It’s Pride Month and I’m here and genderqueer!
As a genderqueer comics fan, some of the most moving and validating comics I’ve read in the last few years have been by transgender and nonbinary creators. From superhero comic books to webcomics to manga and graphic novels, there has never been a better time to be a transgender or nonbinary comics fan. Check out these 10 comics by transgender and nonbinary creators.
Galaxy: The Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod and Jess Taylor
Taylor Barzelay has the perfect life. Good looks, good grades, a starting position on the basketball team, a loving family, even an adorable corgi. Every day in Taylor’s life is perfect. And every day is torture. Taylor is actually the Galaxy Crowned, an alien princess from the planet Cyandii, and one of the few survivors of an intergalactic war. For six long, painful years, Taylor has accepted her duty to remain in hiding as a boy on Earth. That all changes when Taylor meets Metropolis girl Katherine “Call me Kat” Silverberg, whose confidence is electrifying. Suddenly, Taylor no longer wants to hide, even if exposing her true identity could attract her greatest enemies.
Not only does this book feature some gorgeous art and relatable dialogue, but it takes the trope of “girl disguises herself as a boy” to a whole new level by using it as a transgender allegory. By doing this, Taylor’s heroic journey is given depth through personal milestones such as makeovers and first crushes as well as references to queer icons like David Bowie, Sally Ride and Walt Whitman. In addition to this book, Galaxy makes appearances in the comic books Hawkgirl: Once Upon a Galaxy and Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story.
Buy Galaxy: The Prettiest Star here.
Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story by Nicole Maines and Rye Hickman
Nia Nal’s spent her whole life taking a back seat to her older sister, Maeve, who’s expected to inherit their mother’s Naltorian powers — the ability to see the future through dreams. But when Nia starts having visions of the future, she must suppress her powers to protect her relationship with her sister. There’s only one problem: Nia can’t stay awake forever.
From actress, activist and writer Nicole Maines, who originated the role of Dreamer — the first trans superhero on TV (Supergirl) — and artist Rye Hickman comes the origin story of a girl who must accept her destiny to discover she’s more powerful than she could ever dream of.
Buy Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story here.
Punk Rock Karaoke by Bianca Xunise
School is out for summer, and Ariel Grace Jones is determined to make it one for the books. Together with their bestie bandmates, Michele and Gael, Ariel believes they’re destined to break into the music industry and out of Chicago’s Southside by singing lead in their garage punk band, Baby Hares.
Before Baby Hares can officially get into the groove, the realities of post-grad life start to weigh on this crew of misfits. Ari begins to worry that it’s time to pull the plug on their dreams of making it big. Just when all hope feels lost, a fellow punk and local icon takes an interest in their talent. It seems like he might be the only one Ariel can rely on as frustrations between bandmates reach an all-time high.
Um by buttercup
According to an interview with Women Write About Comics, Um is described as “a magical girl comic about Eugenée, a Black, nonbinary, aspiring birth-worker who finds themself mixed up in a millennia-old conflict between the powers that be and a faction of cosmic, shamanic midwives.”
Not only is it an ongoing webcomic, but a graphic novel is in production that will collect the first six chapters.
Keeping Time by Kody Okamoto
In the mid-2000s, Daniel returns to his hometown for the first time since his twin sister, Alex, died. Resigned to living his life in the colorless grief he’s accustomed to, he is unprepared for his estranged friend and former bandmate, Denver, to burst back into his life. Denver convinces Daniel to rejoin the band, and the act of creating music together brings them closer than they’ve ever been. Just as their band seems headed for a brighter future, Denver and Daniel realize falling in love in the scar that Alex left behind might prove to be their undoing.
The Out Side: Trans & Nonbinary Comics Anthology edited by The Kao, Min Christensen and David Daneman
In this vibrant and affirming comics anthology, 29 trans and nonbinary comic artists share their personal journeys of self-discovery and acceptance. The Out Side includes 29 creators’ tales of self-love and affirmation and details their experiences with gender and identity. Originally published as a successful Kickstarter campaign, this expanded edition includes comics by Dana Simpson (bestselling author of Phoebe and Her Unicorn), Aidyn Huynh (Snailords), Wren Chavers and more.
Becoming Who We Are, edited by Lilah Sturges and Sammy Lisel
In a collection of stories from across the spectrum of real-life experience, nine members of the trans community share their inspirational childhood stories. These are tales of questioning, affirming, transitioning and growing up; courageous, gripping accounts from musicians, actors, teachers, scientists, forest rangers and activists of how they overcame their unique challenges to become who they truly are.
Magical Boy by The Kao
A webcomic as well as a two-book graphic novel series, Magical Boy tells the story of a gay trans boy named Max who discovers he is descended from a long line of monster-fighting magical girls. By applying the magical girl genre’s theme of transformation, the series tells a fun and poignant trans and queer coming-of-age story while paying homage to magical girl staples such as Sailor Moon.
This is one of my favorite magical girl comic books ever. It pokes fun and pays tribute to magical girl tropes while providing commentary on cisheteronormativity and gender norms. It also has some creative takes on magical girl stuff, especially the transformation outfit and weapons.
At 30, I Realized I Had No Gender by Shou Arai
At age 30, Shou Arai (he/him) came to a realization; he had no gender. Now he was faced with a question he’d never really considered: how to age in a society where everything is so strongly segregated between two genders? This autobiographical manga explores Japanese culture surrounding gender, transgender issues and the day-to-day obstacles faced by gender minorities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community with a lighthearted, comedic attitude.
Buy At 30, I Had No Gender here.
Boys Run the Riot by Keito Gaku
Written and drawn by a Japanese trans man, Boys Run the Riot is a four-volume manga series that tells the story of Ryo, a trans male high school boy. When Ryo meets a boisterous cis guy named Jun, they become friends and use their shared interest in graffiti and Ryo’s interest in fashion to create a fashion brand. Both graffiti and fashion inform the book’s visually striking artwork and become the vehicle for Ryo’s newfound self-expression. Graffiti and fashion also inform the storytelling’s frank discussions of gender identity and expression and sexual orientation through Ryo and a secondary genderqueer character named Wing. All of these things make it one of the most powerful LGBTQ+ manga series I’ve ever read.
Buy Boys Run the Riot Vol. 1 here.
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Latonya Pennington is a freelance contributor whose comics criticism can be found at Women Write About Comics, Comic Book Herald, Newsarama and Shelfdust, among others.
