Written by A connection, Joe Palmer, introduced me to the world of LGBT themed comic books a couple of months ago. He’s done a couple of guest posts for this blog. His posts piqued my interest in seeking out gay and lesbian themed comics and, of course, I’ve discovered that, as with books, there is vast diversity in the field. Today I’m going to focus on one genre of comic books directed, primarily at a female readership – both lesbian and straight.
I chose the Japanese Manga style of comics known as Yaoi for this review. Yaoi has also been referred to as “Boys Love” however the two terms are not, I’ve discovered, always synonymous. In general, the Yaoi style of Manga type comic book is about the relationship of two young men (pubescent or adult) who are in or entering a homoerotic or homosexual relationship. These books are written with a focus on female readers and are, usually, by female authors. They feature a story line that leans more toward pursuit, romance and anguish and less on sex. That’s a different genre for another day!
Now, there are long dissertations out there that dissect all of the nuances of the how these books came to be termed Yaoi and/or Boys Love. Check out Wikipedia using the search term “Yaoi” as a starting point if you’re interested. You’ll get several different takes on how the genre got its name. You’ll also discover other genre’s of Japanese comics, especially those written for gay males.
Yaoi oriented comic books and graphic novels are making their way to US comic retailers and re-sellers. As with Manga, the art draws new customers. Enthusiasts, of course, of both comics and LGBT oriented comic works were already seeking them.
Here are the most highly rated Yaoi comics available at Amazon.com, as of this writing:
Thank you, I’ve recently been looking for facts about this subject matter for ages and yours is the best I’ve found so far.