Now that the Kickstarter is over and Vol. 1 has gone to print again, you can pick up Volume 1 and 2 in both print and digital. Buy 'em all here!
Dates is an anthology of queer historical fiction comics, Kickstarted in September and October of 2015 and published by Margins Publishing in February of 2016. When we started work on Dates, we wanted to create a book that showcases queer characters and experiences throughout the ages without being constrained by what a lot of media might have us believe is “historically accurate.” Since so much of historical fiction only features queer characters in the context of tragedy–if they appear at all–we were desperate for more stories. Stories that better represented the diversity of our experiences, in all the times and places that we’ve existed. Dates is a book that doesn’t rewrite history, but instead reframes it so that the spotlight is on people who are all too often ignored.In the first volume of Dates, we had three rules:
Though our length requirement has changed, rules 1 and 3 are as central to Dates as they were when we launched the first book.
(Dates 2 is now through the Kickstarter process, you can see the campaign here.)
Review based on Dates 1:
Cravats. Latin. Rope-walking. Androgyny. Pirates. Girls in gowns running away together. Boys and boys and girls and girls and people who don't identify any particular way... This book is hard to review because not only is it an anthology, the stories within span thousands of years of history, continents, empires, cultures... it's impossible to pin down. This is a good thing if you want short, sweet stories of love and adventure.
As with any anthology, if you're looking for a longer, cohesive narrative, this isn't the book for you. If you want something you can pick up and read for a bit? It's perfect. With 25 tales, the art and plots are as diverse as you'd expect. You won't love every piece, but I think you'd have to be a true curmudgeon not to find a few you like. As for queer rep? Lots of relationships and orientations are represented, and some of the characters are never "defined," which is as it should be.
Short review because the title says it all: Dates is an anthology of queer historical fiction. If that sounds like something you'd like, you should pick this up.
Read about Dates II here!
A zombie apocalypse has happened and Mikael and JP are left in the city trying to survive after most of the population has fled. A slice-of-life post-apocalypse comic. Sometimes you find love in weird places. Like when you're trying not to get eaten.
DESTINY, NY is a 120-page graphic novel about love, loss, magic, cats, coffee, sex, growing up, and the way we build our own destinies every day.
This is going to be a bit of a Squee - you have been warned.
I first heard of DESTINY, NY when I was scrolling through Kickstarter and decided to back Vol. 2. Magical girls in love? Sign. Me. Up.
Fast forward a bit, and I've got a digital copy of DESTINY, NY (Vol. 1) waiting for me on the iPad. I had a terrible day yesterday. Not going to get into specifics, but trust me, I needed a pick-me-up.
Turns out, DESTINY, NY was just the thing! The original GN is 160 black & white pages, with two different art styles - one for present and one for flashbacks. I loved both styles, and really dug the blurred, surreal feel of the flashbacks, particularly the magical aspects.
Magic, you say? The main characters are both part of a group of young people identified by seers as having a "destiny." They go to a special school to learn about their destinies and prepare them for the challenges to come. After they've completed their destiny, the school provides them with the training they need to re-enter society at large and get on with their lives. Logan, the main heroine, fulfilled her destiny when was just thirteen years old, which has made the last decade of her life rather... unfulfilling. She's lost the love of her life, she's working as a barista, and she's pretty unhappy. Then she meets Lilith, our second heroine, and her life tips upside down.
First things first: this story is definitely a romance. Lilith and Logan have a pretty great meet-cute, followed by a hot and tumultuous relationship. The ending is somewhat ambiguous, but I choose to believe their Happy-For-Now will be a Happily-Ever-After. (Volume 2 explores this, but I don't have my hands on it yet.)
No matter how much I liked Logan and Lilith, the secondary characters really steal the show here. Gia, a fat girl with a scary destiny, is really well done. I loved that her size isn't "a thing," and that she was unapologetically into sex and love and friendship. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to see characters who don't fit the the "ideal" living full lives.
My biggest (only?) criticism is that the "big bad" felt undeveloped. She's evil from the time she's a little kid, which doesn't tell me much about her motivations. She is definitely awful, however, and it's quite satisfying to see her get her due.
Tl;DR - I loved DESTINY, NY and can't wait for Volume 2. The first volume proved to be exactly what I needed at the end of a rotten day, and I hope it gives you the same feels. Rated R for nudity, sexual situations, violence, language.
PDFs and print copies available as well.
Dollhouse takes place in St. Louis and revolves around a girl, a band and the terrible decisions they make. It’s definitely a drama, with a little bit of sex, drugs, and rock n roll mixed in there too (when I say graphic novel, I mean graphic novel). It is a long-form comic that currently updates on Tuesdays. Aside from the overlaying drama, it’s a story about dreams, and the paths that lead us to achieve them, and the obstacles to overcome. It’s about how what we want can grow and change, and how a dream can evolve into something bigger. It’s about dreams that we have to learn to let go in order to pave the way for something new.
Love in Panels Note - The comic is on hiatus for a few months, but there's a deep archive for you to read!
If you'd like to purchase a copy of this book, please consider using one of these links to support the site:
Poetry and comics collide in this intersectional feminist anthology featuring twenty-one stories that explore the relationship between gender, identity and the body. A diverse array of award-winning contemporary poets and comic book artists who identify as cis women, trans, and non-binary, work together to create sequential art poems showcasing the relevance, urgency, and power of both genres.
Beautifully illustrated and bracingly written, EMBODIED is a memorable collaboration between cis female, trans, and non-binary poets and comics artists showcasing the power of both forms in a stunningly unique keepsake volume that will be treasured for ages.
Mystical, rooted, painful, joyous, and ecstatic; visions of the body, our genders, and our very identities from across the spectrum of contemporary poetry come together in this monumental intersectional feminist anthology where verse and comics unite in spectacular new ways.
Featuring poetry by national bestseller Maggie Smith, Pulitzer Prize finalist Diane Seuss, and National Endowment of the Arts fellowship recipients Kendra DeColo, Jennifer Givhan, Vanessa Angelica Villarreal, Kayleb Rae Candrilli, Ruth Awad, and Paul Tran.
This edition includes a study guide and a process art section.
A percentage of the proceeds will benefit International Women's Health Coalition.
Review of Embodied
Evil Witch Allie is a comic about some average kids dealing with normal teen problems like babysitting the world’s worst magical girl, solving yet another murder, and getting that darn ghost cat to stop sleeping on the keyboard.
The king is dead and the prodigal daughter has returned to claim her throne... Much to the frustration of the Queen, the infamous stepmother. Everyone is anticipating on the return of their sweet princess, but who actually knows the heart of someone who has been away so long...
Desire and power make a poisonous combination, but who can resist
The fruits of Fairest Love
Born from Cruelest Hearts
Naran didn’t know what to do but continue forward, despite being constantly in over his head. After meeting a lone scavenger on his latest job, things wouldn’t be the same. The two found themselves drawn to each other despite the masks they each wore….
FELL SWOOP is an exclusive comic to StArt Faire magazine, an online, monthly digital magazine released at startfaire.com. It is released in ten page installations at the beginning of each month.
What would the world feel like if you couldn’t connect with other people? How far would you go for a bond with another human being? Would you be able to come back?Ever since his mother’s untimely death, Luca struggles to connect to the humans around him. By lucky happenstance he discovers music--a language without words that carries him through to adulthood, where he finds success as a virtuoso pianist. But upon his arrival to London’s Royal House Orchestra, an encounter with another artist shatters his world.In this psychological mini series about tangles within the human mind, join creator Tacto as she employs classic shoujo tradition to explore romantic drama--and darkness--through Russian ballet.
Read the Webcomic
"The curtain pulls back, standing in center ring is a man.Brewing inside this man is a darkness we all hold.In the center ring, stands this man.The tent becomes silent, his act has begun."
Updates Every Tuesday/ThursdayMystery/Drama/1920's/LGBT
Warning, this Comic Contains: Violence/Gore/