Oh, Good Lord
The 25th Gays In Comics panel at SDCC was A-FRICKING-MAZING, guys.
I can’t even explain. It was two hours long, and this is the 25th year SDCC has has this event, and this year, they had something like 25 guests, each doing a brief discussion of what the panels had meant to them and the current state of lgbtq in comics.
SO MANY OF MY HEROES! Seriously, Wendy Pini, Phil Jimenez, Eric Shanower, Paige Braddock, Trina Robbins, Joe Phillips, Ed Luce, Steve Englehart, Dan Parent, Jon Macy, Chip Kidd, Sean Z, Alison Bechdel, Zan Christiensen, just on and on and on, people I have admired and looked up to for SO LONG. I was so honored to be included at all, it’s ridiculous.
But the main thing to be remembered and appreciated is that one guy started all this and stayed with in through two and a half decades.
Andy Mangels.
When he started, a Gays In Comics panel was almost a crazy notion. And it’s become bigger and bigger and harder to ignore every year. Now there are Gay comics panels in cities all over the world. I was on three myself just this con! And a huge chunk of the credit for that goes to Andy and all the remarkable people who have helped him make this happen every year.
Andy is stepping down as moderator of this panel starting next year. He’s done enough, it’s time for others to carry this wonderful idea. We will miss you, Andy! WELL DONE, SIR!
Amazing panel, people teared up many times. Phil made ME cry. The panel was sometimes rowdy, sometimes bawdy, often funny (Chip Kidd is the funniest guy ever, holy crap!), and always sincere.
Hearing Dan Parent talk about how creating Kevin Keller has changed Riverdale and comics forever was incredibly moving. Hearing Trina Robbins talk about creating the first lesbian comics strip was a piece of living history. And hearing the other creators talk about the underground movement that continues to this day and represented some of the first honest portrayals of gay life in ANY media…well, dang it, this was a once in a lifetime event.
I am going to remember tonight forever.
