Gay Comix

This article is about the underground comic book series. For general discussion of gay themes in comic books, see LGBT themes in comics.

Not to be confused with Gay Comics, published by Marvel Comics from 1945–1949.

Gay Comix
Gay Comix #1 (Sept. 1980). Art by Rand Holmes.
Publication information
Publisher	Kitchen Sink Press Bob Ross
Schedule	Irregular
Format	anthology
Publication date	Sept. 1980 – July 1998
No. of issues	25
Creative team
Created by	Howard Cruse
Editor(s)	Howard Cruse, Robert Triptow, Andy Mangels

Gay Comix (later spelled Gay Comics) was an underground comics series published from 1980–1998. Created by Howard Cruse, Gay Comix featured the work of primarily gay and lesbian cartoonists. Much of the early content was autobiographical, but more diverse themes were explored in later editions. Autobiographical themes include falling in love, coming out, repression, and sex. Gay Comix also served as a source for information about non-mainstream LGBT-themed comics and events.

The contents of Gay Comix were generally about relationships, personal experiences, and humor, rather than sex. It is generally less sexually explicit than the similarly themed Meatmen series of graphic novels. All three editors made a deliberate effort to feature work by both women and men.

Artists producing work for Gay Comix included

• Mary Wings, creator of the first one-off lesbian book Come Out Comix (1972) and Dyke Shorts (1976)
• Roberta Gregory, who created Dynamite Damsels (1976), the first lesbian underground serial comic book, and the character Bitchy Bitch;
• Jerry Mills, creator of Poppers
• Howard Cruse, editor of the first four issues
• Robert Triptow, editor of issues #5 through 13
• Jennifer Camper, editor of Juicy Mother
• Tim Barela, creator of Leonard & Larry
• Jon Macy creator of Teleny and Camille
• Lee Marrs and Trina Robbins, two of the original members of the Wimmen's Comix Collective.

Kitchen Sink Press published the first five issues of Gay Comix; thereafter it was published by Bob Ross, publisher of the Bay Area Reporter gay newspaper.

The first four issues were edited by Cruse; issues #5 through #13 were edited by Triptow. Andy Mangels edited issues #14 to #25 and a special issue featuring Barela; Mangels changed the title to Gay Comics starting with issue #15, in part to divest it of the "underground" implications of "comix".

Excerpts from Gay Comix were included in a 1989 anthology titled Gay Comics.

Contents of issue #5

• Milo Poulson: Family Sundays
• M. J. Goldberg: I'ts Attitude
• Tim Barela: Leonard & Larry, Revenge of the Yenta
• Roberta Gregpry: Just Because
• Richard Valley: Binnie Blinkers
• Vaughn (comic illustrator): Watch Out
• Demian: Zen and the Art of Bush Sex or Do you cum here often?
• Michele Lloyd: Mesozoic Rescue, starring Spike, Punk Dyke
• T. O. Sylvester: Simply Beastly
• Jerry Mills: Poppers
• Howard Cruse: Cabbage Patch Clone
• R. Campbell: Better Games
• Robert Triptow: When Worlds Collide
• Camper: Hot Summer Night

See also

• Wimmen's Comix

References

• Rothschild, D. Aviva (1995). Graphic novels: a bibliographic guide to book-length comics. Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 978-1-56308-086-9. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Haggerty, George E. (2000). Gay histories and cultures: an encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-8153-1880-4. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Gay Comix (Kitchen Sink) at the Grand Comics Database
• Gay Comix (Bob Ross, 1985–1988) at the Grand Comics Database
• Gay Comix (Bob Ross, 1991) at the Grand Comics Database
• Gay Comics (Bob Ross, 1992–1998) at the Grand Comics Database
• Gay Comix at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• The Archives Center of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History holds issue #5. Robinson, Jr., Franklin A. "Guide to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection, NMAH.AC.1146" (PDF). Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History Archives Center. Smithsonian Institution.