Here’s something you haven’t seen Batman do in, well, a long time if ever! This panel comes from Detective #42. Maybe it happened with Adam West playing Batman on the show. Can you imagine today’s Batman chilling out while battling baddies? A touch of fun wouldn’t hurt the stories, DC!
In volume one of the Batman Archives is the Batman story originally printed in Detective #41. It’s the third appearance of Dick Grayson and Robin who plays an important role in this untitled story. One night a homocidal maniac escapes from an asylum. Even before Arkham it seems Gotham had trouble keeping villains incarcerated. The same night at Blake School For Boys (ahem) the superintendent is murdered outdoors on school grounds and student Ted Spencer is kidnapped from his bed. All of these events catch Bruce Wayne’s attention in the following day’s newspaper, requiring Batman’s involvement, with the help of Dick. One day later Bruce enrolls Dick in the private school.
Mr Blake himself shows Bruce and Dick around the school, and introduces Mr. Graves the art instructor. Graves caught my attention for several reasons and led me to wonder if Bill Finger and Bob Kane intended Graves to be gay. One reason is because art teachers (at all boys schools!) aren’t often shown in comics, though his art background figures in to the plot, and most importantly because of the way he’s depicted. He wears a frilly neck scarf, which may have had some contemporary popularity of which I’m unaware. His hair is upswept and appears more feminine in comparison to how the other male characters have their hair drawn. Lastly, in two panels his hand gestures seem more typically feminine. While he is an older character, to my eye it appears he was drawn to look less attractive. Aside from his appearance and mannerisms all we know is he’s excited to have a new student and his artistic eye is for engraving, which requires a good eye for detail and a steady hand.
Fresh faced and eager, Dick settles in to the school all the while investigating. As Robin, he finds the missing diary of the kidnapped boy, which the police just couldn’t find because (gasp!) it was in a jumble of school books on his desk. A masked man fights Robin for the diary, and quickly disappears after stealing it away. Minutes later, he comes across the homocidal maniac (remember him?) trying to stab a janitor he thinks is an asylum guard. They tussle, and Robin disappears at the sound of policeman who capture the unstable man, leading everyone to assume the perp is captured. Not so, thinks Dick, who that night discovers Blake is murdered and trails the masked man through secret tunnels after finding him in a class room. Thank goodness Batman appears from nowhere to help Robin fight the thugs who’re part of 
the masked figure’s gang! Sweet victory belongs to our youthful crimefighter when he slingshots a rock at the mystery villain. Batman unmasks the fallen rogue and reveals the bad guy to be Mr Graves, our fussy, otherwise mild-mannered art instructor. It seems he and Blake had a counterfeiting operation and the boy saw the costumed Graves one night.
In decades past gay characters appearing in media were usually coded and burdened with any number of stereotypes, including being evil, unworthy of love or happiness, fussy and effeminate, and predatory. Oh wait, some people still think these are true today! Proclaiming Graves a gay character representation may be a stretch, but he does seem a curiosity to me.
“WE ARE FAMILY”
David Kelly
Review by Joe Palmer
Please note that this review was written and published on this website sometime during 2002 and the information in the last paragraph is obviously out of date. I thought it might be nice to reprint it in advance of Northwest Press’ printing of a Steven’s Comics collection.
Steven is a blond, blue eyed kid who’s about eleven years old. You might think he’d have the perfect life. As Steven takes us through his life we find out that it’s really bittersweet. His parents are divorced; Beverley is bitter and his father is resentful; his home life is always changing. What makes Steven an interesting character to read about is that despite all the obstacles that are thrown in his path he never gives up.
Oh, and it hasn’t quite dawned on him yet that he’s gay.
Christopher is his best and possibly only friend. They sneak into Christopher’s sister’s bed room to look at her teen idol posters, watch American Bandstand together, wait in line to get Darth Vader’s autograph, and dance to Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family”. On the other hand, Steven has to live with his bitter mother who finds a redneck loser for a boyfriend whom she allows to move in, and who makes life hellish for Steven. Rusty, the new boyfriend, eventually convinces Beverly to send the youngest kids off to live with their grandmother. Despite the new surroundings and strange new relatives, Steven’s life seems to take a turn for the good after moving to his grandmother’s trailer at the end of the story.
It should be easy for adult LGBT folk to relate to Kelly’s characters and story here. At one time or another we’ve all felt unwelcomed or despised by other kids in school. We’ve probably all had dysfunctional parents. And we’ve all had that first innocent crush on a friend probably without realizing what it was. What makes the story great is that Kelly writes with such charm that you’re compelled to cheer Steven through all the pitfalls in his life.
David Kelly has other comics featuring Steven. Issue #2 has early strips. Issue #4 is titled “New Best Friend”. Then there’s Steven’s Comics – Odds & Ends which is mainly strips and one-offs. Also available is an anthology comic called Boy Trouble . Issues #1 – 3 can be ordered. All About Boys, a new comic, should be out September 2002 after its debut at Small Press Expo.
Last week GLAAD announced its list of nominees for its 2010 Media Awards. Like in years past, criticism of the choices in the comic book category followed as it did here in a post from the insightful Christopher Butcher. Butcher rightly points out that the comic book nominees and awards primarily focus on the work of straight writers and rarely on work from LGBT folk. When LGBT creators are included, it has rarely, if ever, been for work that was independently produced outside of a mainstream publisher.
One of GLAAD’s criteria for nominating comics is how much impact (simplifying here) the comic has on LGBT representation. Impact may be understood in terms of how large the overall audience is and whether outside media brings attention to the work. GLAAD alludes to this in the following from its website:
Given to a comic book published by the four mainstream publishers and their subsidiary labels: Dark Horse, DC, Image, and Marvel. At GLAAD’s discretion, a comic book from another publisher may be nominated if the book achieves a level of visibility and impact similar to a mainstream publisher. The comic book may be nominated for an individual issue, a story arc or a recurring LGBT character.
This is one factor that allows for a book like X-Factor, which I read and quite enjoy David’s writing) can be nominated while Ed Luce’s Wuvable Oaf is completely ignored. I’m not saying this is fair, but let’s face it, that’s the way it is, and GLAAD is unlikely to change the process in the future. Likewise, all of the coverage on Archie’s Kevin Keller helped to put it on the list, and based on this it won’t surprise me if Dan Parent wins.
Disclosure here: since 1998 I believe, though my memory is uncertain, I’ve been a member of the nominating committee. For one reason or another I didn’t participate this past year. I can say that over the time of my involvement the scope and number of comics that were considered broadened, but still rarely included indy LGBT creators. On two occasions I advocated for specific comics to be included, Terry Moore’s Strangers In Paradise and How Loathsome by Tristan Crane and Ted Naifeh. Other committee members may have advocated for other books as well, but I’m unaware of any efforts. Still and all, GLAAD will continue to honor work in the way it chooses. By nature, any organization changes slowly.
What to do then?
Collectively speaking, we can continue to criticize and bemoan GLAAD’s choices on an annual basis. Or perhaps we can think of this as a long overdue opportunity to create an independent awards process to draw attention to and honor the work of LGBT creators typically overlooked by GLAAD. The idea brought up a number of questions since it occurred to me a few days ago. The biggest of all is it worthwhile at all? I’ll leave the answer up to others.
New “Steven’s Comics” Collection
Charles “Zan” Christensen
Northwest Press
zan@northwestpress.com
Northwest Press announced today that their forthcoming collection—David Kelly’s Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics—will feature a foreword written by It Gets Better Project founder Dan Savage, and that Northwest Press will be making a donation to the organization for each copy of the book sold. The book collects the entire Xeric-award-winning series that ran in alternative and LGBT newspapers from 1995 to 1998, as well as rarely-seen additional artwork and 16 new pages of Steven stories.
“Since there’s been so much focus lately on bullying and teen suicide among LGBT youth,” says publisher Charles “Zan” Christensen, “I thought this would be the perfect time to bring ‘Steven’s Comics’ to a wider audience. Steven is an innocent, optimistic and resilient kid who’s coming to terms with the things that make him different, and determined to live his life without apology. This series is so heartfelt and genuine that I think it could be a great resource to help people better understand what it’s like to be a queer kid.”
Rainy Day Recess looks at growing up “different” from a kid’s point of view, and handles topics like bullying, divorce, and first loves with sensitivity and restraint. While previous Northwest Press releases have been aimed only at older teens and adults, this book is appropriate for young adult and adult readers alike.
“I am excited to have all of my Steven’s Comics strips collected in this new book,” said Kelly. “While it’s been several years since I’ve drawn any new strips, coming back to the Steven character was like seeing an old friend at summer camp. He may have grown up a bit and experienced so many things, but he’s still the same.”
“Steven’s Comics” counts among its fans some high-profile names in the comics industry.
“David Kelly captures the solitude and magic of queer childhood with an eerie realness,” says Alison Bechdel, author of the the New York Times bestseller Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.
“I’m thrilled that Northwest Press is publishing this,” says Kris Dresen, creator of Grace, Max and Lily and Manya. “Steven’s Comics is a fantastic comic.”
“I was charmed right from the start,” says London comics writer and editor Paul Gravett, “by David Kelly’s understanding of the inner life of a lonely, anxious boy, growing up living with his grandma. I sense the influence here of the great Lynda Barry in these strips’ bold, expressive art and generous texts. It’s great to have them all compiled in this smart kids-book style landscape package.”
Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics is now available for pre-order through several online retailers, and for wholesale order by retailers to arrive on store shelves in March. The book is black-and-white with a color cover, and has a cover price of $14.99 US.
Charles “Zan” Christensen and David Kelly will both be attending the Emerald City ComiCon in Seattle, March 4th-6th, where they will appear on a panel of LGBT comics creators.
About David Kelly
David Kelly is a comics artist living in Seattle. In addition to “Steven’s Comics”, he has published and co-edited the anthology series Boy Trouble since 1995 with founder Robert Kirby. David’s comics have appeared in The Stranger, Gay Comics, Stereoscomic, and in numerous ‘zines and weekly newspapers.
About Northwest Press
Northwest Press is a publisher founded in 2010 that is dedicated to publishing the best lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) graphic novels and comics collections. Its first two books were Jon Macy’s Teleny and Camille and Justin Hall’s Glamazonia: The Uncanny Super-Tranny. Northwest Press has a mission to find and publish the best quality LGBT comics work in a polished, professional format, and bring it to as wide an audience as possible.
About Dan Savage
Dan Savage writes the syndicated “Savage Love” sex-advice column and is the editorial director of The Stranger newspaper in Seattle. He started the It Gets Better Project in 2010 to combat gay teen suicide and bullying.
Art by Tony Harris
“It’s ironic because in Starman – and I believe this to be true. And I’m willing to be called a liar. I’m not 100 percent sure of this. But I think within mainstream comics, be that Marvel and DC basically – I think in Starman, I had the first main, male gay kiss ever. So for me to be called a gay hater is ridiculous.”
James Robinson in Newsarama’s “2011′s Hot Buttons p.3: ROBINSON on DC’s Gay JLA’ers”
Yes, it’s true. Robinson’s statement about presenting the first gay male couple kiss in mainstream comics (Starman #45, cover dated August 1998) is correct, at least to the best of my knowledge. The scene was beautiful, unpretentious, and unexpected. I remember very well reading the comic and crying because of the love and tenderness that was conveyed and also because there in the pages of one of my favorite comics were two gay men – men who were in love with each other. My already high appreciation of your writing jumped to a new level.
To say my appreciation of your writing declined with reading your Cry For Justice mini series is an understatement. I never hated you though.
There was the off panel death of Tony, Mikaal’s boyfriend shown in the image here; both of them unseen for years, as has often happened with LGBT characters in DC and Marvel comics. I recall thinking Mikaal’s reaction to Tony’s death was unrealistic in that there was little grief, only a desire for vengeance.
Then Blue Jay was murdered. Or it seemed that way at the time since now Jay has recently been seen alive and well, and you revealed that he wasn’t dead in the first place. Here was another character, barely seen in years, one that many gay readers have claimed belonging to our tribe though we admittedly have little proof, senselessly contrived as dead.
As if to prove the cliche that death comes in three’s, you write a scene in which yet another shuffled off to limbo gay character is murdered. And not just murdered. You have Prometheus using his flayed skin as a fur rug.
Yes, other characters were murdered too. Straight characters. All killed as plot devices to make Prometheus a super bad ass villain.
Did it work?
For some readers I’d say yes. Not for me though, and not because I consider LGBT characters to be off limits in any way. My criticism of Cry For Justice, Mr. Robinson, was for what I took to be poor writing, plotting, and characterization on your part. At least that’s how I thought I criticized your story when I first wrote about Cry For Justice.
So, no, I was never one of the people who said “James Robinson hates gay people (or characters)”. Whether you included me in your statement is something only you can tell me. In case you didn’t read my comments here (and why should you have?), I’ll say it again just in case: Thanks for the script that kept my interest and gives me cause to anticipate more of the same, Mr. Robinson. And sincere appreciation for undoing Taz’s grisly and pointless death. Plus, advance kudos for creating another relationship for Mikaal. Just don’t tell me that Tas’ last boyfriend was killed!
A small stack of comics mostly from the Silver Age that I picked up here and there throughout last year sits on the floor next to my bed. Many of them are worn reader copies, not too precious to take out of their bags to enjoy. Among them is a copy of Showcase #76 which debuted Bat Lash in the summer of 1968. A full year of superhero comics by then, my ten year old self just wasn’t interested in a western comic. A few years later things would’ve been different. Besides, there was no way a comic could have the same appeal as the often shirtless Robert Conrad (minus the bondage themes) in Wild Wild West had for me.
That's Nick Cardy art!
Forty two years later, I have to say that may have been wrong. Reading Bat Lash last night before turing in was an unexpected and pleasant surprise.
“Will he save the West or ruin it?” was the question posed in DC house ads for Bat Lash. He was an atypical Western character, from his colorful vest, flower adorned hatband, a horse named Daisy to his gastronomic tastes for fine food and wine, and an aversion to violence. If not for Lash’s interest in women he could possibly be taken as a forerunner to the gay version of Rawhide Kid. The connotations of these affectations weren’t lost on writer Sergio Aragones which as you can see he addressed in these panels with Bat encountering some of the local men from the town of Welcome, a place that proves to be just the opposite.
Despite the aversion to violence, Bat makes quick work of the mocking men, but only after removing the flower from his hat and doffing his hat to a woman to politely excuse him from their conversation. Surprisingly, after the fight ends Lash’s thoughts return to his gourmet pheasant dinner (and the woman he wants to share it with)!
A couple points seem remarkable to me. First, the portrayal of a heroic male lead with non-traditional masculine traits in the stereotypical masculine genre of Westerns and a comic at a time when content was held to strict Comics Code guidelines about sex and showing “deviant” elements specifically. And this happened 35 years before a gay Rawhide Kid caused such a media sensation. Sure, Bat isn’t a gun slinging sodomite as these good ol’ boys believe but neither is he John Wayne. So even though the words and mannerisms of the big blond guy are derogatory, it’s pretty clear by Aragones’ story that Lash doesn’t tolerate crap and he doesn’t see anything wrong with his behavior or appearance. That seems to be a positive message in a comic over 40 years ago, one that might have come in handy for a 10 year old.
At one time James Robinson was one of my favorite comic writers. That was when Robinson was writing Starman throughout the 90s. His return to comics was an event for which I’d hoped, until it happened and his Cry For Justice and most of his JLA left me either disappointed, confused, or angry as was the case with the transformation of Tasmanian Devil from a D-list hero to a floor rug for inflated bad ass Prometheus. Well, saying that C4J had me angry is trying to paint me in a good light.
Honestly, I hated the writing and most of its aspects and I hated that reading the comics in question felt like the old cliche of watching an awful car accident.
I tried to put those feelings aside when adding the Starman/ Congorilla one shot to my January pull list. Even so, keeping expectations low was the best I could do in anticipating this special.
And then I read the story, and was really surprised by Robinson’s work here. The dialog between and characterization of Mikaal and Congorilla was a real joy to read, which made some of the less successful plot elements less of a problem for me. Robinson advances Mikaal’s emotional state of mind in the wake of his boyfriend Tony’s murder and sets the stage for future love prospects. Best of all, Robinson manages to bring back to life Tasmanian Devil! How Taz returns to the four color world is something I’ll leave for you to find out.
Art by Brett Booth
Thanks for the script that kept my interest and gives me cause to anticipate more of the same, Mr. Robinson. And sincere appreciation for undoing Taz’s grisly and pointless death.
Thanks to the "anonymous" pic contributor!
Contributed by Michael McDermott
Nigel was a member of the covert paramilitary organization called the V-Battalion, assembled at the end of the second World War to quietly deal with threats to world peace. He served under the command of Roger Aubrey, the Mighty Destroyer.
Recently, Aubrey stepped down as head of the V-Battalion and retired in order to deal with his clinical depression, caused in part by his unresolved grief for his lover Brian Falsworth (Union Jack II) who had been killed in a car crash decades earlier. After Roger retired, he and Nigel became romantically involved. Nigel helped Roger to overcome his depression and move forward with his life.
However, they were unable to leave the life of action behind them entirely. When the Thin Man assembled a new team ofInvaders, Roger offered his services to the group on a part-time basis. Nigel and Roger were also present at a gay andlesbian pride festival when it was attacked by Nazi vampires who were members of the Axis Mundi superhuman terrorist organization.
Roger has since returned to his former position as head of the V-Battalion. Whether or not Nigel also returned to his previous post is unknown. Nigel was last seen with Roger attending the funeral for Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch.
Although writer Allan Jacobsen intended Nigel to have been a member of the V-Battalion, that background detail was never actually confirmed on-panel. However, it is implied in Nigel’s conversations with Roger about his work with the Invaders and the V-Battalion, since Roger would not be likely to discuss the workings and memberships of top-secret covert organizations with a civilian.
Creator’s Comments: The intended back story is that Nigel worked with the V-Battalion, and that while working they became good friends–something Roger Aubrey had precious few of. I always assumed he was a tactitian or something like that. He would’ve been one of those background guys who was sitting at a computer console on the bridge of the V-Battalion’s big ship (the Vanguard).
Nigel is an easy-going speak-your-mind type, and outed Roger very early in their dealings. Although the two never shared a physically intimate relationship, they became quite close, as Nigel was the one person Aubrey could truly openly share his feeling with. The relationship was ultimately strained to breaking by Roger’s obsessive quest for justice and inability to come to terms with his personal life.
Frustrated, Nigel eventually retired, and returned to private life as a Professor of Literature in the UK.
Their relationship re-ignited when Roger himself retired, and finally sought out “the one that got away”. Nigel represents Aubrey’s decision to out himself, and finally live the life he always dreamt for himself and his deceased partner Union Jack.
As a member of the V-Battalion, Nigel served as one of the many tactical support technicians on the bridge of the Vanguard, so Nigel likely has certain tactical and/or technical expertise. It is also possible he has had training for hand-to-hand combat or weapons use, but that is unconfirmed.
Nigel first appeared and is shown as gay in New Invaders #4. See the Destroyer & Union Jack II entry.
© and ® Marvel Comics. All rights reserved.
Art by Ron Frenz
Contributed by Ronald Byrd
The daughter of infamous cat burglar Walter Hardy, Felicia Hardy decided to follow in his footsteps and trained herself to become an expert combatant and thief, the Black Cat. Early in her career, she became attracted to the super-hero Spider-Man, and she eventually joined him as a lover and a fellow crime-fighter, earning amnesty for her past misdeeds. However, their relationship had several problems; Felicia was more enamored of Spider-Man’s costumed persona than she was of his true identity, Peter Parker, while Spider-Man felt that costumed crime-fighting was too dangerous for a non-superhuman. To compensate, Felicia acquired super-powers from a mysterious source who turned out to be the Kingpin of Crime, one of Spider-Man’s deadliest enemies, a revelation which further complicated matters, as did the revelation that Felicia’s new bad-luck power might eventually kill anyone in her vicinity, including Spider-Man. Felicia intended to end her relationship with Spider-Man to save his life but, unaware of this, Spider-Man himself broke off the relationship due to their personal differences.
Following the breakup, the thrill-seeking Felicia returned to crime but took to donating her ill-gotten gains to others. Meanwhile, Spider-Man underwent a string of misfortunes as a delayed effect of his association with her; sorcerer Doctor Strange cured Spider-Man by altering Felicia’s powers, removing her bad-luck power but giving her additional abilities in return. Felicia renewed her relationship/partnership with Spider-Man on an irregular basis but finally departed for Paris, France; when she returned some time later, she learned that, as Peter Parker, Spider-Man had married another of his long-time girlfriends, Mary Jane Watson. Felicia began dating one of Parker’s friends, Eugene “Flash” Thompson, as a way of ingratiating herself into Parker’s life and eventually wrecking his marriage, but she developed a true affection for Thompson and abandoned her scheme. She was also robbed of her remaining super-powers by a device of the criminal Chameleon, but, undaunted, she began a career as a private investigator, at times finding herself on both sides of the law, as it seems she wanted all along.
By about fourteen years in the future (or on a present-day alternate Earth where time has proceeded differently and everyone is thus some fourteen years older than on Marvel-Earth, accounts vary), Felicia’s detective agency has achieved worldwide success, and it is known that during the intervening years she married Eugene Thompson (currently a coach at Midtown High School) and bore him two children, Gene and Felicity. However, she has also divorced him, apparently because she fell in love with Diana, formerly a contract operative for her agency. Felicity disapproves of the relationship, possibly because she regards Diana as an opportunist out for Felicia’s wealth; it is not known how her son reacted. Felicia apparently maintained the costumed identity of the Black Cat at least until her divorce and gave it up not long after, but no further details of her later career are known; her abandonment of her costumed identity is another sore point with her daughter.
As of the timeframe of “Spider-Girl,” Felicia and Diana have known each other for nearly six years, although it is not known how long their relationship has been a romantic one. Felicia, Diana, and Felicity move from Paris to Forest Hills, a suburb of New York which is also the home of Peter Parker, who in this timeline remains married to Mary Jane Watson and has a daughter, May, who herself has superhuman powers and fights crime as Spider-Girl; Felicity also adopts a costumed identity, the Scarlet Spider, and attempts to convince Spider-Girl to accept her as a crime-fighting partner, thus furthering the connections between the two families.
For a time, the Black Cat possessed two separate sets of super-powers; the treatments given to her by the Kingpin augmented her strength and agility and enabled her to, either consciously or subconsciously, psionically alter probability fields so that those around her experienced bad luck. After Doctor Strange removed the latter power, her abilities mutated further to grant her even greater strength and agility, as well as the ability to form her hands and feet into claws. In the mainstream Marvel universe she lost this second set of abilities some years ago and again became a non-powered human; whether or not she might have regained or retained these powers in the alternate timeline of “Spider-Girl” remains to be seen.
In her prime the Black Cat was, even without super powers, a highly trained athlete, martial artist, and thief; she usually traveled via a grappling hook swing-line which could also serve as a tightrope or a wall-scaling device. Whether or not she has retained these talents in her late thirties/early forties is unclear, although as the head of her detective agency she presumably remains a skilled investigator.
Felicia Hardy/ Black Cat first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #194. Though Felicia’s bi-sexuality has been primarily established in the alternate timeline of Spider-Girl (Spider-Girl #45 & #47), there was a scene in the Spiderman/Black Cat mini in which she said, “It’s been so long since I’ve had a boyfriend … or a girlfriend”. Director of a private investigation firm; formerly cat burglar, adventurer, private investigator. Felicia lives in Forest Hills, New York.
© and ® Marvel Comics. All rights reserved.