Lesbian comic store clerk here. I’ve been reading a ton of gay newspaper comics lately, so here’s a list of my favorite series, where to read them for free, and where to support the artists! And your friendly reminder to support local bookstores!
When I think gay comics, I immediately think of Alison Bechdel and her cult classic lesbian strip Dykes to Watch Out For. And for good reason. Because it’s great.
If you want to read some strips online, HERE is Bechdel’s website! If you want to support her directly, her new book The Secret to Superhuman Strength released this year!
I can’t begin to praise Leonard and Larry by Tim Barela enough. The art is beautifully detailed, and it just feels like a warm hug. It’s a cozy family sitcom about two gay dads; Leonard, a Jewish photographer, and his life partner Larry, the divorced owner of a leather store.
It ran from 1984 to 2003, in several different gay publications. Much like DTWOF, the characters aged in real time, with the characters going gray as their children grew up.
After being out of print for 20+ years, the series was finally collected in its entirety last month! You can order it HERE, from an independent, gay owned publisher.
The funniest, most outrageous of the three is Murphy’s Manor by Kurt Erichsen. And the longest running of the three! It ran from 1981 to 2008, with another book being published as recently as 2019. With a full cast of wonderful gay characters, like the middle-aged gay man affectionately nicknamed The Duchess by her friends (she’s regularly referred to as both she and he throughout the strip); and Meg, the recently elected lesbian mayor… I think that should sell it, right?
You can read EVERY strip from 1981-2008 on Erichsen’s website, HERE.
In 2019, he published the followup Murphy’s Manor - the 30 Year Wedding, in which Murph and his lifelong partner Mark get legally married, inspired by Erichsen’s own marriage.
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