With the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo coming to Calgary this month, I thought I would take a stab at the Comic Craze that has surrounded me since childhood. It began with my brother’s comic collection.  It mystified me how he spent a lot of hard earned allowance on these things, and never read them - he said it would ruin their value. In fact, to make sure they looked like they were never touched at all, he would spend even more money on plastic covers to make sure they stayed well preserved. It still makes little sense to me. Why spend ridiculous amount of money on things that you could never enjoy?  I soon understood as he sold them for thousands of dollars in his adulthood.

Being a teenager in the 1980’s, comics were again a huge part of my surroundings as my friends, mostly male, made sure to check out the comic shop in downtown Vancouver every weekend. I would often follow, as most teenage girls did with teenage boys, while they read the newest editions. I would look at pictures, mostly of Wonder Woman, but that is another story. I just never understood the appeal of a make believe world full of superheroes and villains.

So now, here I am at 36, surrounded again. I have friends that are so excited to attend the Expo - the ones whose houses are filled with action figures, comics, and posters of female superheroes in tight leather pants, masks, and their unlikely weapons of choice. I can’t lie and say that I am not somewhat drawn to the awesome femaleness of it all, but again, I ponder the significance of such a make believe world.  What I find most apparent is the draw that comics have to the LGBT community.

When it comes to, shall I say, a lifestyle that I am so unfamiliar with (and find somewhat ridiculous), in order to make sense of it all, I need to follow what I learned in my Sociology/Women Studies Degree in University.  Nothing in this world is ridiculous. There is a reason for everything, and if people find the comic world this enticing then there is a reason for it. So I was compelled to find this reason.

Historically, explicit LGBT themes were not well represented in comics.  Comics enjoyed their success by gearing toward children, so as much as some authors may have secretly desired to explore that subject, they could not. In fact the Comics Code Authority stated that any form of homosexuality was strictly forbidden in mainstream United States comics until 1989. The only comics that could explore the LGBT community were underground ‘comix’ that were produced by gay creators, featuring autobiographical storylines, and tackling political issues of interest to LGBT readers. [Wikipedia 2010]  It is not a secret however to anyone growing up in North America that there were definitely characters with rumoured same-sex relationships. Batman and Robin for instance, were always thought to be in a gay relationship.

Throughout the 1990’s LGBT themes and characters became much more prevalent in mainstream comics, especially in international comics, which were much more progressive in featuring main gay, lesbian, and intersex characters. These characters were often used in comics for adult entertainment, which not being considered mainstream, loosened the leash of the censorship board.  Japanese manga has been using gay characters since the 1970’s in the form of yaio (“Boys’ Love”) and yuri (“Girls’ Love”).

Today, LGBT themes in comics are not uncommon at all. Buffy The Vampire Slayer has a main lesbian character: Willow. Even Buffy herself has taken part in many lesbian affairs in the comics that have been printed since the television show ended. Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy is quoted saying, “We’re not going to take the next 50 issues explaining that she’s not [a lesbian]. She’s young and experimenting, and did I mention open-minded?” As my researcher for this article, Kara, affirmed, “I collect the comics; I read the letters after it happened, some NOT so happy people! I don’t think Joss was wrong for letting her experiment, girls do that!”

Now I am starting to understand the comic attraction.

The X-Men have often been compared to marginalized sectors of the general population. It could be said that these ”mutants” have been treated like many of the LGBT community. In the comic, the mutants experience horrible discrimination, and do often stick together in a family-like community. The same can be said for LGBT culture.

In Marvel Comics series X-Factor, friends Rictor and Shatterstar were shown in an on-panel kiss. Writer Peter David confirmed the two characters are bisexual, and stated that he wanted to continue with the story line. Unfortunately one of the creators verbalized his disapproval of the relationship, and this decision was ”regretted”.

Many characters can change their gender and identity by shapeshifting, and they often do it for love. For instance, in the comic the Runaways, lesbian character Karolina is dating a shapeshifter, Xavin, who changes into a woman to be with her.

So, why is there such a draw toward comics by the LGBT community? Well, for one thing the art is tremendous.  The stories are fun, and draw one into a world very unlike our own. Nevertheless there seem to be a startling number of parallels with the lives of LGBT people.  While good vs. evil is a prominent theme in any superhero story, what I find interesting is the fact that many of the classics touch on the theme of hidden identities, portray the hero as the underdog who fights for a normal life, or shape-shifts to find this balance. It is no wonder we can identify so strongly.

What is also encouraging is the fact that LGBT issues in newer comics are treated as a relevant part of the story. Relationships make sense. Homosexual characters are seen as equal to heterosexual ones, which is surprising to see even in today’s movies.  It is such a revelation to see what is our own - what we deem normal in the general public. We can associate with these characters and themes because they are us. We live these lives - maybe not as extreme as they - but we understand them. They represent and act as a metaphor for our day to day lives, our struggles, our loves, and our hopes.

So, am I right? Is this what the big deal is about? I am sure I have only touched on the personal affect of comics. But now I have a better understanding of what comics represent, and how my peers can develop such adoration for these characters.

I guess I am just as guilty for it. It made me realize that vision of Wonder Woman has been with me since my childhood. She was everything I wanted to be: beautiful, smart, independent, and tough. She could spin like none other, and in fact,  I recall trying to emulate her as a child by spinning out of a huge tree down my road. I hurt myself many times by landing badly, but it didn’t matter.  For that split second I felt like Wonder Woman, and I could save the world too.