Gay and Mormon and Super Heroes, Oh My! Yes, they do go together. And to prove it Brian Anderson is looking for your help on Kickstarter.com . Let's first learn more about gay Mormon super heroes before we send them our cash.
Called Stripling Warrior, the project from So Super Duper Comics follows Sam Shepard, a happily out newlywed who receives a visit from an angel on his wedding night calling him, in the words of author Brian Andersen, to be “the hand of God on earth.”
The series, illustrated by James Neish, is meant to be an exploration of the mythology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through a queer lens.
“Basically, I wanted to mine the religious lore and mythology of the Mormon Church to empower a homosexual hero — to show that a gay character is every bit as worthy in the eyes of God as any heterosexual one,” Andersen told The Huffington Post.
In an interview with Huffingtonpost.com in January of this year, Stripling Warrior creator Brian Anderson answers these questions. Head over there to read all of the answers.
What is your overarching vision for Stripling Warrior?
How does your identity shape and inform your work?
My identity as a gay man, a Mormon, a husband, a father and a lifelong comic book geek informs all of my writing/creating in that I strive to be authentic and honest to my experiences …Why do you think it’s important to see this kind of queer representation in comic books?
What do you want people to take away from your work?
I’d love to stimulate my readers by giving them a metaphorical comic book chubby — or a geeky lady boner for the gals …
Yes, the rest of the answers are worth reading. But is this project worth your money? Brian Anderson answers the question as to why you should check out the Kickstarter and pledge.
"History has shown that the best way to fight bigotry and intolerance is through art that shines a light on the beauty, diversity, intelligence, and strength of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people." – Entertainment Weekly, June 20, 2016
If you agree with the above statement then welcome! James and I hope you'll join us on this Kickstarter!
Let me just say that I love comic books. No, wait, I LOVE comic books – in bold and italics. Writing and creating comic books has been a dream of mine since I was a young boy. As a lonely, closeted gay kid comic books were my safe space, my friends, and my life blood when I felt like I had none.
As an adult, my devotion to comics has never waned, I have never stopped reading comic books in over thirty years. Well, except for my two year mission in Guatemala – but even then I paid for a subscription to my favorite titles so that I could dive right back in the moment I returned. Each and every Wednesday you'll find me picking up my weekly stash of books.
I created STRIPLING WARRIOR to bring more LGBT art and awareness into the cultural landscape via my favorite medium.
James and I are well aware that we won't change the world simply with our comic book series, but that doesn't mean we can't strive to make it a more colorful, entertaining and sexy place! – kickstarter.com
You gonna send over your pledge? I think I really want one of their refrigerator magnets. Go check it out for yourself over at kickstarter.com
“Stripling Warrior” issue one and two and three are now available in both digital and print via www.sosuperduper.com. Issue three will be completed next month.