Beyond "Watchmen": 10 Queer Comics That Should Be Movies

Watchmen

Long considered an "unfilmable" graphic novel, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen finally makes its way to the big screen this week.

It got us wondering: If a book as dense and challenging and violent as Watchmen could become a movie, what's to keep filmmakers from tackling the vast array of fascinating queer comics out there? (The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green, based on the comic strip by Eric Orner, was certainly a step in the right direction, but so far it stands alone among comics adaptations.)

To give Hollywood a nudge, or perhaps to inspire some indie filmmakers out there, here's a list of ten queer-inclusive comic strips and graphic novels that would be just terrific as movies. Read on!

Age of Bronze by Eric Shanower: Were you annoyed at the rampant heterosexuality of Troy? Queer creator Shanower's epic take on the Trojan War is truer to the sensibilities of ancient Greece, including a steamy man-on-man kiss between Achilles and Patroklos.

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel: While much of Bechdel's brilliant graphic memoir details her coming of age as a lesbian, her father's conflicts over his own sexuality play a major role in the story as well. (Why Bechdel's queer-and-everything-else-inclusive Dykes to Watch Out For hasn't already become an animated sitcom on one of the gay cable channels remains an ongoing mystery.)

Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse: Cruse's poignant autobiography takes place in the South in the 1960s, where sexuality, race, religion and politics all come into play. Oh, and plenty of sex, from liberating to guilt-inducing to baby-creating.

Manhunter by Marc Andreyko: Hollywood loves movies about working women and their gay best pals, right? Well, in this DC Comics title from Out 100-er Andreyko, Kate Spencer is a high-powered attorney who, in her off hours, uses high-tech weaponry to dispense justice outside of the courtroom. Her friends include queer assistant D.A. Damon Matthews and his boyfriend, Obsidian, a superhero who's the son of the original Green Lantern.

Leonard and Larry by Tim Barela: One of the funniest serials about relationships and domesticity was this long-running strip about Larry, a married father of two who came out in middle age to own a leather store, and his partner Leonard, an often-irritated photographer. Mixing everything from heartfelt humor about love and cohabitation to farcical situations with stalkers and maternity rooms, L&L's brand of comedy begs for a big-screen treatment.

Young Bottoms in Love by Tim Fish: As twink-ish as Leonard and Larry is daddy-ish, YBIL offers very believable (and super-cute) under-30 urbanites struggling with fidelity, honesty and who gets to keep the dog after the breakup.

Curbside by Tim Kirby: Kirby (the co-editor of the Boy Trouble anthologies of queer comics) puts a grittier and sometimes even violent spin on the Young Bottoms territory, although his examination of gay relationships and sexuality is also hilarious and recognizably real.

Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather by Ron Zimmerman: Zimmerman took the classic Marvel Comics hero and made him an effete dandy who also happens to be the deadliest shot in the Old West. I love a character who talks like Clifton Webb and shoots like John Wayne, and it's certainly not the kind of hero we've seen much at the movies.

Angel Revelations by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: OK, you want superheroes? Angel of the X-Men — you'll recall Ben Foster's riveting shirtlessness when he played the character in X-Men: The Last Stand — first discovers his mutant ability while attending boys' school and befriends a gay student over their joint "outsider" status. The openly gay Aguirre-Sacasa is a Renaissance man writing for theater, comics and TV (HBO's Big Love).

Pride High by Tommy Roddy: What if the Disney movie Sky High had a GSA? That's the premise of Roddy's teen-friendly comic book about a high school for super-powered youths and the drama that erupts when five friends start a gay-straight alliance. Superpowers, cute boys and teen angst — what else does a movie need?

Mind you, this is a list of just 10 of the many groovy gay comics out there — and I suspect you have your own favorites. Tell us in the comments!