No Straight Lines

Dream Log: A Mini-Comic

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:51:56 -0700

Even though our Queer Comics Project class isn’t running this semester at the California College of the Arts, I had to post this! This is a mini-comic made by Yssa, an extremely talented CCA animation student, for the Graphic Novel Workshop class I’m currently teaching. It’s a moving document of queer love and loss, and a remarkable first comic by a remarkable woman.

Justin

yssadalawa:

Here’s the mini-comic we had to do for our Graphic Novel class!

It was very cathartic making this because it was about something extremely personal and sensitive to me and a lot of other people around me. Making this actually helped me come to my own conclusion/closure, and it just really stresses how much art means to me as a means of expression and outlet.

Therefore, please do not use or steal without my consent!

I hope you enjoy this (:

END.

[ This March marks one year since she’s been gone.

After one year, perhaps it’s finally time to put these dreams to rest.

Not because I don’t love her.
She is still amazing and wonderful, a beauty in my mind.

But only in my mind.

She’s become a memory I desperately cling to when the loneliness sets in.

She was meant for more than that.

www.findmarizela.com ]

The Queer Comics Project class at the S.F. Cartoon Art Museum,...

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:03:50 -0800

The Queer Comics Project class at the S.F. Cartoon Art Museum, after just having framed the art for the show they curated of local creators of LGBTQ comics. From left to right: Kevin Huang, Devin Mireles, Megan Yamanaka, Steven Soundara, and Robyn Dalbey.

The opening party for the show is Saturday, December 17th from 5:30-7:30pm. There will be art, music, cartoonists, an X-Men drag number… in other words, a damn good time!

Jon Macy, in this second snippet from our interview with him at...

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:19:33 -0800

Jon Macy, in this second snippet from our interview with him at the Center of Sex and Culture, explains his use of fantasy elements in his gay comics. These have been particularly useful to him when dealing with the dangers of gay sex during the AIDS crisis, and the horrible blow of California’s Prop 8, which banned same-sex marriage. This interview was lead by CCA illustration major Devin Mireles.

Jon Macy talks about sex and assimilation in gay comics. We...

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 15:01:07 -0800

Jon Macy talks about sex and assimilation in gay comics. We interviewed him at the Center of Sex and Culture, where he curated a show called Dirty Comics; the fabulous background is part of the Center. Jon recently won the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant and the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Erotica, the latter for his graphic novel Teleny and Camille, an adaptation of the dark, erotic novel attributed to Oscar Wilde. An excerpt of this will appear in the No Straight Lines book. The interview was spearheaded by CCA illustration major Devin Mireles.

Trina Robbins describes creating the first comic book story...

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 20:21:00 -0800

Trina Robbins describes creating the first comic book story about a lesbian, which is the first comics story about any LGBTQ person that wasn’t derogatory, erotic, or a gag strip; this is the birth of the queer “literary” comics genre. “Sandy Comes Out” will be included in the No Straight Lines anthology.

Robbins describes the reaction by queer artists Mary Wings and Roberta Gregory, who were outraged that a straight woman beat them to it. What isn’t mentioned here is that the character Sandy was actually Robert Crumb’s sister!

This is the second snippet from an interview conducted by CCA painting major Robyn Dalbey.

The remarkable Trina Robbins talks about women making comics,...

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 08:45:35 -0800

The remarkable Trina Robbins talks about women making comics, and the audience she had of young, gay boys for her “girl’s comics” featuring paper doll designs. Having Trina come to class was fantastic; this woman has inspired generations of creators, and helped open up the world of comics for both women and queers. All hail Trina! She was interviewed by CCA painting major Robyn Dalbey.

David Kelly, co-editor of the Boy Trouble series, talks about...

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:11:08 -0800

David Kelly, co-editor of the Boy Trouble series, talks about the creation of his strip Steven’s Comics, which was published in gay newspapers, recently collected in a trade, and will be featured in the No Straight Lines book. Also, he describes how queer comics are gaining a wider audience. He was interviewed by CCA fashion major Steven Soundara.

Agnes Czaja, the creator of the masterful Acrobats webcomic,...

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 20:27:35 -0700

Agnes Czaja, the creator of the masterful Acrobats webcomic, talks about the origins of yaoi (Japanese comics of gay male sex and romance, made by and for women) and slash (the American version of the same phenomenon). The interview was done by the whole of the Queer Comics Project class, right before Agnes’ full slideshow presentation on yaoi.

Charles “Zan” Christensen, founder of both the LGBT...

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:57:47 -0700

Charles “Zan” Christensen, founder of both the LGBT comics advocacy non-profit Prism Comics, and the new LGBT comics publisher Northwest Press, as well as the writer of the comics Mark of Aeacus and The Power Within, talks about the importance of a queer perspective in comics. The interview was headed up by CCA animation major Kevin Huang.

The ever-dynamic Mary Wings discusses creating the world’s...

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 07:03:54 -0700

The ever-dynamic Mary Wings discusses creating the world’s first lesbian comic book, Come Out Comix, in 1973. We filmed her in class, but there was a problem with the sound, so this is from an iphone clip done later at her home. The initial interview was conducted by CCA painting major Robyn Dalbey and CCA writing major Megan Yamanaka.

working on the anthology

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:12:14 -0700

This is a pic of my dining room table covered in what is only a very small fraction of the piles of LGBT comics that I’m plowing through for inclusion in the anthology! Wow… The more I dig into this history, the more I uncover.

The amazing Christine Smith shares her experiences on making...

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 22:49:46 -0700

The amazing Christine Smith shares her experiences on making comics that deal with queer issues for children. This interview was conducted CCA individualized major, Bex Freund.

DAR: A Super Girl Top Secret Comic Diary

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 22:49:41 -0700

“DAR! chronicles the six year long autobiographical story of Erika Moen, who starts out as a lost 20-year-old lesbian artist-wannabe in college who falls in love with a boy in England and the evolution that her sexual identity undergoes before winding up marrying him as a queer 26-year-old full-time cartoonist. Along the way there are many vignettes about sex, farts, the queer community, the Brits, vibrators and figuring out sexual identity.

It ran from 2003-2009.”

Submitted by Nusha

Maka-Maka: High class lesbian porn

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 22:49:36 -0700

Some of you may be wondering why I’m submitting hardcore porn to the class tumblr (i spent a week wondering about this, too)

Here’s the nitty-gritty. Yes, it’s straight-up porn, no real plot. Adjust your expectations accordingly.

HOWEVER.

The art quality is fucking incredible—it goes a long way when combined with the two lead characters. This is what I find worthwhile about the whole thing—most Japanese lesbian porn is mediocre. But this work was clearly a labor of love, and it shows in the characters—their distinct style of dress, their expressions, their surroundings. Depsite the porn and lack of plot, I found myself engaged with the two women and their back-and-forth banter. It’s refreshingly real, and there seems to be an underlying subtext behind all of the goofiness in regard to their perceptions of their friendship and sexuality. I first found this story online when I was just starting to figure out I was gay at 16, and it’s the only one that’s actually stuck in my mind for all those years.

Here is where you can read it online.

Submitted by Bex

Starfighter

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 22:49:31 -0700

http://starfightercomic.com/warning.html

Another great webcomic pick!

Submitted by Jess

Here’s a sneak peek of our Jon Macy interview. CCA Media...

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:12:00 -0700

Here’s a sneak peek of our Jon Macy interview. CCA Media Arts major, Colin Wright, handles the interview duties this time around.

Queer Woman of Color (QWOC) Artist - Jasika Nicole

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:11:47 -0700

Queer Woman of Color (QWOC) Artist - Jasika Nicole:

Recommend: Art Work - High Yella Magic - Crayons

(but really, they are all pretty good)

Submitted by Jess

The Suits

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:11:40 -0700

Our resident webcomics expert, Grace, suggests The Suits as a comic worth checking out!

I WAS KIDNAPPED BY LESBIAN PIRATES FROM OUTER SPACE!

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:11:00 -0700

This is one of the best lesbian webcomics out there, in my opinion, due to its homage to old-school lesbian pulp (toner dots and all). On top of all the ridiculous stuff happening, the characters are pretty memorable and amusing.

Submitted by Bex

Cover of Best American Comics 2011 by Skim artist, Jillian...

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:32:46 -0700

Cover of Best American Comics 2011 by Skim artist, Jillian Tamake. Edited by Alison Bechdel!

Submitted by Matt