Queer and Trans Comics by Dylan Edwards
I’ll be heading up to Dallas this weekend for the Sci-Fi Expo. I’ll mostly be bringing my Feeping Creatures stuff, but I’ll also have some preview art and prints for the new comic I’m working on, a short story for QU33R (the new anthology from Robert Kirby) about kids who gender-swap their toys (you know, just in case you missed any of the several previous posts).
If you’re going to be in Dallas this weekend, swing by and check it out!
I’ve created a landing page for material related to my QU33R anthology story. It now includes the current version of page 1 (pencils, as of this posting), as well as my character designs for the female versions of Prowl, Jazz, and Bluestreak. While these specific images are not technically part of the story that’s going to be published in QU33R, they are are finished art pieces in their own right and I wanted to show ’em off to ya. I used these designs for the actual drawings of the three lady bots that show up in the story.
If you want to learn more about how I created these designs, click through to their individual pages and read the mass of text below the image. Oh, and you may have noticed there are little “Buy Now” buttons on there as well, just in case you are so smitten by the girl incarnations of Prowl, Jazz, and Bluestreak, you feel yourself needing to own a print of them.
Next week I’ll be tabling at the Dallas Sci-Fi Expo with my Feeping Creatures menagerie, but I’ll also have the TransTransformers prints with me. So if you are going to be in Dallas, you might stop by and peep them in person.
Cheers,
Dylan
A couple more media mentions of Transposes have come in:
Lambda Literary has a review of the book up now in their comics section, from Cathy Camper – “A major step to breaking down closet doors is to provide venues for trans* people to see themselves. Edward’s graphic novel does just that …. Edwards’ black and white comics are open and inviting, making it easy for readers to get a quick overview of many different queer FTM lives. This accessibility also makes Transposes a good resource for gender workshops or other situations where it’s helpful to easily compare different people’s life stories.”
Sequential Tart features Transposes in an article about broader trans* representation in comics, by Katie Frank – “Transposes uses different presentations for each story — a staged speech, flashbacks, a museum exhibit — to take the reader through important moments in the interviewees’ lives. This technique makes the stories both personal and relatable, and also highlights, in a lighthearted way, the weirdness of the exercise of interrogating people about the intimate details of their lives.”
Meanwhile, I’m still working away on my TransTransformers comic for QU33R. I’m thinkin’ maybe I post a preview page on Thursday, so check back in a mere couple of days!
Cheers,
Dylan
I’m working away on pencils for my story for Robert Kirby’s QU33R anthology, due out this fall from Northwest Press. As you can see, I have contrived to tell a story about playing with Transformers as a kid, which means I get to draw quite a few of the ol’ robots for this comic. It’s actually a little difficult to find the photo references I need, believe it or not. I’ve had to resort to watching the cartoon (which was really just not very good at all, thought I still kind of love it in that important-part-of-my-childhood way) and grabbing the occasional frame. I want to use the cartoon character designs specifically (as opposed to the comic book Transformers, or the box art for the toys) because that’s what most informed my impression of what the characters were supposed to look like. Also, the art style fits well with my own cartooning style.
I do all of the penciling by hand, even though I’m pretty sure that proves I’m insane. So, for example, I need to repeat that drawing of Prowl on the left, so I copy him onto vellum, position the copy where I want it, then transfer it using erasable, non-photo blue carbon paper. Why do I do this instead of just making a duplicate layer in Photoshop like a normal person? Because I want each page to be a finished work of art in its own right, and that means keeping digital manipulations to a minimum.
Tune in next week for a glimpse at a (readable) sample page, and after that I have some character design work to show off. In other words, I’m talkin’ about regular posting for awhile. Cue dramatic music!
Cheers,
Dylan
Yes, I’m finally uploading some new content to the site. There were some, eh, technical difficulties preventing me from doing so, but I think they’ve been sorted out now. (Oh, technology, you are such a fickle helper.) If you’re subscribed to the RSS feed, I apologize for any spamming that may have occurred as I edited and deleted and futzed and posted again. Anyway, on to the new goods. Just click the images to embiggen.
First of all, the new Politically InQueerect comic that made its debut in Rocksalt Magazine:
Next up, an illustration I did for Bent-Con‘s 2012 art show. This is my interpretation of one of their Bentling mascots:
I will have even more new art for you soon. To wit, some previews of the work I’m doing for Robert Kirby’s QU33R anthology. Please do try to contain yourself in the interim.
Cheers,
Dylan
I just handed Book People a bunch of consignment copies of Transposes, so you should now be able to roll on into the store and buy yourself a copy (if you’re in Austin, that is). You’ll find it shelved with graphic novels, and possibly also LGBT studies, but probably graphic novels is your best bet. So, if you have a hankerin’ to support indie bookstores and indie authors, go throw some money at them!
I was recently interviewed on Houston radio station KPFT’s Queer Voices program. We chatted about comics in general and Transposes in particular. It’s up on their website (the December 17 show) for the next couple of weeks; after that, I guess I have to figure out how to host it on here somehow. Anyway, you’ll find me right around the 53:28 mark.
Have you read and enjoyed Transposes? Please consider taking a moment to write a review on Goodreads, Amazon, or iTunes (or anywhere else, really!). It doesn’t have to be long or involved. “Loved it!” or “Awesome” is fine. Though longer is fine, too. :) But every little bit helps, and since most of the promotion of this book is going to be word-of-mouth, it’s all gonna be little bits coalescing. Here are some links for ya:
Meanwhile, as you can see over there on the right, I am currently working away on a new Politically InQueerect strip for Rocksalt Magazine. I’ll post the finished comic here once it has seen publication, but know that it is on the way! My goal for 2013 is to get back to PIQue. I would like to finish issue #3, which was put on hold while I worked on Transposes. I have some new scripts kicking around that I’d like to draw up. And, once I get enough stuff together, I want to put together a volume of collected Politically InQueerect material. It’s only ever seen the light of day online and in photocopied minicomics, so it’s high time PIQue got the proper book treatment. So, with any luck, I will get rolling on regular PIQue updates for 2013, just like a proper webcomic. More deets to come as things solidify.
Finally, the sad news. Domy Books (or their Austin location, at least) is bringing their consignment program to an end, so that means they won’t be able to stock Transposes anymore. It’ll be there up through about Dec. 23-ish, so if you’re in Austin and want to buy a copy from a local retailer, hie thee hence in the next couple of weeks.
Cheers,
Dylan
Yes indeed, it is Bent-Con time. The show starts tomorrow, Nov. 30, and runs through Dec. 2. It’s all queer comics and media, all the time. How can you resist? If you’re in southern California this weekend, please drop by.
I’ll be hanging out at the Northwest Press booth to sign copies of Transposes, and I’ll have my original pages with me just in case you were interested in purchasing such a thing (ahem-hem). I also have a few pieces for sale in the Bent-Con art show, including my Bentling illustration here (of course I did the skull Bentling … how could I not?).
So yes. This weekend. Burbank, CA (a stone’s throw from Los Angeles). Queer comics and media. Check the Bent-Con website for further deets. Hope to see you there!
Also, don’t forget to sign up for the Transposes giveaway on Goodreads, if you haven’t already. It closes at midnight on Sunday night, so don’t miss out, yeah?