Blog Post
LGBTQ+ Comic Book Heroes!
Our obsession with comics began in 2013, when we first partnered with Archie Comics to celebrate Kevin Keller Day. We’ve been working to elevate LGBTQ+ voices and stories from the comic world ever since.
That’s why we began partnering with Otis College of Art and Design in Spring 2018, as a community partner for the school’s Comic Book Heroes course.
Our objective together has been simple: help create a course that encourages Otis’ students to embrace “immersion design” – i.e. the creation of content that encourages audiences to be active rather than passive consumers and to embrace social equality.
The results have been amazing! Dozens of student groups have written and designed original comic stories that feature new and exciting LGBTQ+ characters. Each one has used It Gets Better as a central theme, and inclusion and diversity are core tenets – some are even inspired by the stories of our own Youth Voices.
Check out all of the comics from talented students below.
SPRING 2024
Read A Galaxy United by Love, Bitter Sweet, Mixing the Rainbow, Shifting Frames, and Wild Chase:
SPRING 2022
Read Binaural Beats, False Awakening, Neptune and the Moons, Nova, and Sunny and Rose:
FALL 2021
Alter Ego: After getting kicked out of battle of the bands because of a transphobic parent, a trans girl and her 2 best friends are determined to win.
Buttermilk: A lonely cat thinks that they have finally discovered the love of their life – but can they even survive their first date?
Esme: A fairy comes to the human world and fights for her right to make friends and be happy.
Flaming: Carmen is constantly bullied for her sexuality, until one day, a fire awakens in her, and she sets her eyes on revenge.
Insomnium: The story about people fighting their fears and helping others do so as well.
The Staff of Utopia: On a quest to save their friend, one hero demonstrates their resilience and determination to help everyone they meet.
SPRING 2021
Helping Hand: A superhero fights a shadow creature that feeds off the negative emotions of a questioning boy.
Witch of Hearts: The Princess of Gearingdale accidentally took the witch’s Love Potion…and fell in love with her.
Rebel Hearts: In a dystopian universe where people are separated by their sexuality, a group of teens team up to take down the system and restore balance to the universe.
Blacksmith: With the threat of the goblins now seen as a forgotten memory, the task of maintaining the town gate lies in the hands of one blacksmith and his son, Stephan.
Monstrous Crush: In a world where lies have consequences, a girl named Max has a big crush on her classmate Meredith but is unable to confess properly – turning her into a monster.
FALL 2020
SPRING 2020
SPRING 2019
Guadalupe’s Lesbian Memory Fantasy, Amen!
How to Come Out: Safety Instructions
FALL 2018
SPRING 2018
Love Yourself, Express Yourself
Stay tuned to see more It Gets Better comics from Otis College, coming your way next semester!