By Jeremy Fuscaldo
The topic of Queer Historical past and LGBTQIA+ communities has been a subject of debate for many years that’s value educating. There are nonetheless some sectors of public life that don’t perceive the struggles and hardships that many Queer women and men have skilled whereas reaching their desires. A lot of my favourite Queer figures in historical past reminiscent of Rebecca Sugar, Richard Hunt, and Freddie Mercury have created artwork that has impacted or modified the lives of so a lot of their followers and group. This has result in many different artists creating queer tales or artwork which have helped them by way of laborious instances or inspiring non Queer creators discover solace within the catharsis of their work.
On October 18, 2024, I attended the Reclaiming Queer Historical past Via Comics panel at New York Comedian Con. As I listened to the panelists speak about their expertise with Queer Illustration, I found that there’s a portion of Queer historical past that was not recognized to me prior to now. A few of this included the historical past of queer figures in Revolutionary historical past and in London.
The panel passed off within the Pleasure Lounge, positioned in Room 1C01-02 and featured comedian writers Josh Trujillo, John Harris Dunning and Greg Lockard. All through the panel, they mentioned writing tales that featured actual life components of queer historical past. They talked about how actual world occasions are often portrayed in comics and the way it parallels to their challenges in portraying LGBTQ+ occasions in comics.
One of many largest recurring subjects was about George Washington’s Homosexual Normal, Baron Von Steuben. Steuben was the topic of Josh Trujillo’s graphic novel, Washington’s Homosexual Normal: The Legends and Loves of Baron Von Steuben, which was launched final 12 months and illustrated by Levi Hastings. For Josh it was difficult discovering Queer illustration throughout the Revolutionary Warfare however was stunned to seek out one thing throughout his analysis. The explanation he was compelled to put in writing this story was that although Steuben was not an excellent particular person himself, the story of his life was value telling as a result of that a part of American Historical past contained components that have been typically neglected.
When writing concerning the Revolutionary Warfare, he revealed that he needed to conduct a ton of on-line analysis whereas the pandemic was nonetheless in impact throughout the first few years of the 2020s. Throughout his analysis, he obtained feedback from historians in making issues extra in step with actual world historical past. As a result of in relation to actual world historical past, it’s tough; you must get all the pieces appropriate. He even discovered the oldest biography about Steuben, which helped again up most of the components present in Josh’s graphic novel. A few of these sentiments have been echoed by Lockard when he was attempting to painting an correct depiction of historic figures in a few of his personal works.
One other spotlight of the panel featured insights by Harris Dunning (Summer season Shadows, Wiper of Tumult) and the way he performed analysis for among the Queer tales he has written. Harris Dunning shared that London is unbelievable in relation to historic element and information as a result of historians have put nice care into recording historical past. For instance, throughout the Nineteen Twenties, London impacted Homosexual areas that have been extra permissive within the Nineteen Twenties. Nevertheless, regardless of their prominence, there was backlash from conservative households. He additionally shared theater and drag events have been thought of a protected haven for queer creatives. Sooner or later, he had additionally shared this perception on writing queer tales to the impact of the next: the story you might be writing could also be one thing that communicates with you that it must be fantastical.
My private takeaway is that in relation to masking any historic second in historical past, or a beloved determine, it’s that you must work intently with the historians and the information that have been stored to be able to current a imaginative and prescient that’s in step with what was reported. Particularly on this second when Queer literature and historical past is being challenged, what issues is that the tales about these moments are shared from technology to technology in order that it will possibly encourage the subsequent technology of readers to make a distinction and assist characterize an underrepresented group in American and world historical past.
Trujillo’s Washington’s Homosexual Normal: The Legends of Baron Von Steuben was launched final 12 months on August 15, 2023 and is offered in shops now. Harris Dunning’s Summer season Shadows #2 was launched October 16, 2024 and is on shops now. Trick Pony (by Lockard, Anna David and Lucas Gattoni) was launched on June 4, 2024, and is on sale at guide shops throughout the nation.
WRITER’S NOTE: Resulting from technical limitations, there could also be some particulars that have been neglected within the protection of this panel. Any suggestions is welcome by both the panelists or readers of The Beat.
