The Pride: queer superheroes

June 26, 2011

Comic writer Joe Glass is working on an Avengers or JLA style superhero team book starring visible, active queer superheroes. He is also looking for more funding to help get this book published.

Have you ever felt misrepresented? Or not represented at all? Have you ever thought the media makes you out to be something you’re not? A joke, a monster, a danger, or worse? Well, FabMan has. So he’s forming his own brand of superhero team…one with an LGBT twist. THE PRIDE are coming to show you what they got; they’re here to savethe world; they’re here for everyone!

Born from my own teenage feelings that there weren’t enough visible, active queer superheroes, THE PRIDE is a six issue comics mini-series that will be published through Deadstar Publishing.

Presented in the same format and look as a big name superhero team book like ‘The Avengers’ or ‘Justice League’, THE PRIDE will be open to anyone and everyone, showing that the LGBT community can be amazing and just like everyone else.

The aim of the series is to present to non-LGBT readers a view of the community that is accessible to them, and might change their current opinions. For LGBT readers, it presents a group of heroes that are open about their sexuality and lives and live a good life because of it.

THE PRIDE however needs help. I wish to raise funds to aid in the production of the book. Whilst Deadstar Publishing will cover most of the printing and distribtution costs when the comic is ready to hit the comic stands, the cost of paying artists on the book falls to me. As such, I would be raising money to pay Gavin Mitchell, the artist and letterer, and Kris Carter, the series regular colourist. Remaining funds would also be used to pay other more well known artists to be involved in the project; will be used for printing the reward copies for anyone who funds it; to create a proper web presence for the project; and generally used to make the comic as big and brilliant as I know it can be.

THE PRIDE already has a good fan base building, from its visibility on the Facebook page to a preview of the project released as part of the Stiffs/The Pride Preview Comic. Already, the project is getting positive attention, and that can only grow with the help of Crowdfunder.

You can see more about THE PRIDE on the Facebookpage: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/ThePrideComic

THE PRIDE is aiming for a release in the Autum/Fall of 2011

Glass has some good words about LGBTQ representation in comics:

I recently wrote an article on this, and although I discovered there is certainly no (at least anymore) inherent homophobia within mainstream comics companies, the treatment and representation of LGBTQ characters is still pretty poor. To be fair, that goes with most minorities too.

It’s not out of hatred, possibly it is out of fear (the fear of mishandling it and getting into trouble for that), but whatever the reason, it’s not good enough. In the majority of cases, gay characters wind up relegated to the background (just check out Northstar in Uncanny X-Men these days) or as supporting characters. Rarely is a gay character in a lead role position, and I’m kinda tired of that.

Yes, I love reading about the adventures of heterosexual heroes as much as anyone, but y’know what, I’d really like to see a gay lead too. It’s been attempted once or twice, but the big leaguers often seem to get cold feet, so it never lasts long.

There are a few great examples, but generally representation is low, and treatment and handling is sometimes a little lacking.

Two pages are under the cut. For a six page preview, check out this link.