Gay Comix is an underground comics series created in 1980 by Howard Cruse. It features the work gay, lesbian and transsexual artists. Much of the early content was autobiographical, but more diverse themes were explored in later editions. Autobiographical themes include falling in love, coming out, repression and sex.[1] Gay Comix also served as a source for information about non-mainstream LGBT-themed comics and events.[2]
The contents of Gay Comix was generally about love and affection, rather than sex. It is generally less sexually explicit than the similarly themed Meatmen series of graphic novels.[3]
Artists producing work for Gay Comix included Mary Wings, creator of the first one-off lesbian book Come Out Comix (1972) and Dyke Shorts (1976); Roberta Gregory, who created Dynamite Damsels (1976), the first lesbian underground serial comic book, and the character Bitchy Bitch[4]; Jerry Mills, creator of Poppers; Howard Cruse, editor of the first four issues; Robert Triptow, editor of issues 5 through 13; Jennifer Camper, editor of Juicy Mother; Tim Barela, creator of Leonard & Larry; and Lee Marrs and Trina Robbins, two of the original members of the Wimmen's Comix Collective.
Wimmen's Comix also tackled issues of homosexuality on a regular basis, and the first issue was also the venue for the first ever comic strip featuring an out lesbian, called "Sandy Comes Out", by Trina Robbins.[5]
Excerpts from Gay Comix are included in the 1989 anthology Gay Comics.[6][1]
Notes
- ^ a b Rothschild, p. 64
- ^ Haggerty, p. 326
- ^ Rothschild, p. 127
- ^ Slade, Joseph W. (2001). Pornography and sexual representation: a reference guide. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 941. ISBN 9780313315213.
- ^ Kaplan, p.86
- ^ Triptow, Robert (1989). Gay Comics. Plume; New American Library. ISBN 0452262291.
References
- Rothschild, D. Aviva (1995). Graphic novels: a bibliographic guide to book-length comics. Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 9781563080869.
- Haggerty, George E. (2000). Gay histories and cultures: an encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780815318804.
External links
- Gay Comix/ Comics at Grand Comic-Book Database: [1] [2]
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