Description
An international and intersectional introduction mapping the history, impact, key critical issues and seminal texts of the genre, Queer Comics looks at queer creators and queer content in graphic narratives beyond . Not advocating for a canon but instead offering new avenues for exploration beyond what has thus far been very US-focused, this book surveys the queer experience, looks at the genre as a queering of an already queer medium and dives into how it can speak to all communities.
Accessible and inclusive in the easy-to-navigate structure of the Bloomsbury Comics Studies series, the book covers:
- A broader cultural landscape beyond American underground comix including manga, pornography, Tijuana Bibles, contemporary webcomics, zines, children's and YA comics and adult graphic memoirs.
- key texts by creators such as Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruise, Yamaji Ebine, Crystal Frasier, Megan Rose Gedris, Kay O'Neill, Jem Yoshioka and Tab Kimpton among many others
- Themes from censorship, stereotypes and queer coding to explicit material and reclaiming the queer monster
- Critical ideas linked to the genre, including visibility and erasure, binaries, self and mainstream publishing.
Taking a lead from queer and comics studies, the book also features a glossary of crucial terms and resources for further reading.
Accessibility Information
Additional accessibility information
- PDF/UA-2, 1.4
- accessibility@bloomsbury.com
Hazards
The publication contains no hazards
Support for non-visual reading
Has alternative text descriptions for images
Navigation
- Page list to go to pages from the print source version
- Elements such as headings, tables, etc for structured navigation
- All or substantially all textual matter is arranged in a single logical reading order
Table of Contents
Introduction
Who are we?
What is Queer?
Comics are Queer
Queer in Form
Definitionally Resistant
Peripheral Art Form
Constantly Evolving
Queer in Function
Sites of Resistance and Subversion
Engaging in the politics of representation
As an accessible tool to speak back to power
Queer Comics: A Summary
Chapter 2: Queer Comics Histories
Pre-20th Century Histories
Queer-Coded Comics and Early Queer Comics
Moral Panics and Comic Book Bans
Queer Beginnings
Establishing Voices
Queer Comics go Mainstream
Conclusion
Chapter 3: Social and Cultural Impacts
Technological impacts: Webcomics and Crowdfunding
The rise of queer webcomics
Crowdfunding
Case Study: Ngozi Ukazu's Check, Please!
Impacts of these technologies on traditional publishing
Smartphones, Market Changes, and Backlash
Queer Comics and the impact of Censorship
State-Based Censorship and Criminalisation
Book Challenges: "Community"-driven Censorship
Queer Hearts, Minds, and Bodies
Intersex comics
Fatness in Queer Comics
Disability in Queer Comics
Neurodivergance in Queer Comics
Aging Queerly in Comics
Ace Comics
Spirituality and Indigenous Frameworks in Queer Comics
Conclusion
Chapter 4: Key Texts
Moomins and Kake
Tom of Finland's Kake
Tove Jansson and the Moominverse
The Legacy of Laaksonen and Jannson
Horror Hospital Unplugged
Kari
Tarot Yohualli Ehecatl
Apsara Engine
Conclusion
Chapter 5: Critical Questions
What are the obstacles facing queer comics?
Capitalism
Artificial Intelligence
Anti-Diversity Campaigns: Comicsgate
Homonormativity
“Acceptable” Narratives
“Unacceptable” Narratives
The New Queer Comics Underground
Sexually Explicit and Pornographic Comics
The Monster and Queer Identity
Conclusion
References
Chapter 1 References
Chapter 2 References
Chapter 3 References
Chapter 4 References
Chapter 5 References
Product details
| Published | 21 Jan 2027 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (PDF) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 208 |
| ISBN | 9781350477100 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Illustrations | 8 bw illus |
| Series | Bloomsbury Comics Studies |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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