Taking one for the team

As we start book two. Gemmy has begun bonding with the girls and is already taking heat to try and protect them, just like any big brother would do.

The biggest bullet he has taken was to help smoothe the relationship between his mother and Ilä.

"The biggest stalemate between Nereth and Ilä was over her hair. Gemmy had hoped that letting his mother take him for a haircut would have reduced her determination, but her triumph only reinforced it."

Well, Gemmy, if nothing else, at least you got a much needed haircut.

 What do you think? Has our boy improved with a bit of a trim?

Enjoy!
‽




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Blossoming in Bristol

I recently developed a logo for the company Bristol Gardens, a fresh and stylish horticultural/landscaping business in, you guessed it, Bristol.

Bristol Gardens logo

It was a genuine pleasure to work with them. It's always nice when a client comes in with a clear and strong concept that I just help bring to the next level. It started off with the idea of paying visual homage to Bristol's shipping port history, but also, of course, gardening. Overall it needed to be professional yet a bit informal using the colours sage and slate grey.

They wanted there to be a hand-drawn quality to the logo. Design rule No 10: If you want something to look hand-drawn, draw it by hand! So, I sketched out the logo and when we decided on a concept I then carried it into illustrator and redrew it as a vector image. This allowed me to play with the bumps and jumps in the lines of the ring. I then paired the hand-drawn look with a classic font - Caslon - which is also a digital translation of something that was once hand done way back in the 1700s. I know modern post marks tend to use san-serif fonts for readability, but I wanted to firmly cement the look as 'old-school'. The whimsy of it all is in it's retro quality.

Using something as tactile and visually distinct as a postmark is  a recipe for great design. Giving the logo a hand-drawn feel made reference to the 'inkiness' of postmark. But I think it also lends itself to the idea of gardening and working with the earth. Clean lines are for slick corporate offices. You want someone down to earth and approachable who's going to get out there and literally get their hands dirty? Call these guys!

In the centre we used the Flower of Bristol - Lychnis chalcedonica (also known as Maltese Cross). Why? Well, because it's the flower of Bristol! Traditionally the flower is red but Bristol Gardens colours are sage and a slate grey. Also adding too many colours takes it away from the simple 'stamp and ink' feeling. My personal favourite part are the individual petals of the flower that are merged together as if the ink has pooled on the page. :)

Flower of Bristol

Using the stamp idea was also an opportunity to represent the logo in two forms: One as a fully realised illustration where the plant grows into the 'postage rings'. Then another version that can be used as just that, a stamp (ya'll know how I love to make my mark). This is where it's always nice to collaborate with a client. I was just happy to have the petals in the centre but the client asked for the leaves to be integrated as if we were looking at a bouquet from the top down. I think it gives the circular version of the stamp it's own identity while still clearly belonging to the larger version. This will be particularly useful for things like social media and maybe even as a watermark for invoices.

Enjoy!
‽




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My design rules

We don't all have a natural creative flair. But, I believe that anyone can be a competent designer with the right training and understanding. I've learned a lot from trial and error. But mostly I've learned from the people who taught me good design, ignoring their advice, and then finding out they were right.

So here are the things that I keep in mind when embarking on any new design project.

Fonts

1. Type is King!
A picture is worth a thousand words... unless it's a very well thought out, well placed word. Typography can be used as image just as pictures can speak for themselves. Get to know how to use typography if you want to be a designer. If not - give up and become a photographer or illustrator.

2. Know your fonts
Most fonts were designed for a purpose and they as well as their designers have a story all their own. Sometimes finding the right font for a project is a happy accident. But if you're clever and have a strong concept for your design choosing the right font will be easier if you know the era/style that the fonts were conceived for/in.

3. No more than three fonts per project 
I mean it. And that counts for bold, italics, sizes etc. Your design will automatically look sleeker and more professional if you limit your font choices. This goes for documents, posters, anything.

Example: 
Font 1: Arial 12 pt (body text)
Font 2: Arial Bold 12 pt (sub headers)
Font 3: Arial 24 pt (headers)

You may think it's clever to chuck in a cheeky wee pink 36pt Garamond header, but for what? It disrupts readibility and can make your document hard to follow.
(You'll notice, by the way, that I've technically used four fonts. That's because A) I'm awesome and know what I'm doing and B) see answer 'A' and C) see No. 4)

4. Establish a hierarchy
There should be a hierarchy to your text (see above example). Having set fonts to express certain sections or ideas in your project will make it easy for people to follow. It will also LOOK better! Again, this is not something to muck about with. Also, don't be stupid and do things like make your header twice the size of body text and bold it as well. Why? It's already twice the size! Why does it need to be bold as well? You need to question this and have an answer so that the viewers don't have to.

This also goes for imagery. If the focus of your document is an image, think about how the text compliments and supports that. If the image is secondary to the text, well, make sure you give the text its rightful due.

Layout

5. Prepare
Do you think Leo DaV just rocked up to a canvas and painted the Mona Lisa? Step away from the computer and pick up a sketch pad. You are not a genius. Make scribbles, sketch your grid, image placement, where you think you want text to sit, etc. You'll be able to approach your project with a lot more clarity and a lot less wasted time.

Also, think about how it’s going to be used. Will it be online, print, product packaging? It may need to be translated across different media platforms. Think about how the layout and focus of things will change across mediums.

6. Establish a grid
If you're designing a publication in particular. You need to establish a grid (columns, margins, etc) where your text and images will fit. It's the foundation. And yes, you can add pizazz and break out of the grid on occasion. But the only way these elements will be surprising is if you've established some sort of order to begin with.

7. Break the rules big style
If you're going to do something, do it big style. You want that image to bleed off the page, you want to break your grid? Then make it extreme. If it's just a teeny tiny corner it will look like a mistake and the impact (and your credibility) will be lost.

Finishing touches

8. Printers are the devil
Every designer knows that printers are evil. A printer will fail you when you need it most. Fact! Know your printer. Keep back up ink. Know which of your friends have printers you can use. Get to know the folks in your local copy shop - buy them chocolates and give them Christmas cards... seriously.

9. Print everything out
It looks great on the screen, right? Well, in real life, it's uneven, twice as dark as you expected, the font's unreadable and the whole thing is actually pretty artless. It all looks different on paper. These are kind of like sketches. Test your design out in whatever format it's going to go in to make sure it really holds up. NEVER send anything to a client, professor, printer before you've seen what it looks like in situ. If you can test print it at actual size and on the printer you're going to use, even better.

10. Hand draw your shiz
You want a nice hand drawn font... draw it. Remember, Comic Sans is supposed to be a hand-drawn font. Don't be Comic Sans. Hand write that jack and retrace in illustrator or use any number of font creating programmes and even websites!

You want that logo to have a hand-drawn feel? Draw it and scan that shiz in. Nothing looks more fake than 'hand-drawn' system images and textures. They look like tacky clip art designed by an artless 12 year old with a mad-on for rainbows and being 'wacky'.

11. Save everything
Develop a compulsion for hitting 'Cmd + S'. It will save your life.
Save new versions. Never just overwrite things. It will save your life.

12. Colour
I'm colour blind - I kid you not. But you know what, I studied colour (and I know when I need someone to confirm reds and greens for me). And I don't mean 'what colour means' because colour meaning is totally cultural (though it is handy to know). I mean study the science of colour - vibration, hue, shade, mixing, etc. It will add a depth to you work that no one else understands. And even though kuler is wicked awesome don't just rely on it.

13. Rule of 3
When presenting someone with your ideas for a design always present options. Chances are you already have two ideas anyway. The third design, the one you will like the least that they will probably like the most, will push you. It will force you to scrounge around and look at other people's stuff to help generate a new idea that you otherwise would not have come up with. Sometimes it will be your best work.

And lastly (because never end on number 13. Another rule?) 14. Don't be a dirtbag
Seriously. Stand your ground. Explain your ideas. But bottom line is (if you're working for someone else) it's your job to make other people's crap ideas look good. If you can't swallow some tasteless jag's idea that all text 'MUST be that shade of fuchsia' get out of the business and design posters for your kid's school play.
Everyone will have something nasty to say about your work. Don't be that guy who gives it back. Be nice to other designers and learn to ignore rude or unhelpful people.


Enjoy!
‽




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Bus restoration - let's break some rules

Bus restoration - something I can honestly say I never would have thought I'd get involved with but has become so much fun. The biggest part is remembering that when these pieces were done there were no design rules. Everything was hand lettered, screen printed or drawn on with a soldering iron! I've found the fun is in finding the best modern equivalent then bastardising it until it is visually the most accurate.  

Me and Shug at Bridgeton

Functional design can be some of the most rewarding as you get to see your work in use, in three dimensions, interacting with the world. I imagine it's how product and packaging designers must feel (I saw a job working for Hasbro as a packaging designer. I soooooooooo wanted it. But it was in the states).

So, when my mate Shug, a bus enthusiast, asked me help with some artwork to restore a gear plate on one of his busses I was like, 'Meh. Sure. I'll see what I can do.'

Bus gear plate

Bus gear plate:
It was great fun. I felt like a proper restoration specialist but instead of brushes and exacto blades I was using pixels and cursors to recreate a piece of automotive history. And what turned out in the end (a decal laser printed onto vinyl that was laid over the original plate) looked incredible! Most of the numbers I had to redraw in illustrator by hand in order to get it to look as close to the original as possible. My only woe is the colour. But, I can thankfully blame the printer for that! lol

After and before

New plate in situ

Electric Scots advert:
Well, now you've got your vintage bus all gussied up and ready to go. But what better way to make a period piece more authentic than to have some advertising splashed on?

Well, when our train driver-bus enthusiast saw an example of a train advert for busses it all just meant to be. All we had to go on was this wee image from yester-year. Thankfully, there's not much to the ad besides text, but the 'Electric Scots' logo was a pivotal part of the ad. After he searched and scanned various things that had the logo on it, Shug stumbled across a library that could do a high-res scan for us.

c/o Science & Society Picture Library

Add caption

The fun bit then became recreating the original artwork (which was probably a screen print) as a vector image that could then be blown up to bus size.

It turned out fantastic! And fortunately we had the 'British Rail' font from another project which was/is the standard font for all British Rail adverts and signs. The final product looks authentic (to these eyes at least). Again, I had to break a lot of what I was taught as a trainee designer to make it look as accurate as possible.

Our only reference point

The final (remastered) product

Thankfully I can sleep at night. I helped bring back something that is a bit of history and was a huge challenge. And, as far as the rules go, my instructor all those years ago, Henk van Assen, did always tell us that rules are there as a foundation, something to fall back on. And only once you've learned them can break them intelligently.

Enjoy!
‽



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Tattoos with meaning

So, I've finally settled on a design for my latest tattoo.

Mucha's daisy

As with all my tattoos the 'Mucha's daisy' design has a special meaning and significance to me. It's a two part homage.

Firstly, gerbera daisies always make me think of my best mate, Ryan, who passed away last year. I tried to think of ways to design a daisy that weren't too plain, but I certainly didn't want just a realistic inking of a daisy. But, mostly, I wanted something that wasn't too limp.

Finally, after a few months inspiration struck.

The second homage is to one of my favourite artists, Alphonse Mucha. My dissertation for my masters was based around the flower series by Mucha. So I drew inspiration for the tattoo from his print 'Woman with daisies'.

'Woman with daisies' - Alphonse Mucha

Once this epiphany hit the connection for me became even stronger as Ryan was very proud of her Czech heritage and loved visiting Prague. A love of Mucha's work is one of the few convergences in our very different tastes (in everything from music to art) that we bonded over. 

So, once I had my mind set on this the rest of the design fell together. It's still quite different from the others but I want it to be. It's meant to remind me of a the friendship and love and confidence that Ryan's friendship gave me. It's supposed to be gentle and florid compared to the very heavy 'masculine' lines of my other tatts. It will blossom over my heart when I need a reminder of all the love I have in my life.

The other tattoos

My very first tattoo is a glyph of a phoenix. 

It's a simple symbolic tattoo. I created a stylised image of a bird rising above of a triangle, the alchemical symbol for 'fire' (also the mathemetical symbol for 'change'). (Double nerd alert: It's also inspired by the phoenix tattoo Rachel Summers had burned into her skin when the Shi'ar attempted to wipe out the whole Grey family bloodline.) It reminds me that life comes in cycles. It rests on my shoulder and bursts to life like fiery wings when I need to burn white hot to get through a challenging time and reminds me to rest and recoup at the end.

My second tattoo is a series of Adinkra Symbols: 'Ananse Ntontan' - wisdom, creativity, 'Nea Onnim no sua a, ohu' - Life long education and 'Wawa aba' - perseverance. 

When I'm feeling discouraged they remind me of my philosophy for success: perseverance and proliferation! You've got to keep creating and learning and doing new things in order to get where you want to be. There will always be set backs. But, as long as you keep going, you'll keep growing. It's embedded on my arm to give me strength from day to day.

Enjoy!
‽




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Love is in the air - Team Northstar

This week, two years ago, Marvel comics took a giant leap forward by publishing Astonishing X-Men #50. Why was this issue so big? Because it featured the first ever gay marriage proposal (technically Wiccan and Hulkling got engaged first but they were only like 17 and still haven't tied the knot). Coincidentally, two mates of mine just got engaged this week too! Congratulations Ray and Craig!

Marvel's character, Northstar, first came out in 1992 and then made history 10 years later by asking his (now) husband, Kyle, to marry him. They were then married in the next issue (Astonishing X-Men #51). In fact, Northstar was the first of many gay and lesbian marvel superheroes some of whom I've added to a catalogue of gay Marvel superheroes.

But, why have comic books been such a refuge for nerds and gay men alike for years. I have a theory:

Quiet, bookish, noble guy. Tall, dark hair, glowing eyes, muscular, winning smile. Secretly enjoys sexy underwear, wrestling, and hopes to someday save the world. This description reads like everyone’s fantasy man and is also the calling card for just about every comic book hero out there. From the stunning poster-boy Superman, to the short but tough Wolverine, superheroes can serve as paramours for many gay ideals. And, while the superhero has an obvious physical appeal for many up-and-coming gays, there may be deeper forces at work.

A secret identity is key to most superheroes. The maintenance of their home lives as separate entities from their nighttime masquerading is essential. It’s not just so they can go shopping with out being harassed by adoring fans. From DC to Marvel, to Darkhorse and Image comics, superheroes across the board rely on secret identities as a means of protection. If villains and those whom they combat knew who they really are their lives would be in danger as well as the lives of those they love. The fear of discovery is a concept very familiar to many gay men. As sexuality burgeons in adolescence, everyone wants to blend in with the crowd, even more so for a young man discovering his seemingly abnormal attraction to other men and the manifestation of his greatest power, gaydar. All those who see Superman all want to attack him and test his strength. Many young gay men justifiably fear that if anyone found out about their inner brightly coloured caped crusader their lives might be in danger. And the paralleled struggle that gay men find in their favourite superhero can be a source of comfort. The sympathy found in a superhero’s struggle to find a suitable phone booth or dark ally to duck into to avoid being seen for whom they truly are hits home.

Even worse than being attacked by anti-mutant hunting robots and gay bashers, is the fear of an imploding personal life. Superman, again, is a perfect example: He is an orphan, alone on an alien world where he has strange and fantastic, yet dangerous powers. Keeping his secret is the only way to maintain the few normal relationships he has. He fears that if his true alien nature were exposed those he holds dear might reject him. The mutants of the Marvel world find a similar struggle in trying to keep their powers under wraps because, even within families, to be a mutant means being ostracised as an abomination. Marvel’s X-Men all wore masks in the beginning and were not ‘out’ to their families about what really went on at Xavier’s school. The superhero’s is a tale of isolation with a hearty portion of struggle and tragedy heaped on top and often some self-loathing. Their desire for acceptance coupled with the fear of abuse is not uncanny to the gay community. And, for gays, in the absence of an accepting family it’s nice to find affirmation in the pages of the newest tight-spandex sporting superhero mag. (Side note: Stan Lee is very open about the fact that the X-Men were meant to mirror the civil rights struggle when they were first introduced. 'nuff said!)

But, the hero’s life isn’t all doom and gloom. They have amazing powers. Whether it be super speed or just the ability to walk through walls, comic book heroes can get the job done at any cost and walk away the better for it. They have amazing adventures and everyone looks up to them. To be a wimpy nobody who is pushed around and looked down upon might be bearable if there was actually a behemoth of strength kicking about on the inside. The superhero cannot only withstand the punishment dished-out by villains, (many die and come back so often they should have their own religion) but in the end they have the strength to defeat them as well. Behind the secret identity there’s something fabulous inside that no one else can see. It’s an empowering and intoxicating theme (also the colour-coordinated suits holding firmly to a well toned body is pretty nice too). Everyone wants to believe there is greater force in their life, especially if they’re oppressed. Then, what greater force is there than the strength within? To be a young man in fear of who you might truly be, gay, the hope that sooner or later you’re going to not only escape the evil clutches of your life, but have the strength to defeat anyone who tries to do you harm is reinvigorating and necessary, for many, to keep going. It gives purpose to enduring harsh slurs, public disdain, and even physical violence.

Let’s face it villains are dumb.  Why kill a hero with an elaborate trap when, after you’ve knocked them out, just do away with them quick and easy? This in addition to the fact that comic book heroes are incredibly clever makes it hard for gay guys to get through the latest issue of Batman without some smug satisfaction. Not only are comic heroes statuesque physically, but they have mental and moral superiority on their side. Heroes don’t kill. Heroes have a plan. And when heroes get lured into a trap, they find their way out. Superheroes get to beat the bad guy and sleep well at night as they take the high road when it comes to undoing the dastardlies. Despite many gay men having had some unpleasant run in with straight guys, it’s nice to believe that we, like superheroes not only win but are the better people for it. Along with the powers, being the good guy is a real bonus for putting up with the hiding and the abuse. Being on the moral high-road as open and accepting gives gay men a sense of satisfaction especially when justice is dealt out to those who perpetrate bigotry and hatred.

Up, up and away is where comic book heroes take the fantasies of many gay and straight men, young and old. They serve for so manyas just that, heroes. But, for the gay man, they give us hope in ourselves and serve as examples of not only what we hope to be but as sympathetic friends for the actual struggles in our lives. They take us into the most idealistic of fantasies and also give us a guide through the mire of real life. Even more encouraging is, in recent years, the cropping up of actual gay comic book heroes with the same strengths, flashy costumes, and good guy ethics of every other hero, but at the end of the book they get to snog the guy. Hopefully, this batch of gay heroes will not only continue to inspire and give hope to gay men, but also help educate their peers to the fact that anything that a straight hero can do a gay one can do just as well, and maybe with a bit more style. 

So for all you Snikt! Snikt! fan's out there fawning over Wolverine, I today am championing Northstar. Yes, he may be a bit of an arrogant so-and-so, but he has never hidden (well except when he was an Olympic skier using his mutant powers to his advantage). He's my comic-book hero du jour and I am distinctly:

 

I need to make t-shirts!

And congratulations to all you pioneers out there. Someday young gay men and women will have no idea how exciting and brave what you've done really is!

Enjoy!
‽



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Gay Marvel heroes

Unbeknownst to most, Marvel comics has been tackling heated social topics since the 60s. The Uncanny X-Men were established in September 1963 as a book about the disenfranchised minority struggling to survive in a world that ‘feared and hated them.’ Early on the X-Men books toted a cast that looked like the United Nations. Marvel, the first mainstream comic label to proudly boast some of the first black superheroes, also took a stance on the war in Vietnam and the Cold War. Now, in the days where issues of race relations seem a bit passé, Marvel has again moved to the front of the line to not only support but continually create and establish gay superheroes. 

Here are a few paving the rainbow way:

Northstar

Northstar:

The silver highlighted, Jean-Paul Beaubier, is a bit hot-tempered and a bit of a pre-madonna. But, why shouldn’t he be? The former Olympic skier was the first Marvel hero to come out in 1992 (Alpha Flight #106). His homosexuality had long been implied since 1983, but there was a ban on openly gay characters at the time. It was intended to give Jean-Paul AIDS and have him die from it (a published storyline that was eventually retconned [retroactive continuity]), but it was the death of his HIV infected adopted daughter, Joanne, that pushed him to utter the words ‘I am gay.’ He eventually settled down and got married to his husband Kyle.

Anole:

Anole

Victor Borkowski was raised in a small town that accepted him despite being born green with a spiky carapace on his head instead of hair. Upon arriving at the Xavier Institute he met and bonded with openly gay instructor, Northstar. When Northstar was killed, brought back to life and brainwashed by an evil organization, Victor was understandably upset. But, he soon came out and found acceptance and council with friends, family and another gay faculty member, Karma. Our little green gay friend even makes a cameo in X-3 the movie. 

Karma:

Xi'an ‘Shan’ Coy Manh (Karma) was born into the war torn Vietnam and escaped to America after the discovery of her ability to ‘posses’ and control other people. Alone, Shan raised her younger brother and sister while serving as a founding member of New Mutants. She nursed a crush on Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat) and officially came out in New Mutants v2 #4 when she became librarian at the Xavier Institute and mentor to several students.

Sunfire:

The daughter of Japanese aristocracy in an alternate world, Mariko Yashido (Sunfire) is rejected not only for her mutant powers but also for her sexuality. When she joins the Exiles, she finds herself on a world with a super-powered Mary-Jane Watson, Spider-Woman. The two have a serious long distance relationship as Mariko’s team hops dimensions on a regular basis. But, when Mariko dies on another world she is laid to rest in Mary-Jane’s dimension so that MJ can visit her deceased lover’s grave.

Ultimate Colossus:

Everyone’s favourite 6’6” hunky Russian, Piotr ‘Peter’ Rasputin (Colossus) gets a revamp in Ultimate X-Men, an updated retelling of the formation of the X-Men. This tin man with a heart of gold and soul of a painter has the ability to turn his whole body into organic steel (talk about fetish) and is dating his reality’s version of Northstar. Peter even faces off against his homophobic, x-best friend Nightcrawler who gets put into a psychically induced coma after going on a hate rampage.

Miss America

Miss America:

A member to the Young Avengers team, Miss America (America Chavez) is a platinum lesbian (i.e. she's a lesbian raised by two moms). She's the power house of the group and has some pretty kick-ass powers to go with it. She is una chica fuerta (even the Norse God Loki is afraid of her) that any lady lovers could be proud to look up to.

Beast:

Yes, even our favourite blue furball once switched teams. No, he never acted on it (that we know of) and he only claimed to be gay to get over a bad break-up with Trish Tilby (though the official story is he was doing it publicly to gain wider acceptance). But hey, the fact that he was cool with giving it a go makes he A-ok in my book. And before you ask, yes, I have a crush on Beast. I have a soft spot for intellectuals, a hairy chest and men who can pull off tweed.

Beast's explanation from New X-Men #134

Beast: What? The gay stuff? Come on, Scott! I’m challenging all kinds of stereotypes here!
Cyclops: But you’re not gay. I know you’re not gay, Hank.
Beast: So? I might as well be! I’ve been taunted all my life for my individualistic looks and style of dress… I’ve been hounded and called names in the street and I’ve risen above it.
Cyclops: Oh, for crying out loud, Hank. I love you, but you’re officially on the road to apocalyptic mind loss. No one but you is going to find this funny.
Beast: Come on, I’m as gay as the next mutant! I make a great role model for alienated young men and women. Why not?

Gay Couples

Hulking & Wiccan:

Hulkling and Wiccan

Marvel’s premiere gay teen couple have pasts that read like an episode of East Enders. Teddy (Hulkling) is the son of a shape-shifting alien and her rival alien race’s greatest champion. And, Billy (Wiccan) is the re-incarnated soul of one of Scarlet Witch’s imaginary demon twins. It was established at the beginning of the Young Avengers series that they were a couple (as Wiccan changed his name from ‘Asgaurdian’ because of jokes). But, when they came out to Billy’s parents Teddy was hugged and welcomed to the family. Coincidentally, Teddy’s half sister, Phyla-Vell, is also gay. How’s that for progress?

Phat & Vivisector:

X-Statix was a risqué series to begin with before they introduced the gay characters of Phat, a homo-phobic former rap-star modeled after Eminem, and Vivisector, the lycanthropic over privileged book-worm. A highly PR driven team the news of their relationship was originally thought to be a publicity stunt but soon was proven to be the real thing. Their presence on the team was preceded by, Bloke, a super-strong pink chameleon who was openly gay as exampled by him snogging his boyfriend on a street corner before going into battle.

Mystique & Destiny:

This pair, Raven Darkholme (Mystique) a blue-skinned shape shifting assassin and Irene (Destiny), a blind mutant- precog, were lovers in Marvel comics since the early 80’s. The women met in the early 20^th century, the relationship starting as a business partnership and eventually growing into more. Though not always explicit their tenderness and love are quite clear as even villains refer to Raven as Irene’s ‘leman,’ an archaic word for ‘lover.’ The pair raised a daughter (Rogue) and were together until Irene was killed in battle in 1989.

Carolina & Xavin:

Carolina is an alien who can channel solar energy. Xavin is a shape shifting Skrull with the power to control the cosmic elements. They were betrothed in order to stop the war between their two races and when Carolina announced she couldn’t marry Xavin because she’s gay, Xavin happily obliged, finding herself at home in the form of a black female. In this inter-racial, extraterrestrial love, there are no hang-ups about gender or species as Carolina understands that Xavin’s shape shifting between male and female is just a reflection of everyone’s struggle to find out who they really are. Recently, when Xavin lost control of her shape shifting ability she reverted to her base form, and it was revealed that she was happiest in her lady-skin.

With many more gay characters and heroes weaving themselves in an out of their comics, Marvel has taken a stand on the acceptance of gay characters. And, even if these heroes can lift buildings with one hand, sexuality can be as big a tangle as a battle with Doc Oc. However, the new generation growing up reading about gay heroes will find role models as easily as Captain America was a beacon of justice in generations before. And, with any luck, it will give them the courage to be just as brave.

Related websites:  

http://www.gayleague.com/gay/characters/

Enjoy!
‽




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