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Hero

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Hero
Perry Moore
Cover design by Chip Kidd
Hyperion Books

Review by Joe Palmer
Perry Moore’s debut novel HERO is the story of a young teen coming to terms with world around him. In this it is not unique. What sets this story apart from other prose work is the fictional world that Thom Creed lives in is one filled with superheroes.

Basketball star, all around athlete, student mentor, hard working kid with a lanky build and good looks. Thom Creed could be the proverbial boy next door, except he isn’t. The house Thom and his father live in is the worst in the neighborhood. Thom’s father, a disgraced superhero, is a social pariah while his mother left without a word As if the cards weren’t stacked well enough against Thom, the teenager has two secrets that he fears will forever ruin him in his father’s eyes: he’s gay and he has the power to spontaneously heal living things.

Losing his father’s love is the last thing Thom wants to happen, and he finds it impossible to deny his often intertwined desires to be a superhero and be true to himself.  This seemingly impossible dilemma is at the crux of the story and fuels the dynamic that sets the Hero’s Journey in motion for Thom. Granted, this passage is not as epic or complex as The Iliad but it is a very personal initiation into manhood.

Thom’s journey begins with a rocky start. Having scored the winning basket against the arch rival Tuckahoe Trojans team, Thom should be on top of the world except his coach kicked him off the team after a comment from an opposing team member confirms suspicions about his sexuality. A surprise interruption at home from his father creates a situation for Thom. Running away seems to be his only option, but not before Thom discovers a carefully hidden message written long ago by his mother – To my son. Know yourself.

Many adventures have an inauspicious start and Thom’s is no different. It begins when a trio of D-list supervillains (Transvision Vamp, Snaggletooth, and Ssnake) randomly attacks the bus he’s leaving town on. It’s a harrowing fight for Thom and a mysterious hero who appears from nowhere until members of the League show up to rescue them. His bravery and performance earns him a heart-felt thank you from idol Uberman and an invitation to join the League. How could he run away from home now?

Thom learns first hand that appearances can be deceiving. The façade of an abandoned warehouse hides the League’s high tech headquarters. The invitation that Thom drooled over earns him a spot on a try out squad with what seems like the lamest of the lame superpowered people in the waiting room. There’s Typhoid Larry, who transmits a variety of diseases; tough talking Miss Scarlett who controls fire and smells of pepperoni from her pizza delivery job; Ruth, an archetypal cranky, tell-it-like-it-is old woman whose power to see the future isn’t obscured by her chain smoking or drinking; and squad leader Golden Boy who’s been demoted from the A-list team for some negligence on his part during the bus rescue with Thom. He isn’t happy about it and makes certain Thom knows it, too.

From his first try out exercises to the first “Danger Room” style test to the squad’s less than stellar first mission against the Wrecking Balls, Thom learns the meanings of teamwork, belonging, and most importantly, trust. When a few League members are mysteriously murdered, Thom steps forward with information providing a surprise alibi for the criminal, while honoring his mother’s advice.

A surprise attack leads Thom and his squad to an unexpected team up with his father. The odds are stacked against them in a fight against a legion of mind-controlled superheroes. Amidst the carnage Thom and his father come to terms with one another and devise a plan. The strategy culminates in a heroic sacrifice leaving Thom forever changed.

Moore decided to write HERO after reading Mark Millar’s Wolverine arc in which Northstar is killed and resurrected by cabal du jour The Hand, who uses the mutant as a super-powered killing machine. It was, at best, used as a plot device rather than an opportunity at character development. Moore accomplishes something that is difficult to achieve with LGBT characters in mainstream comics: a good balance between heroic deeds and sexual identity. Thom spends a good deal of time worrying over his gayness being exposed, especially to his father. While Thom agonizes about being outed, Moore also gives him romantic and sexual fantasies, both about Uberman and rival basketball player Goran, a memorable first kiss, and by the book’s end, a relationship. How many years has it been since the debut of Northstar (not the Ultimate version) and the character has yet to have a romantic interest?

HERO is about relationships; the primary example of this is Thom and his father. Another pair involves Thom and one of my favorite characters, Ruth. Her real role is as Thom’s mentor and friend, helping him not only to see beyond his own immediate concerns and fears, and to feel compassion. Ruth once had the great luck and misfortune of finding the love of her life, a young African American man, when segregation was still entrenched. Forbidden by her powerful, banker father, Ruth severed family ties and started a checkered life. Ruth’s story mirrors the adage “love is love” regardless numerous and irrelevant differences people contrive and install into a basic human urge. It’s at her urging that Thom is able to reach past his own needs to become friends with Miss Scarlett and to fully accept himself and the mutual love between father and son.

I have a couple of minor quibbles with the book. I believe the superhero names are mostly intended as an endearing reference to Silver Age heroes. Whether it’s correct or not, many of the code names simply don’t work for me. The scene in which Thom follows his dad to work and spies on him, and accidentally learning a secret seems contrived. It left me thinking that a simpler scene – perhaps Thom listening to a message from his father’s employer left on an answering machine – wouldn’t have been a more effective way to convey the sacrifice Thom’s father made on behalf of his son.

Moore plans more novels featuring Creed and his fellow superheroes. Here’s to future installments featuring Thom and his tall, strong, and dark boyfriend and fellow hero!

[Alas, Perry Moore died after this review was written.]

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Just So You Know #1

Monday, September 5th, 2011

Joey Alison Sayres
$5
Self-published

By Roberta Gregory

This is a very funny collection of short comics stories about life as a transgendered Male to Female. The style of cartooning is very simple but accomplished, with good layout, and excellent comic timing. And the characters are drawn with simple “happy face” faces accessorized by variations in hairdo, glasses, facial hair, etc., which makes them very easy to tell apart.

As Scott McCloud has pointed out in Understanding Comics, the more iconic and simple a cartoon character, the easier the average reader can identify with it. And there is much to identify with, even though the situations in this collection look specifically at transgender life, dealing with family and strangers, coming to grips with the situation oneself, taking hormones, changing one’s ID, etc. But, the short stories are told with humorous scenarios that everyone can relate to: overreacting to an imagined offense, “coming out” and discovering that people are likely to respond in an entirely different way than you had anticipated, and what you yourself think is important may not be the most important thing to someone else.

The humor has a very disarming quality. There is even a series of stories under the category, “Am I a Bitch Yet?” in which the author pokes fun at herself more than anyone else in the comic.

The comic looks at a wide range of situations faced by a person transitioning in today’s culture, taking the reader through the steps of going officially from Male to Female. The various stories are not presented exactly in the order that someone would go through in such a change, so this might be confusing to a reader who is not at all familiar with the process.

It is a good quality small press publication, with color cover and black and white interior. The comic even contains a glossary at the end to clear up some of the confusion about the terms used in gender reassignment. Its reader-friendliness makes it the perfect gift for any friends or family members of someone living through gender change—humor is an excellent way to educate people and get a message across.

Please visit Ms. Sayres’ website. Issue #1 appears to be sold out. Copies of the second issue and “Stupid Dreams”, a 165 paged collection of comics strips, are available.

Ms. Gregory’s review appears here courtesy of the author and Prism Comics. My sincere thanks!

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The Lengths #1 & #2

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

The Lengths #1 and 2
Howard Hardiman
£ 3 for #1 £ 2.5 for #2 (£5 for both)
B & W Self-published

Howard Hardiman’s self pubbed comic “The Lengths” may seem oddly titled at first glance, but the choice is an apt one. This slice of life story, which swaps out human characters for furries (specifically in this case they’re all man’s best friend), is unique in that it is based on interviews with male sex workers in London. Hardiman’s title comes from his decision to, in his words: “[explore] whether it’s possible to come back from indulging our desires, or whether the lengths we go to in order to chase our passions will leave us forever apart from the world we left behind.” It’s a lofty ambition for a storyteller, and I think Hardiman will be successful in meeting his goal if these first two issues are any indication.

The cast of characters includes Eddie, an art school dropout; Dan, Eddie’s friend from art school days whom he’s recently taken up with; Nelson, a bodybuilder/ escort and the unattainable object of Eddie’s affection or libido, depending on how you see things; James, Eddie’s former boyfriend; and Krys, the rich one with a trust fund. Oh, that isn’t quite all. There’s also Ford, Eddie’s alter ego. No, Eddie doesn’t have multiple personalities. At least not in the psychiatric sense. See, Ford is Eddie’s escort name and dividing his time with living a secretive, double life is becoming more complicated which provides much of the tension in the story because Ford brings the money home working as an escort.

After a two year break, Eddie has reconnected with his friend Dan. Hardiman doesn’t give the pair a neat and tidy reunion though as Eddie’s emotions are a jumble after being rejected by Nelson (a rub indeed considering Nelson persuaded him to become an escort) and Dan doesn’t know what to think the morning after a night of sex. Even that is complicated by evidence of Eddie’s “secret” life that he accidentally discovers before Dan wakes. A delicious mix of conflicted emotions gather just beneath the surface as Eddie departs Dan’s company and ignoring the pangs of remorse as he mechanically hooks up with a client.

A good deal of both issues are told in flashback to Eddie’s and Dan’s art school days revealing the dynamics at work between the friends and the rapidly decaying relationship between Eddie and James. It’s fertile ground for Hardiman as he sets up James as a loving and supportive boyfriend, and a tad less unmotivated in comparison to slackerish Eddie whose guilt and pointless behaviour have ugly consequences that have immediate and delayed consequences. Being so skint leads to desperate measures and denial is a strong coping tool till reality breaks through. A couple of transitions to the past weren’t so clear on first reading and perhaps could have benefited from a simple text signal or a visual clue so as to not interrupt the feeling of how fresh these memories are still for Eddie.

Hardiman’s art style has an indy flavor. Figures are rendered in sensitive line work while in other areas there high contrast black and white is put to good use as well as the occasional silhouette scene such as the Thames River shot in the first issue. Hardiman has a knack for details, such as drawing dog nails rather than human or the various canine-like poses he puts the escorts in as they lay about waiting for clients, that give a depth to the story’s realism, though there are a couple rare panels in which the anatomy confuses me. Page layouts are mostly standard in the first issue with a nice, inventive one here and there while Hardiman seems either to be more relaxed or playful with them in the second one, and a preview image from the third issue teases at more progress. In keeping with the sexual theme Hardiman introduces his characters in a page designed to imitate adult sites. Each of his characters are visually distinct in appearance and personality. Former boyfriend James would be my choice for most striking character, if only for the Retriever-ish profile he sports. Almost all of the lettering is done by hand, a touch that lends charm and personality, with an exception. The credits page is done up to resemble a page of escort ads from “Dogz”. Yes, Hardiman’s idea for a furry “skin” mag and it’s a nice touch but the lettering here needed a more technical hand or a little variety with computer fonts.

As noted, the work has a factual basis How the interviews that informed the characters and plot were conducted isn’t stated. Presumably they were done by Hardiman. If so, kudos to him for putting forth the extra effort. At times I wonder if contemporary porn isn’t viewed through vaseline-smeared rose-colored glasses as fantasy of sexual adventurousness. That’s not to say people shouldn’t be so in real life as they choose. The reality of life as a sex worker just may not be so glamorous, at least not all, especially when circumstances leave few options as can be for people on the fringes. The availability of erotic comics and the presence of artists exploring sexual empowerment, see Jon Macy’s work for example, is welcome and necessary, but investigating other aspects of contemporary gay culture such as here with “The Lengths” is equally vital and relevant.

Will Eddie redeem himself through Dan’s love and friendship or remain the “fuckwit” that he disparagingly believes he is? The rest of the journey and outcome will be worthwhile reading.

Please visit the following sites for more information or to order outside of the UK. Issue #3 will be available on September 6th. Shipping to the US for the two issue package as of the date of this review is £ 2.5.

The Lengths website and a preview at its blog .

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Wuvable Oaf #3

Sunday, July 24th, 2011

Review by Joe Palmer

Ed Luce with Mark Herzog and Matt Wobensmith
$4.50 / 40 pages
Goteblüd Comics

In which a wonderful night for two improbable guys is imperiled to become a worst date possibly ever.

When last we saw Oaf and the object of his affection metal rocker Eiffel they had just agreed to a date. Eiffel was making arrangements for the dinner to take place at former lover and celebrity chef Hammond Reed’s newest restaurant. This issue Luce guides us throughout the evening from Papa’s arrival for cat sitting duties with very special needs Pavel (oh dear, what’s driven Pavel to act this way?) to meeting Eiffel at band practice (“Yoko’s here…”) to the arrival at Reed’s culinary venue, Rage Against The Cuisine, where diners are offered the opportunity to slaughter their own meat. It’s a perfect opportunity to lampoon both snobbish fads in restaurant themes and vegetarian activists protesting the establisment’s practice. And then there’s the actual dinner date, personally presided over by Eiffel’s evil ex-lover Reed who’s out to sabotage a relationship between our sweet Oaf and Eiffel before it even has a real chance to begin.

The plot is basic and anyone can relate to the anixiety that a first date can create. With that solid foundation in place, Luce gets busy doing what he does best from the writing aspect: writing damned good dialog and character moments for his fictional cast. For example, Oaffie is painfully embarrassed when Papa talks about dating Troffie, who likes water sports. Or how diminuitive Eiffel keeps his burly bandmates in check with his show of blustery bravado (a point that Luce elaborates on later) then becomes undone when presented with the gift of one of Oaf’s handmade dolls, which carries through to the restaurant where he becomes assertive and protective of Oaf while they’re in the metaphorical wolf’s den of Reed’s over the top restuarant. Actually, Reed reminds me of a Doberman Pinscher but “in the den of a Doberman” doesn’t have the same ring. If the saying is true that you don’t piss off your waiter before your food arrives is true then you sure as hell don’t want your evil ex preparing dinner for you and a date! Despite Reed’s efforts at culinary revenge in the kitchen, Oaf appears to be unwittingly winning this battle just by being himself until Eiffel steps away to answer nature’s call. It’s the perfect opportunity for Reed to strike with his most powerful weapon – doubt. Does Oafie have chance now? Will Eiffel get a clue or just piggishly indulge in dessert sushi? Argh! It’s a cliffhanger ending!

Luce fleshes out these crazy characters more in this issue. The mystery behind Goteblüd is revealed! And no, I won’t tell you what it is! Just that there’s more to the story, a lot more, than simply revealing who the wrestler was. I remember watching wrestling every  Saturday when I was 12 way back in 1970 and thinking there were other things going on aside from matches being staged so reading Luce’s twist here on Goteblüd makes me happy. There’s also a handful of one page strips showing how different members joined Eiffel’s band. They’re all funny as hell stories – since they didn’t happen to you - and the incidents make the sexual tension exponentially more intense between the band mates, Eiffel, and sweet, romantic Oaf whose obliviousness to it all makes you cheer for him even more. In a two panel sequence Luce alludes to Papa’s (and Oaf’s) past with a simple photo that indicates a happy, if not happier, time for Oaf’s gentle father figure. It’s just enough to make you wonder more about that period on Oaf’s past. And not to be forgotten is the band of angry cats who gang up on another unsuspecting kitty in the issue’s opening sequence.

Luce is the first to admit that the wait for this storyline between issues has been long and I’ll add that in my estimation it’s been well worth the wait! Sometimes I wonder if we forget that indy artists and writers have “real” jobs to pay the bills just like the rest of world (aside from those annoying super-wealthy people who don’t want to pay taxes). The love and pride Luce has for his work shines through in every bit of dialog, character nuance, and art. And speaking of art, I’d like to suggest that Luce’s style be studied by new and or aspiring artists wanting to make their own comics for the variety of shading and mark making techniques he uses with great effect to create visual interest in black and white art.

Oops! I’ve been such a bad boy not to mention that there’s an ultra deluxe edition of Wuvable Oaf #3! Perhaps taking a cue from John Waters and his Odorama cards for the Polyester movie are three Luce designed scatch and sniff cards: Kitty Magnet (Oaf attracting a clowder of cats); Pig in the City (Oaf’s best bud Smusherrrr’s own scent); and Crowded Tour Van (do you really need a description?). There’s a carefully hand torn ticket stub (details, people!) for an mp3 download to an Ejaculoid track – Ejaculoid being Eiffel’s band. Last and by no means least is a vinyl mini disc imprinted with a very memorable image and featuring “Sleep Apnea” written and recorded by Needles and Exillon.

Go visit Wuvable Oaf now and catch up! What? You haven’t read Oaf? Now’s a great time to start!

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Gingerbread Girl

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

Review by Joe Palmer

Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover
$12.95
Top Shelf

Gingerbread Girl is a fun and quirky graphic novel about a woman named Annah Billips who smilingly informs us in a ”breaking of the the fourth wall way” that she is a tease. Yes, she is because she’s wearing only panties and a t-shirt. Annah also confides to us that she can’t decide if she’s straight or lesbian because though she generally goes for men,  “[she's] a puddle for a girl with an Afro.” While the “silly world” would define her as bisexual, she refuses the label  because of bad connotations people attach to it. Saucy Annah has also set up two dates for the same time: one with Jerry and another with Chili. Whoever shows up first will be who she goes out with. This kind of dynamic is in large part what drives the story. Got it? Good, because things get wackier and more interesting from here on.

While Annah is getting dressed, Chili fills us in more about her date. There’s another side to Annah besides her free spiritdness. It involves something called the Penfield Homunculus, which I thought was either fictitious or an esoteric concept. Turns out it’s real and was discovered by Wilder Penfield, who was a hottie in his day (in the second pic!!). This homunculus is part of our brains and is associated with our sense of touch. Chili informs us that Annah believes her father had somehow separated Annah’s from her brain and was able to create a sister named Ginger for Annah. Ginger was the one who had sensory feelings. After some time they were separated and Annah has been searching using some fairly odd methods for her sister ever since. How odd? Well, you’ll have to read the book if you want to know everything.The behaviors Annah created regarding her alleged sister is just one part of the charm of the story. Tobin’s dialog is snappy, and reflects the individualities of each character, not just his main two. There were a number of times that I found myself re-reading bits of dialog simply for enjoyment. The use of various narrators, including a talking pigeon (yes and why not?), a woman chasing Lothario, fake fortune teller Dr. Alphonse Spectra, Leanna the clerk with eyes like ripe apples, and an English bulldog likewise gifted with talking, provides an unusual and enjoyable method  to move the story along as Annah and Chili roam on their date. Tobin doesn’t forget about Jerry, Annah’s other date whom she stood up because Chili arrived first. He’s disapointed but still  determined, and finally gets through to Annah on her phone, much to Chili’s annoyance. But fromthis frustration we get a sense of her deep affection for Annah but also her very realistic attitude to live in the moment and appreciate every little thing in a relationship. To quote Chili while she’s feeding a small flock of pigeons: “Crumbs of a mystique are just right. A loaf of explanation is too much.”
 
Coover’s art is a joy as it always been since she first came to my attention years ago when either the Advocate or Out featured her Small Favors. The women she draws could all be the girl next door. They have personalities and she makes them look fun and sexy without a bit of pandering. Her skillful layouts and composition create a believable space for a pair of women affected by a rather fantastic story in which to live, play and love and warm sepia washes complete the package. The setting is Portland where Coover and Tobin live and there is a real sense of the city coming through for added visual interest.

Based on Gingerbread Girl’s solicitation copy I wasn’t certain what to expect from a storytelling aspect. I wasn’t quite  so prepared to like it, no, make that love, Gingerbread Girl as much as I do, but I knew with Annah’s happy declaration of being a tease that I’d fallen for the quirky charm of Tobin and Coover’s story.

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Dan Didio: “Up, Up, Out Of The Closet”

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

The Advocate’s Jase Peeples interviews Dan Didio about DC’s LGBT superheroes. Looks like Wildstorm’s Voodoo is bisexual. Was she before? It’s terrible when you can’t remember. Read it here!

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Bludgeon #0

Monday, July 18th, 2011

Bludgeon #0
Jeremy Owen with Greg Freeland II
$5.00
Burly Press

Last fall Jeremy Owens published Burly, a book of pinups featuring bearish men. Now he returns with a new comic titled Bludgeon, featuring a superhero who just happens to be a bear – and not the Marvel character whoever the hell that is! And a big bellied, bearded, and hairy bear at that. Plus, he wears glasses and some guys are turned on by guys wearing glasses. How often do you find a superhero who wears glasses that aren’t part of his or her secret identity disguise?

As debut issues go,  Owen does a good job with setting things up and introductions while adding a dash of mystery. Owen has his hero arrive in the bustling metropolis of Albuquerque not with the power of flight, super speed, or teleportation, but by bus. We are not off to your typical start with a superhero book, are we? Of course since he’s taking public transportation he’s in his secret identity of Mike. Just Mike for now. He’s being discrete. Don’t worry, not discrete like straight guys looking for sex in the “Men seeking men” section on Craigslist meaning of discrete. Mike is simultaneously proud and low key about his sexuality as Alice the overly friendly / slightly overbearing coffee barista discovers when she sits down to chat. Alice is an interesting foil for Mike, who for now in this intro, seems a little more on the reserved side. It’s through Alice’s inquisitive nature that we get a better sense of Mike the man, his humor, as well as more indication for his purpose in coming to Albuquerque (or just ‘Burque as the locals call it). Something tragic happened in his past. Whatever it was (my sense is a lover/ sidekick/ what have you is involved) has haunted him and he’s determined to find justice in time for the next issue.

This is Owen’s first published foray into sequential art. His thick lined art style for thick waisted guys remains unchanged. On a related note, I can’t decide if a little variety in his line weight would add a little visual variety, for instance with Alice the barista, or if it’s simply my own personal wishes in play. Panel layouts are conventional for the most part, except for the at the end where he lets loose. Drawing sequential art requires other skills in addition to the basic skills used in portrait, pin up, or illustration work. Character facial consistency for one, and Owen has this down. Scale and spatial relationships are another set. While it doesn’t distract from enjoyment of the story, there seems to be some inconsistency with elements in the coffee shop, ie: other tables and a pair of other customers. It’s a skill that best developed simply by more drawing and observation. The price of color printing typically isn’t affordable for the self pubber. Owen creates a range texture with lines and marks though I wonder if using gray tones or washes here and there would add another layer of interest or change the already established feel

Minor art quibbles aside, you should check out Bludgeon, especially if you’re hankering for a bearish guy of a superhero.

Visit Burly Press to order your copy, see art samples, and read about Jeremy.

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Three #2

Saturday, July 16th, 2011

Three #2
Jennifer Camper & Michael Fahy, Craig Bostick & David Kelly, and Sina Evil & Jon Macy
$6.25

In which we find another trio of stories by a sextet of creative folk in perfect harmony.

Sina Evil and Jon Macy offer up the first story titled “Dragon” which relates a meeting between a man with such a remarkable resemblance to the writer that I presume it is he (another review notes the similarity too) and a New York comic cartoonist whom he admires. The evening starts with dinner and conversation about the zodiac animals on the placemats at a Chinese restaurant, from which the title comes. There’s a spark between them, he thinks. Later at the artist’s apartment our narrator devours the artist’s work and the boundaries between art (his work concerned boys he’d been in love with) and reality blur as passion and lust overtake them throughout the night and into the morning.

Theirs is an interesting collaboration. Consider Macy’s opening statement found on his website, which is paraphrased here, that gay comics need sex to be relevant. Any time Macy is the artist there’ll be men dripping with sex. Consider also that the Persian name “Sina” derives from a Hebrew word meaning “explorer of knowledge”. Perhaps a name’s meaning has nothing to do with this story in particular than my desire to romanticize notions of artistic identity. I’d like to think  such a name would influence a person’s perceptions throughout a lifetime. In any case, the feel of the writing is personal, reading like a very intimate journal entry of a real encounter, begging the question of just who this artist is. Undoubtedly details were changed if this is based on a true story, but it hasn’t stopped me from being drawn to curiosity it, mind.

Now about the title. During dinner earlier the narrator comments he was born in a Dragon year, to which the artist replies: “It means you may or may not exist”. Not a strong astrological affirmation. Later on in the night the narrator shares his concern over returning to London “Where boys never look at me. Where I’m invisible and nobody knows who I am.” Where he may or may not exist, like Schrödinger’s cat, until someone notices him. The need to experience this man and himself in ecstasy, to, refer back to writer’s name’s meaning, explore a kind of knowledge through a physical act itself, is intense. The point of greatest physical intimacy, of penetration, is where, with one exception, the coloring of the characters is most life like. Throughout the rest of the story they’re rendered in shades of pale yellow, browns, and grays.

It’s a rare occasion that a writer creates (or bares if such is the case) such emotional depth in a character and I’d like to see Sina and Macy work together again if circumstances permit.

Jennifer Camper and Michael Fahy’s “Help Wanted” gives a humorous and frenetically paced account of love and acceptance between Leo and Raoul. At five pages it may be the shortest story of the three but they maximize the space and show how letting go of conventions and labels can bring happiness. I’m hesitant to say more about the plot because it’s full of unexpected twists and I don’t want to spoil a fun story. Like Joey Alison Sayers’ contribution in Three’s debut, Camper and Fahy have shown a different viewpoint and made an impression on me. Camper and Fahy jammed on this piece. Each page is structured in three horizontal bands and they took turns doing every other band and the result is a pleasing collaboration.

Craig Bostick and David Kelly cast their eyes back to pre-Stonewall times to recount a tale of loneliness in “Nothin’ But Trouble”. Country singer Jimmy West dressed in his cowboy hat and denim jacket is on tour in a big city and one night after the concert ends he goes looking for sex. He finds it when he comes across Butch, the iconic boy next door type packaged in a street-tough look of jeans and a tee. All that’s missing is a cigarette pack tucked inside a rolled-up sleeve. A night of intense sex has Jimmy falling in love come morning, only to have his heart broken. Weeks pass and they meet again quite by accident. Butch literally rescues Jimmy and each leaves a lasting impression on the other despite going their separate ways.

Characterization keeps this story together. Jimmy is charming and almost as naive when it comes to men. The guy can’t help falling in love. Butch is emotionally unavailable to suit Jimmy, but he’s also gallant. And they’re both dreamers in the end. Like Camper and Fahy, this pair share the work. Here they’ve traded off full pages and their individual styles are complementary. Pages are told from either Jimmy’s or Butch’s points of view, and the coloring reflect this. Jimmy being passionate is done shades of red, black and white while unavailable Butch’s sections are done in shades of aqua, black and white.

Order your copy of Three at Rob Kirby Comics.

Sina Evil’s site is at boycrazyboy.  Visit Jon Macy. Michael Fahy can be found here . Jennifer Camper’s site is here . Craig Bostick has set up here. David Kelly is having a Rainy Day Recess .

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Shirtlifter #3 & #4

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Steve MacIsaac, Justin Hall, Ilya, and Fuzzbelly
Drawn, Out Press
$10.95 (#3) $12.95 (#4)

Review by Joe Palmer

For You O Democracy

Come, I will make the continent indissoluble,
I will make the most splendid race the sun ever shone upon,
I will make divine magnetic lands,
With the love of comrades,
With the life-long love of comrades.

I will plant companionship thick as trees along all the rivers of America,
and along the shores of the great lakes, and all over the prairies,
I will make inseparable cities with their arms about each other’s necks,
By the love of comrades,
By the manly love of comrades.

For you these from me, O Democracy, to serve you ma femme!
For you, for you I am trilling these songs.

Walt Whitman
(1819-1892)

Approximately 150 years ago Walt Whitman strove to envision an America radically different from the oppressive society of his times. Whitman dreamt of a radically different nation in which his sex positive manifesto,  of lover after lover, is a reality “in every city of these States, inland and seaboard/…The institution of the dear love of comrades.” A little over a hundred years later Whitman’s dream perhaps came closest to actualization with regard to the unbound sex and love in the period following Stonewall. What the poet, with his particular ideal of manhood, would think of contemporary gay society and the greater queer community, our social status shifting over time and geography, and larger goals such as marriage equality is fodder for much speculation though I am certain he would be alternatively amazed and confused by gay society and angered by the doggedness of fear and persecution.

Steve MacIsaac may not be Walt Whitman (those would indeed be big shoes to fill) but a flair for delving into the gay male psyche makes MacIsaac one of the more exceptional creators in gay comics today. Why bring Witman into my review at all? For contrast I suppose. Whitman dreamt of what could be the ideal place for gay men in America while MacIsaac deals charts the everyday realities of gay identity. My first reading of “Unpacking” was a few weeks ago, and the characters and topics greatly impressed themselves on my mind. The juxtaposition of MacIsaac and Whitman and his ideas felt natural to me when accounts of the poet appeared in a book I’m reading on identity in the American West.

“This is not an instruction manual” is the inscription Steve MacIsaac wrote on the inside front cover to the copy of Shirtlifter #3 that I ordered along with #4 in anticipation of its publication. MacIsaac’s story, spanning these two issues and into the next, is definitely not instructional. “Unpacking” follows Matt after a cross country move from Toronto to Vancouver in the wake of a disintegrated eight year relationship with Michel. He has a job that he likes, a circle of friends dating back a number of years, and the looks that guarantee him the attention of men he wants and some he doesn’t. For all intents and purposes Matt appears to have begun settling nicely into his new life, but only just so on the surface. Beyond this, and to the chagrin of his closest friends, the partnered Kris and Chris, who take great pride in recounting highlights of their semi-domesticated life via an 8 month long home rehab (“Homo Depot is so sending us flowers on our anniversary!”), Matt has done anything but unpack boxes of personal belongings because “it’s all crap [he's] not using.” Anyone can tell you the process of moving is quite revelatory when one starts to examine sundry items. The boxed up items may be useless, yet he’s drug them along rather than let go. So they remain full while Matt seeks distractions outside of work and socializing with friends. In Matt’s case, these distractions are hookups with men. Big, stocky, bear men and the sex scenes are MacIsaac-style incendiary. Well, save a single instance, with which a fair few readers will likely be able to relate. Heaven knows one just surfaced in my head that I’d rather hadn’t. The metaphor of unpacked moving boxes may be an obvious one, and in the hands of a less skillful writer this would be an otherwise dull story punctuated double exclamantion mark style with steamy sex where reader focus would understandably gravitate.

That's Connor taking the intiative

Where Whitman delighted in writing affirmations of his attraction to and encounters with men and envisioning a society in which the “love of comrades”  is a celebrated part of its fabric, MacIsaac focuses on the nuances of his characters’ interior lives while their exterior world is in a state of flux. Matt is very determined to continue a series of NSA hookups rather than to look for a relationship until he meets Connor, who’s in Vancouver on an extended business trip. Both men find the sex so intense  their first time together that they decide to continue to play together; this despite, for Matt, Connor’s shocking confession of being straight and happily married to a woman. As the two men try to bond in other ways things get messy. Assumptions and attitudes are exposed and tempers flare as the men attempt negotiating their unconventional relationship. The tension spills over to Matt’s friendship with the two Chrises. These emotionally dynamic clashes is where MacIsaac is having the most fun examining the notions of how we identify ourselves. If being gay is defined simply as having sex with a person of the same sex then Connor must be gay and in denial, or is he bisexual? Yet he refuses to be labeled. And is it wrong to be defined by a sex act? Heterosexuals certainly define themselves by co-opting procreation. On the macro level how is the driving force toward marriage equality changing gays and lesbians individually and culturally? Is the the best route for full civil rights when gays have been denied any positive social roles at all in our society? And implicitly, how do changes (and our desire for them) affect bisexuals and the trans community? MacIsaac prefers to play the provocateur in his storytelling by avoiding answers.

The art is on equal par with the writing. The men MacIsaac draws are big, muscular, and hairy. The same type of man that Whitman described as “blood and brawn”. They may be idealized bears, but they look and act real and their settings are likewise beleivable. His ability to convey subtleties in facial expression and body language reinforces character and dialog credibility. Thought bubbles are part to good use in one scene to show Matt’s interior fantasies. Color in issue #3 is limited to cool greys. A suitably refined color palette provides finishing touches in issue #4.

In the latter issue MacIsaac discusses his creative process. Foregoing the option of working from a full script, MacIsaac creates drafts while keeping key visuals from the project’s inception in mind as touchstones for the characters. From there he’ll edit out panels or even full pages and sketching out any revisions. This loose method gives him the freedom to explore areas piquing his interest. This process is harder he says. No doubt, though my assessment of these chapters after back to back reading is one of a seamless and unflawed story. Artists are rarely entirely satisfied with their work. As proof that he shares this artistic temperament, MacIsaac quotes lesser known 20th century painter Arshile Gorky: “I never finish a painting – I just stop working on it for a while.” A pleasantly surprising reference for me since I’ve come across few people outside of the academic art world who know of the Armenian born painter. Not to worry. Staying true to his critical eye means we’re rewarded with a story that is anything but pretentious.

Three stories by other artists are included in the anthology format. Fuzzbelly offers a story in issue #3 and Ilya follows suit in the following. One chapter of Justin Hall’s “The Liar” appears in  both. The addition of other cartoonists was my excuse for not ordering the third installment of Shirtlifter. It was a simple matter of me being selfish in wanting all MacIsaac. I still do, but circumstances dictated a different approach and I found myself being entertained by Fuzzbelly and Ilya, both whose work was unfamiliar to me. Both short stories provided very pleasant introductions to people whom I should’ve known.

Fuzzbelly’s “F Buds” relates his artistic block with a project. He decides a diversion with his stubby cocked f bud is just what he needs to get past the block. It’s a simply told story in which he conveys a sense of frustration with erotic stereotypes, intimacy, fun, and human vanity. The art style is loose and curvy. If you like your men big bellied and bearded you’ll enjoy the story even more. View some of Fuzzbelly’s work at his blog.

Ilya’s “Dick” is a strip that appeared in the British gay weekly Boyz ten years ago. A collection of seven strips titled “The Dinner Party” appear here. Mild mannered librarian Colin is having an intimate dinner party for friend Ivan, a hunky silver fox, and a hot young boy. It’s fun to watch Colin become increasingly exasperated as sparks fly between Ivan and the young stud. There is a happy ending though not quite the “happy ending” Ivan hoped. It’s better! MacIsaac writes that Ilya and he are discussing a collection of the strips tentatively for 2012 and based on this short piece it will be something to which I’ll look forward to reading.

A brief bio of Ilya may be read here.

The remaining contribution comes from Justin Hall. “The Liar” appears in both issues and I believe will conclude with the next issue. Barry, a hunsband and father of two, is driving alone on a trip to the Grand Canyon when he picks up a young hitchhiker named Ariel who’s headed for San Francisco. Ariel impresses Barry with his aura of freedom and stories while Ariel has his eyes on Barry’s big package. Barry’s  life has become so settled and boring that a kiss and a blow job is all it takes for him to start lusting for the enigmatic stranger. Whatever Ariel symbolizes for Barry, it isn’t who and what he is. Hall clues us in that Ariel has used others, men and women, before. The reader can rightly assume the title refers to Ariel, but Hall doesn’t stop there with his examination. Barry confesses his secrets and lies to his wife to buy more time away as he allows himself to become undone. I’ve enjoyed Hall’s work since his “A Sacred Text” from 2001. Halls uses the serialized, longer format story to his advantage and had me wanting more with each chapter’s conclusion. It looks like I’ll have to patiently wait to find out what happens to Barry and Ariel. Visit Justin at All Thumbs Press.

Visit MacIsaac’s website for previews and to buy the comics or purchase them from Amazon.

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Kevin Keller #1

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

Dan Parent Writer/ artist
Rich Koslowski Inker
Digikore Studios Colorist
Jack Morelli Letterer
Archie Comics $2.99

You’d have to be secluded in the mountains of Myanmar since March of last year not to have heard of Kevin Keller, the first gay character in the history of Archie Comics. We’ll leave aside the jokes about Jughead, Moose, Ethel, and is it Reggie I’ve read speculation about, as closeted characters. Keller’s injection into the Riverdale gang was so popular that Dan Parent returns to the blue eyed, blond haired Kevin in a four part story.

Last year’s big news with Kevin was simply that he’s a gay teen and the debut story dealt solely with conveying a positive message of inclusion with Archie and friends readily accepting the new kid in school. With this new four-part story beginning here set just before and during July 4th festivities, Parent begins to flesh out Keller’s personality and his background with introductions to his family and friends Wendy and William who visit Kevin in Riverdale. The pair of old friends are a convenient device for Parent to flashback to the days when bad hair, bad skin, and body image issues united the trio of social outcasts as friends at a previous school, calling themselves the “Muska-dweebs” to hear Kevin tell it. Sticking together is exactly what they do. Big hearted Kevin goes the extra mile for Wendy to avoid her heart being crushed by the little scoundrel she’s fallen for. They seem equally supportive, or at least unfazed, of Kevin after he confides “my type is more David! Or maybe Scott!” than Brenda or Jackie. If not for Kevin’s father Thomas, an Army colonel, they’d have stayed thick as thieves.

Supportive and positive messages abound in this first chapter, as they should. A friendship thrives without mistaken or mixed signals between a gay boy and a straight one. Family stick by Kevin when he shares his secret with them. Thomas sees Kevin as a son with “heart and courage” and most important, telling Kevin how proud he is of his son. A July 4th parade as the setting for the meeting of Kevin’s old and new friends is pure Americana, implicity stating LGBT people belong just like everyone does. A competitive pie eating contest squaring off the bottomless stomachs of Kevin and Jughead gets thrown a monkey wrench by a ditzy decision from Veronica. Within the context of Archie, I can’t think of anything more exemplary of American culture unless Kevin had hit a home run bringing the team in for a win. Whether as the awkward gangly dweeb or the blond, blue eyed cutie with the winning smile, the message is clear that Kevin is the boy next door. And nothing could be truer and more important to convey since all too frequently we are told that we are somehow defective and less than our straight peers. Everyone of us, however we identify ourselves, whether coming out now or at some point in the past was the kid next door. In the world of Riverdale Keller is on equal footing with every other teen just as he should be. There’s even a two paged “Stylin’ with Veronica & Kevin” page inviting readers to send fashion ideas in. It’s picture perfect.

And yet that might be a concern. I don’t wish to seem unappreciative or ungrateful for the work and attitude from Parent and Archie Comics in their decision to have a gay character in its cast of lovable, tried and true characters. Keller as a character is nothing short of remarkable. As a twelve year old I desperately needed an image like Keller, but in 1970 this would have been impossible. Parent quite impressed me with his earnestness as a panelist on Andy Mangels’ Gays In Comics panel at last summer’s Comic Con.  Their effort seems nothing less than sincere. but there is something that bothers me a little. It isn’t suspicion of motivation. Kevin seems as devoid of a marketing gimmick as can be or tokenism, though it potentially could be if Kevin remains the sole non straight person in Riverdale.

In this story though there is an air of ease, a sense that being gay has moved past “it gets better” right to “life is nearly perfect”. Aside from good-natured rivalry and fairly tame disagreements, it’s my impression that bad things rarely happen in Riverdale though now I vaguely recall that Miss Grundy or another long running character died. Excluding the fight he gets in with Wendy’s jerk of a prom date, Kevin appears unscathed in both physical and emotional senses. Coming out can often be a difficult process, but neither Wendy and William nor his parents and sisters had trouble accepting Kevin’s news. Sure, Kevin had concerns telling his father, as unfounded as they proved to be. A best case scenario, which is what we hope for as a reaction in telling family and friends. It can happen, it does happen, and one day none of this will matter at all. Until then, family is all too often where we first experience homophobia and cuts the deepest. In any scenario coming out affects everyone and people often need time to adjust. Please don’t get the wrong message here. An idealized story like Parent tells here is wonderful. However, I think Archie missed an opportunity to include an op ed piece (Dan Savage anyone?) listing resources and giving some advice based on practical experiences. The chance a twelve year old kid in my hometown of Lincoln, Illinois will likely face different reactions to hers or his coming out compared to a peer in Seattle is highly likely, as well as the number of available resources. LGBT youth (and adults) who are rejected by their families are at more risk for becoming HIV positive. Read Olivia Ford’s “Homophobia and HIV Risk: What’s Family Got To Do With It?” for an understanding of the connections.

One note that may or may not be relevant: The cover sports a logo specific to Keller with a big #1 emblazoned in red. Just above it is a smaller #1 in black. Next to this is a grayed out 207. The indicia lists this comic as Veronica Presents #207, not Kevin Keller #1. Archie is simply telling Keller’s story in the pages of another, long running comic, and perhaps technically not giving Keller a stand alone mini series. The reasons for this decision could be numerous, and in any case, remain unknown to me. Is it important? The answer is no on many levels, unless one wants to split hairs or in a narrow historical sense.

Visit Archie Comics.

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