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circlepines's review against another edition
4.0
This anthology of top-notch gay- and lesbian-themed comics is from 1989, but with few exceptions, I was suprised that it didn't feel dated: most pieces have a contemporary, relevant flavor. Starting with Tom of Finland's 1940s erotic sketches and moving forward chronologically, the book has everything from New Yorker-style one-liners to sexual satire to a queerified domestic family sitcom. There's a bit of everything in here, a great sampler of some of the big names in gay comics. The accompanying text explains the trajectory of gay and lesbian comics and their relationship to the alternative comix movement, with plenty of quotations from prominent creators -- a concise overview of pre-1990 gay comics in their historical and artistic context, that doesn't distract from the accompanying pieces.
Aside from the odd dud pieces (there have to be a few in every anthology, right?) my only complaint -- but it's a big one -- is that the title "Gay Comics" is, well, accurate. Out of the 49 pieces, panels, and excerpts crammed into the book, only eight are by and about lesbians (and one about lesbians but written by a heterosexual woman), with no bi characters or artists in sight. (Trans folks? In a gay anthology from 1989? Give me a break!) And there's a whole lot of beefcake, both real and satirical -- so avoid if that's not your thing, and maybe don't pull this out on the bus.
Aside from the odd dud pieces (there have to be a few in every anthology, right?) my only complaint -- but it's a big one -- is that the title "Gay Comics" is, well, accurate. Out of the 49 pieces, panels, and excerpts crammed into the book, only eight are by and about lesbians (and one about lesbians but written by a heterosexual woman), with no bi characters or artists in sight. (Trans folks? In a gay anthology from 1989? Give me a break!) And there's a whole lot of beefcake, both real and satirical -- so avoid if that's not your thing, and maybe don't pull this out on the bus.
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