Queer as Comics
– Paul Gravett, Curator“Comics have a long tradition of being subversive: neither art nor literature but using both to make their messages captivate readers.”
Discover the stories of fantasy, identity and resistance, as told by queer comic-makers spanning 80 years in this first exhibition of its kind.
Queer as Comics traces the comics, strip cartoons, graphic novels and zines that have documented and shaped LGBTQIA+ lives since the 1940s. From the UK’s first published gay comic strip, (Dave Richards, 1969), and the first gay Black superhero (Rupert Kinnard, 1974), to the humour and sharp satire of the 70s and 80s queer press, this is an exhibition of trailblazers.
Queer communities have used comics to disseminate messages and share impactful stories throughout history while defying censorship. With most artworks shown for the first time, Queer as Comics chronicles how comics creators provided representation for queer communities.
The exhibition showcases some of the very earliest examples of published queer comics. Original drawings from Tove Jansson’s 1954 Moomin cartoon strip for the London Evening News are included, based on herself and her lesbian community.
In the decades following the UK’s partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the 1960s, a vibrant queer press developed, with comic creators satirising queer scenes and making urgent political statements. Kate Charlesworth’s first UK lesbian comic strip, The Adventures of Sandy, is presented alongside Mary Wings’ Come Out Comix (1973): an example of the lively underground ‘comix’ scene simultaneously developing in the US. Artwork on display addresses state power, discrimination and bold visions for the future. Tom Robinson’s Living with the Big A (1987) is a key example of this: made to protest Section 28 and advocate for gay rights during the AIDS epidemic.
Today, queer creators continue to expand the medium of comics through ambitious graphic novels, vibrant self-publishing scenes and webcomics with global followings. Recent works shown include Anna Trench’s tale of women’s football and love in the early 20th century, Florrie, Bishakh Som’s architecture-inspired visions of the future, and Lee Lai’s award-winning story of love lost, Stone Fruit (2021).
Queer as Comics is supported by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a Donor Advised Fund, held at The Prism Charitable Trust. BSL interpretation for Queer as Comics has been awarded by the Exhibitions Group. It has been created by guest curator Paul Gravett and supported by an Advisory Board panel.
