9 New and Upcoming Comics & Graphic Memoirs That Embody Queer Joy

This funny, moving coming-of-age novel about Juliet, a 19-year-old Puerto Rican lesbian from the Bronx, was begging for a graphic adaption, and I’m so glad it got one. Rivera’s writing is so alive, as are her characters, especially Juliet. Moscote captures all of the exuberance and fire of this book with her warm-toned illustrations. There’s one scene, where Juliet attends a queer & trans BIPOC dance party, that is basically the essence of queer joy drawn straight onto the page. If you haven’t read this book yet (and even if you have), the graphic version is an absolute treat.

This is such a creative and unusual anthology of graphic poetry. Each poem is illustrated by a different artist, the art reflecting their particular interpretation of the poem. Not all of these poems embody queer joy; many of them deal with heartbreak and breakups, transphobia and racism. I include it here because some of the poems absolutely do, and they’re so powerful. There are several illustrations of the joy, pleasure, and comfort of queer and trans embodiment, and I just wanted to stare at those pages forever.

This hilarious, slightly magical, and poignant graphic novel follows Kumiko, an elderly bisexual woman who moves out of an assisted living facility she hates, and then proceeds to fight off Death when it comes for her. There are too many moments of queer joy to count. Some are mundane, like Kumiko enjoying a cup of tea alone in her apartment. Others are more profound, such as the tender conversation Kumiko has with an ex-girlfriend after many years apart. And the compassion with which Xu draws Kumiko’s aging body filled me with queer joy as I read, even during the scenes that were not about being queer at all.

There are so many kinds of queer joy, and this book exemplifies that. It’s partly a memoir of De La Cruz’s coming out and an exploration of her queer and racial identity. Throughout, she ties her own story to wider queer histories, weaving many mini history lessons into this short work. She delves into various forms of oppression and how they’ve played out in her life. The queer joy is in her sureness, her celebration of herself and her culture, and in where she’s arrived, after coming out in her late twenties. It’s a serious book, but it’s full of exuberance.

This soft historical sapphic romance is overflowing with queer joy. It’s a love story set in Edwardian England, featuring two women who meet while working at a large manor house. The book deals with plenty of real-world issues, but the romance itself is almost entirely conflict-free. Watching Patience and Esther — a fat white woman and a thin British Indian woman — fall in love on the page is such a balm. If you’re looking for fat-positive erotic romance (illustrated!), this is the book for you.

This collection of short slice-of-life comics depicts six months in Julia Kaye’s life as an out trans woman. I absolutely love how Kaye intersperses moments of struggle with moments of queer joy. Some of the comics are about dealing with transphobia, microaggressions, misgendering. But many of them are about falling in love, gender euphoria, trans friendship, small moments of ordinary delight, and self-love. It’s such an honest, affirming book.

This short and sweet queer romcom takes place over three magical (and semi-disastrous) dates. It’s about a witch and a werewolf and all the messy things they navigate while falling in love…like online dating, monsters, and pesky feelings. If you’re looking for a fun, lighthearted pick-me-up in the form of a comic, you can’t go wrong with this one.