As February ends so does our second themed week. We hope you've enjoyed the series and that you've found some interesting books to follow up. We think we've pointed out a few special gems over this last week and previously, so as a recap here is a list of comics featuring LGBT characters:
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Fun Home - LGBT History month continues
Writer and Artist: Alison Bechdel
What's it about?
Subtitled 'A Family Tragicomic' this is the story of Bechdel's family life, her emergent sexuality and her father's sexuality.
Bruce Bechdel is an English teacher and Funeral Director. He is obsessed with restoring the family's Victorian home, constantly rearranaging, redecorating, fixing, buffing, shining, wallpapering and hanging things within the house. He is an avid reader and a lot of his and Alison's relationship is conducted through literary discussion. When Alison is in college her Mother tells her that her Father has had many affairs throughout the years, all with men.
Against the chaotic background of Bechdel's home life she chronicles her experiences about life in the Fun Home (funeral parlour), her mother's amateur acting career, her developing anxiety, her gender expression and her discovery of lesbianism.
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Questionable Content (as part of LGBT History Month)
a webcomic by Jeph Jacques
What’s It About?
QC is a slice-of-life relationship comedy. Principally it follows the lives of two roommates, Marten Reed and Faye Whitaker in a world slightly weirder than our own. Marten owns a small, self-aware robot (an AnthroPC) by the name of Pintsize who is probably more trouble than he’s worth and never more so than when he installs a laser in his CD tray. The strip is about their relationships with each other, their friends, their employers, families, even more psychotic robots and a superheroine who delivers pizza.
The reason I’m including this strip as my LGBT History Month review is the varied collection of sexualities in the cast including characters who are bisexual, gay, lesbian and even one character whose orientation is towards polyamory rather than monogamy.
QC is a slice-of-life relationship comedy. Principally it follows the lives of two roommates, Marten Reed and Faye Whitaker in a world slightly weirder than our own. Marten owns a small, self-aware robot (an AnthroPC) by the name of Pintsize who is probably more trouble than he’s worth and never more so than when he installs a laser in his CD tray. The strip is about their relationships with each other, their friends, their employers, families, even more psychotic robots and a superheroine who delivers pizza.
The reason I’m including this strip as my LGBT History Month review is the varied collection of sexualities in the cast including characters who are bisexual, gay, lesbian and even one character whose orientation is towards polyamory rather than monogamy.
Saturday, 20 February 2010
The Moon and Sandals (as part of LGBT history month)
It's LGBT history month in the UK. To celebrate, we thought we'd recommend some books featuring positive portrayals of Lesbian. Gay, Bisexual, Trans people. To see books we've featured in the past, go here and scroll through the entries.
On with the review...
What's it about?
This is a Yaoi title. Yaoi means boys love and is the name given to manga about male couples. Yaoi can be explicitly about sex, or can be more about the relationship side of things. Some of it can be a coming out narrative, some of it can just be two men getting it on. A lot of it is written by women, for women. The female equivalent is called Yuri.
As for this particular Yaoi book, this is a classic romance story of first love and first relationships. Kobayashi is a student with a crush on newly graduated teacher Mr Ida. Kobayashi finally plucks up the courage to confess his feelings to Ida, and ends this proclamation with a kiss. Unfortunately, things do not run smoothly as Ida's ex arrives back on the scene. All is not lost for Kobayashi as he gets to know student Narumi. Narumi is cute but a loner, he reluctantly agrees to tutor Kobayashi in return for lunch. Feelings develop but bring back painful memories and the budding relationship could go either way.
This title does contain some sex, but it's not particularly explicit and a lot is left to the imagination. However, I have labelled the post mature readers because I don't think it's particularly suitable for young teens or children.
On with the review...
Writer and Artist: Fumi Yoshinaga
What's it about?
This is a Yaoi title. Yaoi means boys love and is the name given to manga about male couples. Yaoi can be explicitly about sex, or can be more about the relationship side of things. Some of it can be a coming out narrative, some of it can just be two men getting it on. A lot of it is written by women, for women. The female equivalent is called Yuri.
As for this particular Yaoi book, this is a classic romance story of first love and first relationships. Kobayashi is a student with a crush on newly graduated teacher Mr Ida. Kobayashi finally plucks up the courage to confess his feelings to Ida, and ends this proclamation with a kiss. Unfortunately, things do not run smoothly as Ida's ex arrives back on the scene. All is not lost for Kobayashi as he gets to know student Narumi. Narumi is cute but a loner, he reluctantly agrees to tutor Kobayashi in return for lunch. Feelings develop but bring back painful memories and the budding relationship could go either way.
This title does contain some sex, but it's not particularly explicit and a lot is left to the imagination. However, I have labelled the post mature readers because I don't think it's particularly suitable for young teens or children.
Friday, 19 February 2010
Blog slowdown
I am sorry to announce that this blog will soon experience a slowdown in posts. The reason for this is that one contributor, Saranga, is currently on the hunt for new employment. Reviews will still be posted, but in a much less regular fashion than before.
To help us out in this period, if anyone would like to become a reviewer for the site, whether you fancy submitting one review or becoming a regular contributor, please email us on paicomics [@] yahoo dot co dot uk. Tell us what you'd like to review and include either a link to your website or blog, or include a sample of your writing.
Thank you for your patience and we hope to be back to a regular posting schedule soon.
To help us out in this period, if anyone would like to become a reviewer for the site, whether you fancy submitting one review or becoming a regular contributor, please email us on paicomics [@] yahoo dot co dot uk. Tell us what you'd like to review and include either a link to your website or blog, or include a sample of your writing.
Thank you for your patience and we hope to be back to a regular posting schedule soon.
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Green Lantern/Green Arrow volume one
Writer: Dennis O’Neil
Pencils: Neal Adams
Inks: Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Frank Giacoia, Dan Adkins and Berni Wrightson
Colours: Cory Adams and Jack Adler
Publisher: DC Comics
Pencils: Neal Adams
Inks: Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Frank Giacoia, Dan Adkins and Berni Wrightson
Colours: Cory Adams and Jack Adler
Publisher: DC Comics
What’s It About?
Hal Jordan is the Green Lantern: a sort of outer space policeman dedicated to enforcing law and order on Earth and in surrounding space with a ring that can create any construct he can imagine. Oliver Queen is Green Arrow: once rich, now poor, he fights on the streets for the underdog armed only with his bow and arrow and a ready wit.
Forced to question his faith in authority, Hal begins a journey to discover the “real” spirit of America with Ollie as his guide. Accompanied by one of Hal’s superior officers, the immortal Guardian, they set off in a battered pick-up truck to cross the country and reconnect Hal with his own species after so long out in space.
Hal Jordan is the Green Lantern: a sort of outer space policeman dedicated to enforcing law and order on Earth and in surrounding space with a ring that can create any construct he can imagine. Oliver Queen is Green Arrow: once rich, now poor, he fights on the streets for the underdog armed only with his bow and arrow and a ready wit.
Forced to question his faith in authority, Hal begins a journey to discover the “real” spirit of America with Ollie as his guide. Accompanied by one of Hal’s superior officers, the immortal Guardian, they set off in a battered pick-up truck to cross the country and reconnect Hal with his own species after so long out in space.
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
The Books of Magic volume 1
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Illustrators: John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess and Paul Johnston
Letterer: Todd Klein
Publisher: Vertigo Comics
What's good about it?
Timothy Hunter is an English 12 year old boy. He is offered the chance to take magic into his life and become the greatest mage ever known. He learns about the power of names, journeys into the past to witness the beginning of time, meets the greatest mages of all eras, visits faerie and the delights of the fairy market, travels to the future and sees a tarot deck made real. Finally, a decision.
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