A GAY COMIC STRIP? STOP THE PRESSES!
A few months ago, I wrote an article about the pathetic,
1950s-like moratorium on gay characters on the comics pages of the nation’s newspapers
and the ridiculous run-around I got from industry insiders trying to justify
it.
A few weeks ago, an AfterElton.com reader (whose name I have lost, alas)
sent me a tip about a comic strip I wasn’t aware of, The Meaning of Lila, that includes an actual leading gay character
and is authored by a gay man, John Forgetta (it’s illustrated by a trio of
artists, Justin Raines, Jackie Gentile, and Tony Calabro).
The strip tells the story of Lila and her two friends: “perfect” Drew and
best-gay-friend-forever Boyd, who has an ongoing crush on Matthew McConaughey
and shares Lila’s fervent desire to finally land a decent boyfriend.
I recently got a chance to talk to John about the strip and the world’s reaction to it.
John Forgetta
AE: How did this come about? What was
the inspiration?
JF: Boyd is basically some elements of me, as is Lila. I think both of them combined
are all of me. Isn’t that a movie?
AE: What was the reaction of the
syndicate?
JF: Creators Syndicate was the only syndicate to accept a strip with a main gay
character and has been extremely supportive of the strip for the past four years
– even to the point where I wanted to stop it and they convinced me to
continue. They’re also very tolerant of my less conservative storylines and
copy. I think they realize that comic strips have to change or they’re going to
die with the older readership of newspapers.
AE: What is the biggest newspaper for
the strip and what kind of markets does it run in?
JF: Believe it or not, I think the biggest is Stars and Stripes, our newspaper for the Armed Forces, which has
had Lila from the very beginning and
has stood by it through a firestorm of hate mail. That alone makes me proud to
be American and proud of our troops.
The Meaning of Lila is in quite a few
major newspapers in the U.S. and Canada, but Stars and Stripes has been very important to me. I do think about
our troops probably more than many people because I know they’re reading my
comic strip. I want them to be delighted and entertained while they’re out in
the world helping us be free. I get quite a bit of fan mail from female and
male soldiers and their wives. Well, mostly their wives.
AE: What has the reaction from readers
and editors been to the gay elements? Any
controversy?
JF: The Meaning of Lila is the
only mainstream comic strip written by a gay man that has a main gay character
and has definitely suffered for it. From the emails I’ve received, Boyd has
taught me that the most vocal of this country hate gay people and think we’re
going to hell. Which is ironic because these are the same people who are
supposed to love and not condemn people. A minister wrote to a newspaper last
year stating that Boyd is a pedophile. Isn't that sad?
Boyd has also taught me, however, that most people do not hate gays and feel
that everyone should be free to live and love, but they’re too busy with their
lives to write e-mails.
It’s been a tough road for the strip because editors no longer select comic strips
for their variety of content or to appeal to different readers. You have to be
voted in by the readership, or rather readers who actually have time to vote.
These are mostly older, retired men who can’t seem to get enough of Blondie and Hagar the Horrible. I’ll never get into
a newspaper through a vote. To me, features editors have to recognize that younger
people do read their newspapers and may read it more if they published content
that appealed to them. I absolutely love reading the newspaper and think
younger people are nuts if they don’t. Although one of my favorite strips is
when Lila and Boyd see a newspaper on a table at Starbucks and think it’s a new
kind of placemat.
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