Couldn't find as many solicits for queer material in these past couple of catalogs, but some of these offerings that could find look pretty great.
You'll see that I'll try to include a little order code with most items (ex:FEB211476). Show some love to your retailer and use those codes when you can, it saves a lot of time on the data entry end of things.
I THINK OUR SON IS GAY GN
(W) Okura (A) Okura
Mom Tomoko and her two beloved sons Hiroki and Yuri go about their everyday lives while their father works. But now that Hiroki's in his first year of high school, his thoughts are turning ever so slightly to sex and romance... and his mom can't help but notice his slips of the tongue when he's talking about who he likes. Supportive Tomoko has an inkling Hiroki might be gay, but she's going to let him figure it out for himself. Unfortunately, Hiroki has little talent for keeping his "secret," so he might die of embarrassment before all is said and done in this hilarious and heartwarming LGBTQIA+ friendly family comedy!
MAR211904
Why this caught my eye:
A supportive mother that lets her child figure out and discover their own sexuality even though she's pretty much figured it out sounds like the sweetest thing, and I just really like the idea of a family story that's also an identity journey story.
1956 GN BOOK 01 SWEET SWEET LITTLE RAMONA
(W) Steve Lafler (A/CA) Steve Lafler
Notorious alt comix legend Steve Lafler delivers readers to the bright lights and glamor of Manhattan in 1956 with Jack, Susie, and Ramona, a trans woman aspiring to the modeling world. They cut deals in the Garment District by day and haunt the legendary jazz clubs of 52nd St. by night.
APR211576
Why this caught my eye:
I had seen some early preview or mention of this months back so it's good to see it solicited. I've been terribly about checking out Lafler's older works such as Bug House, so this might be a good time to give him a read.
BOYS RUN THE RIOT GN VOL 01
(W) Keito Gaku (A) Keito Gaku
A transgender teen named Ryuu finds an escape from the expectations and anxieties of his daily life in the world of street fashion. This personal, heartfelt, fictional story from a Japanese transgender manga creator is completely unique, and comes presented in two extra-large, 400-page volumes.
High schooler Ryuu knows he's transgender. But he doesn't have anyone to confide in about the confusion he feels. He can't tell his best friend, who he's secretly got a crush on, and he can't tell his mom, who's constantly asking why Ryuu is always "dressing like a boy." He certainly can't tell Jin, the new transfer student who looks like just another bully. The only time Ryuu feels at ease is when he's wearing his favorite clothes. Then, and only then, the world melts away, and he can be his true self.
One day, while out shopping, Ryuu sees an unexpected sight: Jin. The kid who looked so tough in class is shopping for the same clothes that Ryuu loves. And Jin offers Ryuu a proposal: to start their own brand and create apparel to help everyone feel comfortable in their skin. At last, Ryuu has someone he can open up to-and the journey ahead might finally give him a way to express himself to everyone else.
MAR211746
Why this caught my eye:
It's solicits like this that make me wish I had a store to stock books like this and get them out in the world.
CHEER UP LOVE & POM POMS HC
(W) Crystal Fraiser (A) Val Wise
Annie is a smart, antisocial lesbian starting her senior year of high school who's under pressure to join the cheerleading squad to make friends and round out her college applications. Her former friend Bebe is a people-pleaser, a trans girl who must keep her parents happy with her grades and social life in order to maintain their support of her transition. Through the rigors of squad training and amped-up social pressures (not to mention microaggressions and other queer youth problems), the two girls rekindle a friendship they thought they'd lost and discover there may be other, sweeter feelings springing up between them.
APR211831
Why this caught my eye:
You had me at smart, antisocial lesbian.
STONE FRUIT HC
(W) Lee Lai (A) Lee Lai
An exhilarating and tender debut graphic novel that is an ode to the love and connection shared among three women and the child they all adore. Bron and Ray are a queer couple who enjoy their role as the fun weirdo aunties to Ray's niece, six-year-old Nessie. Their playdates are little oases of wildness, joy, and ease in all three of their lives, which ping-pong between familial tensions and deep-seeded personal stumbling blocks. As their emotional intimacy erodes, Ray and Bron isolate from each other and attempt to repair their broken family ties - Ray with her overworked, resentful single-mother sister and Bron with her religious teenage sister who doesn't fully grasp the complexities of gender identity.
Taking a leap of faith, each opens up and learns they have more in common with their siblings than they ever knew. At turns joyful and heartbreaking, Stone Fruit reveals through intimately naturalistic dialog and blue-hued watercolor how painful it can be to truly become vulnerable to your loved ones - and how fulfilling it is to be finally understood for who you are. Lee Lai is one of the most exciting new voices to break into the comics medium and she has created one of the truly sophisticated graphic novel debuts in recent memory. MAR211291
Why this caught my eye:
The previews that Lee Lai has been posting look great, I get the feeling this will be a big contender in 2021 must reads.
That's it for this batch, we'll hit some horror/supernatural fiction on the next installment.