For Queer Mice
by BROWWWSER
See You in the Funny (Web) Pages
ith the exception of For Better or For
Worse and Doonesbury, gay characters have been almost completely nonexistent in
the funny pages. Mainstream newspapers don't have the guts to print comics that bend the
borders. Secretly we fantasized of Mark Trail doing the nasty with Prince Valiant or
Brenda Starr going down on Mary Worth, but we've had to settle for ambiguous teasing
between Peppermint Patty and Marcie. Luckily there are many queer cartoonists writing for
gay newspapers and magazines, and many are now posting their scribbles on the Internet.
You'll probably find that as you browse this wide variety of comics you'll recognize parts
of yourself in them. See you in the funny pages!
Probably the most well-known
comic strip at the Open Prairie Syndicate website at www.visi.com/~oprairie/ is the fabulous Dykes
to Watch Out For, the documentary/soap opera lesbiopolis by Alison Bechdel syndicated
in over 50 newspapers. However there are other great talents calling this website home.
For even rougher girls check out SubGURLZ by Jennifer Camper. For the guys, Robert
Kirby takes you to NYC with Curbside, and David Kelly presents Steven's Comics.
For editorial cartoons, try the collection of Jesse Helms Cartoon Archive or The Open
Prairie by Joe Hoover. There's a couple more that I won't go into now, but they're
well worth the download time. Go check 'em out on your own!
One of the best gay newspapers, the Washington Blade,
has 7 queer cartoonists for your funny bone at www.washblade.com.
This awesome site is the home of Honestly Ethel by John D. Anderson, David Brady's Brady's
Corner, Noreen Stevens' Chosen Family, and playful editorial cartoons by Domenick
Scudera. Take a walk on the lighter side with these smart and funny comics.
While these next two strips
would call their main characters losers, the way they poke fun at everyday life is no
joke! For the boys, the Mostly Unfabulous Homepage of Ethan Green
is anything but. Join Ethan, Bucky, Charlotte, assorted tricks and exes, Madame Zolna, the
fabulous Hat Sisters, and the sarcastic cat Lucy at www.stonewallinn.com/Ethan/Index.html.
For the record, The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green by Eric Orner is
my favorite all-time gay strip. Don't miss it! Then for the girls, Paige Braddock would
like you to See Jane at Jane's World, a place
where "chicks rule, ketchup is a dietary staple, and losers and wiener dogs reign
supreme." Browse the latest strips or visit the archives at www.reuben.org/members/janesworld/main.htm.
With the holidays approaching, why not surprise your parents with a See Jane coffee
mug, T-shirt, magnet, sticker, or collection? Both of these strips are absolutely
fabulous.
For the trials and tribulations of gay couplehood, visit these next two links. View the
latest episode of Leonard and Larry by Tim Barela at FrontiersWeb,
the online version of Frontiers magazine. The hilarious mix of wit, drama, and the
occasional spelling error can be found at www.frontiersweb.com/current/ll.htm.
The large cast of characters may seem daunting at first, but this is a soap opera you'll
want to get involved in. Next we move north to see Canada's most famous gay male couple, Doc & Raider at www.cglbrd.com/d%2br/.
At the official site of Doc & Raider you can order one or both books and send
creator Sean Martin an e-mail. Unfortunately there's only one strip on display, but what
do you expect from Canadians, eh?
If you're tired of nice and sweet comics, drop by www.marystreet.com/HH/ for a peek into the world
of a psychotic Sappho, Hothead Paisan by Diane
DiMassa. With her trusty cat Chicken, Hothead Paisan (Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist)
wreaks havoc to the straight male population, usually with explosives. For a slightly less
violent protagonist, Bitchy Bitch would be more than happy to clock you at the Roberta Gregory Official Site. Her lesbian counterpart Bitchy
Butch looks like she'll clean your clock. Meet them both if you dare at www.robertagregory.com.
These next sites don't have much in common, but I'm running
out of space! Gay waterfowl Buckminster Duck is the hero of Such is LIFE! at the Duck Pond. This playful and whimsical comic strip at www.gaywired.com/~unity/quack/suchlife.htm
is created by Earl Storm. Next we return to Canada for Victorland
by Shane Borley, who writes Victor Vancouver. This site at www.LesBiGay.com/victorland/ is still under
construction, so watch your step! And finally my lesbian readers don't want to miss Lesbian
Sex from A to Z at CyberDyke's Cartoon Corner.
Artist Katrin Kremmler teaches you the ABC's and some interesting positions, plus peruse
the interactive cartoon story Dykes on Dykes! at www.qworld.org/DykesWorld/Cartooncorner.html.
How is it interactive? You'll just have to go to find out!
Without the web, many of us would never get to see these talented cartoonists' work.
Sure, some of the strips may take a while to download, but what's the alternative? Beetle
Bailey and Sarge won't be discharged from the military for homosexual conduct any time
soon. So until Cathy and Blondie buy dental dams together, see you in the funny (web)
pages!
