The Gay Geek (June 4, 2008)

Hey kids, what time is it? It’s time for the Prism Guide to Comics!:
Ah, this is starting to feel like a sign of summer — the 2008 Prism Guide to Comics is now arriving in comic shops. This year’s guide follows a “yearbook” style “Prism High” theme with 100 pages of comics from out creators including Tim Fish (Cavalcade of Boys), Tommy Roddy (Pride High) and Justin Hall (Glamazona) and a variety of articles on the state of GLBT representation in comics.

The arrival of the annual Prism Guide to Comics always fills me with a bit of nostalgia. I remember how the guide started as a small pamphlet that Andy Mangels handed out at the annual “Gays in Comics” panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Andy and his partner devoted plenty of hours to making that first guide to comics' openly gay creators.

The next year, Gay League members became a part of the project, helping improve the look of the guide and adding more content. Every year, the “Out in Comics” guide became bigger and more professional looking, eventually turning into the current, fantastic volume that Prism puts out nowadays.

If you’ve ever been to one of Andy’s “Gays in comics” panels, you should be familiar with the plea that closes the discussion. Andy explains the importance of supporting openly gay creators in the marketplace, pointing out how supporting queer creators and comics helps increase the amount of inclusive comics available. That’s not to say that anyone wanting to see more inclusiveness in comics should buy comics by queer creators just because they’re gay, just that one should make an effort to find gay-themed comics and GLBT creators they enjoy reading.

The Prism Guide makes that easier to find gay comics you might enjoy, especially with the latest guide including such a large sample of some of the titles currently available. Keep an eye out for it at your local comic shop; it's a great way to find a comic you might have missed.

Boy meets hardcover binding:
And while we're on the topic of gay comics arriving in stores, a few months ago I brought up Chayne Avery and Russel Garcia's charming superhero romance webcomic Boy Meet Hero. In a bit of good news for someone like me who likes to curl up with a comic on the comfy couch, the story is now available in a hardcover edition.

Right now, you can ask your local books store to get you a copy or you can get a signed copy from the creators. Meanwhile, Chayne and Russel are expecting to debut their new series, Blue Comet and Fusion later this week.