ETHN 3030: Graphic Novels in the BPCL

Always Human is a beautifully drawn, sapphic graphic novel about a developing relationship between two young women in a near-future, soft sci-fi setting. First serialized on the popular app and website WebToon, Always Human amassed over 51 million views and nearly 700,000 subscribers. Now, for the first time, this incredible story has been reformatted for a print edition! Along with the sequel Love and Gravity, get ready to fall in love with this ground-breaking story of support and romance. "This beautifully illustrated slice-of-life tale that shows two young women of color getting to know each other and creating a relationship is so warm and charming that readers will hardly notice how much they are learning about how to better interact with folx who are different from themselves and the importance of not making assumptions." -- Kirkus Reviews "...soft, expressive art adds a visceral charge to the couple's very human experiences, which range from excitement and affection to pain and doubt." -- Publisher's Weekly "This wholesome plot focuses on building understanding, offering mutual support, and budding self-acceptance, as well as the importance of asking rather than making assumptions; avoiding othering; and regarding all those in one's orbit with compassion...A charming, sensitive story of love and acceptance." --School Library Journal " In a technologically advanced near future, two young women bumble through their first dates and fights together as they enjoy the exhilaration of new love....Always Human by Ari North is an endearingly feel-good sapphic romance set against a diverting futuristic backdrop." --Samantha Zaboski, Shelf Awareness In the near-future, people use technology to give the illusion of all kinds of body modifications-but some people have "Egan's Syndrome," a highly sensitive immune system that rejects these "mods" and are unable to use them. Those who are affected maintain a "natural" appearance, reliant on cosmetics and hair dye at most to help them play with their looks. Sunati is attracted to Austen the first time she sees her and is drawn to what she assumes is Austen's bravery and confidence to live life unmodded. When Sunati learns the truth, she's still attracted to Austen and asks her on a date. Gradually, their relationship unfolds as they deal with friends, family, and the emotional conflicts that come with every romance. Together, they will learn and grow in a story that reminds us no matter how technology evolves, we will remain . . . always human. Rendered in beautiful detail and an extraordinary color palette, Always Human is a sweet love story told in a gentle sci-fi setting by a queer woman cartoonist, Ari North. Published in partnership with media advocacy organization GLAAD, this empowering book positively represents LGBTQ families.

2019, Texas Library Association's MaverickGraphic Novel Reading List Amazon Book Review's BestComics & Graphic Novels of2018 NPR's Best Books of2018 Newsweek's Best ComicBooks of 2018 TheAdvocate's Best LGBTQ Graphic Novels of2018 Book Riot's BestComics of2018 Autostraddle's 50 ofthe Best LGBT Books of 2018 WhenHazel Johnson and Mari McCray met at church bingo in 1963, it was love at firstsight. Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both marriedyoung men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid-'60s, Hazel and Marireunite again at a church bingo hall. Realizing their love for each other isstill alive, what these grandmothers do next takes absolute strength andcourage. From TEE FRANKLIN(NAILBITER's "THE OUTFIT," Love is Love) and JENN ST-ONGE (Jem & theMisfits), BINGO LOVE is a touching story of love, family, and resiliency thatspans over 60 years.

Perfect for Halloween and Summerween, Riverdale meets Stranger Things in this debut queer YA graphic novel, developed from a hit webcomic. Set in the haunted town of Blackwater, Maine, two boys fall for each other as they dig for clues to a paranormal mystery. "For fans of Heartstopper and Teen Wolf." --School Library Journal Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad's attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these two become unlikely friends (and a whole lot more . . .) in the spooky town of Blackwater, Maine? Werewolf curses, unsavory interactions with the quarterback of the football team, a ghostly fisherman haunting the harbor, and tons of high school drama. Co-illustrated by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham, who alternate drawing chapters in their own unique and dynamic styles, Blackwater combines the spookiness of Anya's Ghost with the irreverent humor of Nimona.

Blue is the Warmest Color is a tender, bittersweet, full-colour graphic novel about the elusive, reckless magic of love: a lesbian love story for the ages that bristles with the energy of youth, rebellion and the eternal light of desire. Clementine is a junior in high school who seems 'normal' enough: she has friends, family and even a boyfriend. When her openly gay best friend takes her to a gay bar, she becomes captivated by Emma, a punkish, confident girl with blue hair, an event that leads Clementine to discover new aspects of herself, both passionate and tragic.

Boy meets boy . . . meets boy . . . meets boy! Jock, Goth, Nerd, and Prep are all juniors in college. But studying is the last thing on their minds as they are mainly interested in getting a boyfriend. Or multiple boyfriends. The first two to couple up are Goth (cool and sexy) and Nerd (bubbly and flirty). As their budding relationship deepens, they can't deny their chemistry with Goth's other friends, Jock (sweet and easygoing) and Prep (sensitive and anxious). Nerd suggests they try something totally brand new to all of them- a polyamorous relationship. Everyone's game to try, because they all agree the only thing better than one cute boyfriend...is three cute boyfriends! But the transition isn't so smooth, as Jock and Prep have issues of their own to settle, and all four need to learn how to make their new polycule work. Through navigating the adventures of dating life, the boyfriends come to understand themselves and each other in new and profound ways. Laugh-out-loud funny and always heartwarming, Boyfriends. is filled to the brim with moments of pride big and small. Collects episodes 1-55 of the delightful WEBTOON comic Boyfriends.

Set in 2005, this gorgeously illustrated, funny, and honest graphic novel follows four teens who stumble into an illicit anime DVD-burning business that shakes up their conservative small town...and their friendship. When Brooke, Kelly, Maggie, and Melissa buy a bootleg anime DVD at a gas station, they get much more than they bargained for with Super Love XL, a risqué move featuring--among other things--a giant mecha who shoots lasers out of her chest. The four girls are horrified (and maybe a little fascinated). It's so unlike anything they've seen, would probably shock everyone else in their town, and definitely would take over their extremely conservative Christian school. That's when they have the idea to sell copies to local boys...for twenty dollars a pop. At first, everything goes perfectly, with the friends raking in cash--pretty soon they'll even have enough money to buy the matching jackets they've always dreamed of! But as the market for mildly titillating anime DVDs grows, the girls realize they'll need new material. On top of figuring out how to replicate their first success, there's growing tension within the group. Brooke and Kelly's romance is on its last legs, and hurt feelings are guaranteed when Melissa starts falling for one of them. Will the four girls' shared history be strong enough to see them through this upheaval? Or will they learn that some things can only end in heartbreak?

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. This edition features beautiful two-color artwork. Now streaming on Netflix! Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance. But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.

A 2019 National Book Award for Young People's Literature Longlist Selection A 2019 New York Public Library Best Books for Kids A 2020 Tayshas Reading List Selection A 2020 Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List Selection Mads is pretty happy with her life. She goes to church with her family, and minor league baseball games with her dad. She goofs off with her best friend Cat, and has thus far managed to avoid getting kissed by Adam, the boy next door. It's everything she hoped high school would be... until all of a sudden, it's not. Her dad is hiding something big--so big it could tear her family apart. And that's just the beginning of her problems: Mads is starting to figure out that she doesn't want to kiss Adam... because the only person she wants to kiss is Cat. Kiss Number 8, a graphic novel from writer Colleen AF Venable and illustrator Ellen T. Crenshaw, is a layered, funny, sharp-edged story of teen sexuality and family secrets.

Book 2 of the mega-popular webcomic series, Always Human. Love and Gravity is the finale of Ari North's heartwarming coming-of-age story about love, the future, and charting your own path. "Healthy relationships and healthy conversations unfold in a sweet slice-of-life story....These elements reflect a theme throughout this charming work: cultivating satisfying relationships through open, honest communication. The art is mainly in tones of blue and pink, executed in a fluid, dreamy, watercolor-painting style. Heartwarming." -Kirkus Reviews "[T]he story is intimate-grounded in emotions, relationships, and life decisions. Sunati and Austen navigate universal questions about love, career, family, and happiness with wisdom. Rendered in beautiful pastels, the art shows manga and anime influences, but with its own stylish storytelling tweaks. Love and Gravity is a sweet, futuristic graphic novel in which young women make hard, adult choices in their lives." Foreward Reviews Sunati and Austen are back in the final volume of their inspirational love story. First serialized on the popular app and website WebToon, Always Human is now reformatted for a print edition in partnership with GLAAD. Sunati and Austen's relationship is growing stronger by the day in this near-future, soft sci-fi graphic novel. Austen is working hard to overcome the limitations of Egan's Syndrome, a very rare condition that rejects body modifications, which is making school difficult. But while Austen is forced to confront her plans for the future, Sunati receives a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity. . . on Saturn's moon, Enceladus! Will Austen find her way? And will Sunati leave Austen when she needs her most to follow her own dreams of space exploration? The wonderful ending to this story celebrates the complexity and beauty of what makes us human.

The lived realities of young queer people in African contexts are not well documented. On the one hand, homophobic political discourse tends to portray queer people as 'deviant' and 'unAfrican', and on the other, public health research and advocacy often portrays them as victims of violence and HIV. Of course, young queer lives are far more diverse, rich and complex. For this reason, the Qintu Collab was formed to allow young queer people from a few African countries to come together, share experiences and create context-specific, queer-positive media that documents relatable stories about and for queer African youth. We see this as a necessary step in developing a complex archive of queer African life, whilst also personalising queer experiences and challenging prejudicial stereotypes.The Collab is made up of eighteen queer youth from Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe, two academics, three artists and a journalist. We first worked in small groups in each country through a range of creative participatory methods that focused on personal reflection and story-telling. Young people created personal timelines, and made visual maps of their bodies, relationships, and spaces. We then had group discussions about themes that emerged to help decide what to include in the comic works. At the end of 2018, we all came together in Nairobi, Kenya, for a week to collaborate on this comic book, and a set of podcasts on similar topics. We worked through various ways of telling stories, and developed significant themes, including family, religion and spirituality, social and online queer spaces, sex, and romantic relationships. Each young person created a script and laid out the scenes for a comic that told a short story from their lives. They then worked one-on-one with an artist to finesse those ideas into a workable comic, and the artists thereafter developed each story through multiple rounds of feedback from the story's creator and the rest of the group

Teek identifies as a masculine woman in a world bent on associating pregnancy with a cult of uber-femininity. Teek wonders, 'Can butches even get pregnant?' Of course, as she and her pragmatic femme girlfriend Vee discover, they can. But what happens when they do? Written and illustrated by A.K. Summers, and based on her own pregnancy, Pregnant Butch strives to depict this increasingly common, but still underrepresented experience of queer pregnancy with humor and complexity - from the question of whether suspenders count as legitimate maternity wear to the strains created by different views of pregnancy within a couple and finally to a culturally critical and compassionate interrogation of gender in pregnancy. Offering smart, ambitious art, this graphic memoir is a must-read for would-be pregnant butches and anyone interested in the intersection of birth and gender, as well as a perfect queer baby shower gift and conversation starter for those who always assumed they 'got' being pregnant.

From Ignatz-Award-nominated editor Rob Kirby comes a new anthology with 241 pages of new comics from 33 contributors-legends and new faces alike. In 2012, Justin Hall edited a book called No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics, that took readers on a journey from the beginnings of LGBT comics history to the present day. QU33R picks up where No Straight Lines left off; we've set down our history, now QU33R shines a light on our future! QU33R had its genesis in an all-color queer comic zine called THREE, which featured three stories by three creators or teams per issue. Rob Kirby published three installments of THREE annually from 2010 to 2012, and the series did well, garnering not only an Ignatz nomination for Outstanding Anthology or Collection but also earning Rob the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant in 2011. QU33R also includes work by Amanda Verwey (Manderz Totally Top Private Diary), Carlo Quispe (Uranus), Carrie McNinch (You Don't Get There From Here, The Assassin and the Whiner), Christine Smith (The Princess), Craig Bostick (Darby Crash, Go-Go Girl, Boy Trouble), David Kelly (Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven's Comics, Boy Trouble), Dylan "NDR" Edwards (Transposes, Politically InQueerect), Edie Fake (Gaylord Phoenix), Eric Kostiuk Williams (Hungry Bottom Comics), Ivan Velez, Jr. (Tales of the Closet, Dead High Yearbook), Jennifer Camper (Juicy Mother, Rude Girls and Dangerous Women, subGURLZ), Jose-Luis Olivares (Pansy Boy), Justin Hall (Glamazonia: The Uncanny Super-Tranny, True Travel Tales), Kris Dresen (Manya, Max & Lily, She Said), L. Nichols (Flocks, Jumbly Junkery), Marian Runk (Not a Horse Girl, The Magic Hedge), Michael Fahy (Boy Trouble), Rick Worley (A Waste of Time), Rob Kirby (THREE, Boy Trouble, Curbside), Sasha Steinberg (Stonewall, Queerotica), Sina Sparrow (Art Fag, Boy Crazy Boy), Steve MacIsaac (Shirtlifter), Terrance Griep (Scooby-Doo), and Tyler Cohen (Primahood).

Set in the toxic labyrinth of abandoned subway tunnels, SUBGurlz chronicles the superhero happenings of three chemically altered girlfriends. Swizzle is the strongest person on earth - unfortunately, the poor thing's always killing people accidentally. Liver, her girlfriend, is blessed with the power to bring back the dead. Byte has brainpower so stupendous that she's unable to grow hair on her head. Are the SUBGurlz good or bad? It all depends on which side you're on.