Superheroes have been the major genre to emerge from comics and graphic novels, saturating popular culture with images of muscular men and sexy women. A major aspect of this genre is identity in the roles played by individuals, the development of identities through extended stories and in the ways the characters inspire audiences. This collection analyses stories from popular comics franchises such as Batman, Captain America, Ms Marvel and X-Men, alongside less well known comics such as Kabuki and Flex Mentallo. It explores what superhero narratives can reveal about our attitudes towards femininity, race, maternity, masculinity and queer culture. Using this approach, the volume asks questions such as why there are no black supervillains in mainstream comics, how second wave feminism and feminist film theory may help us to understand female comic book characters, the ways in which Flex Mentallo transcends the boundaries of straightness and gayness and how both fans and industry appropriate the sexual identity of superheroes. The book was originally published in a special issue of the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics.

Winner of Prism Comics first annual Queer Press Grant, SHIRTLIFTER is a series of queer-themed short fiction comics from STICKY artist Steve MacIsaac. This first issue features the self-contained story "Unmade Beds." Set amidst the gay expatriate culture of Tokyo, the comic is a quiet and lyrical examination of cross-cultural adjustment and sexual parity. This new edition features re-inked, and in some cases redrawn, artwork and 8 pages of bonus material including alternate pages, sketches, and a feature on the evolution of a comics panel from inspiration to completion. 52 pages, color.

Collects Sensational She-Hulk (1989) #1-12, She-Hulk: Ceremony (1989) #1-2; material from Solo Avengers (1987) #14, Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #18, Marvel Fanfare (1982) #48. She's done being savage - now it's time to be sensational! Comics legend John Byrne launches She-Hulk's second solo series with a twist - because Shulkie knows she's a character in a comic book! As the jade giantess smashes the glass ceiling at her new law firm, she does the same to the "fourth wall" between character and audience - quipping with readers and arguing with her comic's creators as she takes on bizarre foes including the Circus of Crime, the Toad Men, Stilt-Man and Xemnu the Titan! Plus: Jen meets Golden Age hero the Blonde Phantom and learns harsh lessons about the rules of comics! The mayhem of Madcap! A wedding proposal like no other! And She-Hulk: The Movie?!

A cultural history of the customs, fashions, and figures of gay life in the twentieth and the early twenty-first centuries-and how they have changed us for the better. How the Homosexuals Saved Civilization presents a broad yet incisive look at how an unusual "immigrant" group, homosexual men, has influenced mainstream American society and has, in many ways, become mainstream itself. From the way camp, irony, and the gay aesthetic have become part of our national sensibility to the undeniable effect the gay cognoscenti have had on media and the arts, Cathy Crimmins examines how gay men have changed the concepts of community, family, sex, and fashion.

No Straight Lines showcases major names such as Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, and Ralf Koenig (one of Europe’s most popular cartoonists), as well as high-profile, crossover creators who have dabbled in LGBT cartooning, like legendary NYC artist David Wojnarowicz and media darling and advice columnist Dan Savage. No Straight Lines also spotlights many talented creators who never made it out of the queer comics ghetto, but produced amazing work that deserves wider attention. Queer cartooning encompasses some of the best and most interesting comics of the last four decades, with creators tackling complex issues of identity and a changing society with intelligence, humor, and imagination. This book celebrates this vibrant artistic underground by gathering together a collection of excellent stories that can be enjoyed by all. Until recently, queer cartooning existed in a parallel universe to the rest of comics, appearing only in gay newspapers and gay bookstores and not in comic book stores, mainstream bookstores or newspapers. The insular nature of the world of queer cartooning, however, created a fascinating artistic scene. LGBT comics have been an uncensored, internal conversation within the queer community, and thus provide a unique window into the hopes, fears, and fantasies of queer people for the last four decades. These comics have forged their aesthetics from the influences of underground comix, gay erotic art, punk zines, and the biting commentaries of drag queens, bull dykes, and other marginalized queers. They have analyzed their own communities, and their relationship with the broader society. They are smart, funny, and profound. No Straight Lines has been heralded by people interested in comics history, and people invested in LGBT culture will embrace it as a unique and invaluable collection.