Review: Free Comic Book Gay #1

Artist(s): Various.

Free Comic Book Day is a yearly event where American publishers and comic shops offer reader free comics. This year, the Quatrefoil Library, a Minnesotan library dedicated to LGBT material, has put together a short but cool anthology comic and called it Free Comic Book Gay.

From Rhea Ewing's contribution

A dozen artists and writers contribute one- or two-pagers, mostly from webcomics: Tripping Over You, by Suzana H. and Owen W., shows a cute interaction between two girls newly in love, and the importance of music is raised; Skin Horse, by Shaenon K. Garrity & Jeffrey C. Wells, showcases a transvestite straight guy, in a fun romp where trying on a beautiful dress is more important than arresting a mad scientist (I’m sure we all have days like that); Riot Nrrd, by RJ Edwards, is about LGBT nerds, and this excerpt is a very moving exchange between two young boys, one with a gay dad and one who likes having long hair (this is my favorite excerpt); Rooster Tails, by Sam Orchard, is an autobiographical strip about a young couple where the two guys are trans, and this page is specially done for this anthology (it’s also a quick introduction to the optimistic creator and his life); Curvy, by M. Magdalene, is a sexy encounter between two women, with what seem to be fantasy elements;  Confounded Contraption, by Kate Saturday, is a series of short strips about the life of a clueless character, and it’s funny in a oh-no-I-don’t-believe-it way; Oh Dear, by Jei Gross, is a complete story in two pages, where the surviving half of a couple contemplates his loss; finally, Queer Gods, by Rhea Ewing, is a meditation on the lack of queer gods in the pagan religion of the artist, and it’s beautifully drawn.

As you can see, this anthology packs a lot of variety in only 12 pages (plus a funny cover by James Bacigalupo). I only knew Rooster Tails, so I’m glad to have discovered more webcomics, some of which are LGBT-inclusive, while others are very LGBT. Of course, I’m even happier that an organization like the Quatrefoil Library has decided to publish this comic.

FCBD 2012 (the event) is on Saturday, May 5. FCBD #1 (the comic) will be given to the library patrons on that same day. The Quatrefoil library, which is located around Minneapolis, can be found on the web here or on Facebook,

Comments are closed.