I think there have been a good 20 books released thus far. So many people I know, myself included, were inspired to become cartoonists by the classic work of Charles Schulz.

Also, yes, Persepolis. Excellent storytelling. Two thumbs up on that too!

I forgot all about the Peanuts! I loved them as a child, and had quite a collection of paperbacks. I haven't explored graphic novels at all since then, but may have to remedy that since all the recommendations sound great and I have several Goodreads friends who are fans. Persepolis was a wonderful animated film, and a far better exploration of Iranian culture than Not Without My Daughter which I read quite a few years ago.

My friends tell me Gaiman's Sandman series is a little too complex for someone new to graphic novels. And I hear that is good too.

I really like Neil Gaimon, our very own Leonardo. I consider American Gods the best book I've read from this century.

I've got the 4 volume set of The Absolute Sandman, gorgeous books with a wonderful aroma (love smelling books), but have had trouble getting into it. I think I need to be in a special mood for graphic novels, and I am in a more novel reading mood.

His current blog post:

I am in Cardiff today and tomorrow. Doctor Who Confidential are going to interview me and I'm now going to steal the TARDIS and explore the whole of space and time fighting evil wherever I encounter it potter about the set for a bit and not look at all suspicious.

A man after my heart. I would sure like to meet him.

Kernos, your slip-case volume of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman looks fabulous! I'm getting high on the aroma from here!

And yes, I too love American Gods - urban fantasy at its most glorious...

Now, I hardly watch any television, (just BBC iPlayer broadcasts of 'University Challenge', 'Question Time' and of course 'Eastenders'!) however I do know that Gaiman has confirmed that he is writing an episode of the long running British science fiction series 'Doctor Who', which will be broadcast (as 'The House of Nothing') in 2011. Just wanted to share that piece of information with you in case you weren't already aware.

Neil Gaiman selected the stories for this year's edition of Houghton Mifflin's Best American Comics series:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/79...
"Ex-Communication" by Steve MacIsaac, originally featured in my queer comics anthology, The Book of Boy Trouble Volume 2 (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29...), was selected by Gaimon for inclusion in BAC '10. I'm really proud of that (and you can imagine how Steve M feels).

Kernos: I so appreciate your appreciation of book aromas - me too! Try duplicating THAT, Kindle!

I'm a book sniffer too:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

'Book Sniffers'! Such an awesome name for a reading group! ;)