phrases. - The Official GlobalComix Blog

Last week for our Pride Month history series, we looked at the history of LGBTQ+ representation and presentation in manga. For today's article, we're looking into two creators who have made waves using their own lived experiences as the focus of their works, Shou Arai and Alison Bechdel. Truly iconic creators, both have spent many years creating works based on their own experiences and lean into activism and providing a voice for their communities. Creators like these two are monumental in LGBTQ+ voices being heard and understood and can help educate society about issues facing LGBTQ+ communities.  

Shou Arai is defined as an "Essay Mangaka" known...

Our Creator Interview series returns today with another creator of queer comics, Alex, also known here as Dulceskull. Their comic Pink Sugar has been hosted here on the platform since 2022 and boasts nearly 400 pages following a “speed run of the afterlife”. I recently took my dive into the series while looking for more queer creators to read, and I've absolutely fallen in love with this comic, and its stellar artwork. I'm so pleased to have Alex here for you all today. With that, let's get into it!

GlobalComix: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into making comics.

Alex Bar: Howdy! I’m Alex, and I am a butch lesbian. I am my...

Come with us into the shadowed alley of our Popular Last Week and get initiated into the family! Secret organizations, crime rings, nobody you can trust, these titles will have you watching your back, and carefully looking around each panel.

Void Rivals, 30 pages - Published by Image Comics, (cc/ @GCpartnerships)

The climactic return to the SACRED RING!   Thrown before the highest authority for their crimes against the Sacred Ring, will Darak and Solila’s newfound alliance hold strong?  THE MOST SHOCKING NEW SERIES OF THE YEAR CONTINUES!

Story and Art by Lorenzo De Felici, Matheus Lopes, Robert Kirkman

John Wick, 138 pages - Publishe...

Welcome to This Week on GlobalComix, where we highlight new series available to read in the coming week. Let's dive in and check out some of the new arrivals and updates coming this week.

New Arrivals

Monday, June 17th

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Recharged - New Arrival

When a Ranger is forced to make a decision that will forever change the Power Rangers, what will their legacy become? As stories end and converge, and new beginnings arise, join the Power Rangers and kick off a brand new journey! News of a deathly threat reaches the team-one that threatens every Ranger, Earth, and even a home long since destroyed. As the climactic battle against...

What's up with comedians these days? This edition of Fresh Friday Features wants to help lighten your heart this weekend with funny titles with wholesome, positive stories. Indomitable, spirited characters with a desire for fun, justice, or simply aiming for a better life with lots of laughs along the way.

This week, @ArtCrumbs picked:

• Comic - Bumkats!: The absurd misadventures of Tripp and Felton, two mischievous stray cats.
• Graphic Novel - Roopster Roux: Steve Harvey and crimestopper Roopster Roux once again bring justice to their town by fighting a new threat-Victor Vain.
• Manga - Freaky 1/2: Victoria Vespera is the best hunter in the land! Or so she thinks. One day...

When only the more chic and fashionable will do, check out today's What's Trending with titles readers are loving right now! Museum escapades, deviant cat-boys, demon hunting, and banished warriors, there's something anyone can enjoy. Reader-picked from only the finest LGBTQ+ titles to have for your end-of-week reading, enjoy!

Love, inks and museum links, 170 pages - Published by Kotokot, (cc/ @Kotokot)

When Eric's first hookup with Daniel goes horribly, they decide to move on. But fate has other plans as they end up working together in a museum. While Eric continues exploring his sex life, he meets Alex. As the story unfolds, the dynamics between Eric, Alex, and...

Our Creator Interview series returns today with LycheeDevil, also known as Vee, a professional freelance artist and mangaka. I came across Vee's work on Twitter during the Summer of Manga contest in 2023 held by Saturday AM in which she submitted her title Scarlet Vagabond. They were published as a result, and I've been following her since. Vee also puts out helpful advice and tips about making manga on her social media, and is continuing to work with Saturday AM. A rising star in the manga community and a helpful one at that, so she's a perfect feature for this interview series.

GlobalComix: Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you started making manga and...

Last week for our Pride Month history series, we looked into the past of the Stonewall Uprising and how it helped launch the queer comics movement into what we have today. Now, we'll take a look at queer manga, LGBTQ+ representation, and now to navigate the space with some core genres and demographics. Navigating queer and LGBTQ+ manga is a bit harder due to the different terminology and the stigma being queer has held in Japan. For this article, we'll also be featuring The Flower That Seems to Truly Dance by Tokyopop from their Love x Love line, and a manga I discovered only recently, NOIR by NOIR.

When compared to the United States or the United Kingdom, Japan has been...

Our latest Popular Last Week is full of all the zombie action you can't handle (but have to read)! Fresh from the grave, lurking in the murky swamp, or deep space, you can't escape this zombie horde!

The Walking Dead (Compendium), 4331 pages - Published by Image Comics, (cc/ @GCpartnerships)

Just in time for the new season of The Walking Dead on AMC, the fan-favorite, New York Times bestselling series returns with its FOURTH massive paperback collection! With over 1,000 pages, this volume contains the next chapter of ROBERT KIRKMAN and CHARLIE ADLARD 's Eisner Award-winning continuing story of survival horror. From the Whisperers to the Commonwealth, Rick Grimes...

Dig down deep for these Fresh Friday Features titles. In honor of Pride Month, on this first Friday in June, we're going on journeys to explore the self. From accepting your faults and leaning into them, to adjusting to a changing identity, and loving yourself as you are, these stories can serve as the inspiration and catalyst to go on your own introspective adventure.

This week, @ArtCrumbs picked:

• Comic - Fungirl by Elizabeth Pich: Fungirl is a hapless (hopeless) mess of a woman.
• Graphic Novel - Pearl of the Sea: Since her mother left, Pearl has spent more and more time in the ocean, fishing to help her father pay the bills.
• Manga - At 30, I Realized I Had No Gender:...

You've got to be a little insane if you're going to come up with new tech and science to advance humanity! Today's What's Trending peeks into the lives of questionable heroes living in worlds full of advanced technology. Whether they seek to serve their own selfish desires, or better humanity, each are forced with ethical conundrums to accomplish them.

Coexistence, 1233 pages - Published by Next_Jen, (cc/ @NextJen)

This universe is filled with wondrous alien species, unique worlds, and threats across the cosmos. One of these threats is the Vex Imperium. Hax, a commander of the Imperium, lands on Earth looking for an artifact. There, his path crosses with a human...

What are the origins of Pride Month and what is its impact on the comic industry? This Pride Month 2024, we'll be sitting down with creators and sharing more about the history of queer creators in comics and manga.

For this first article, we'll cover one of the most famous incidents leading to the foundation of Pride Month, the Stonewall Uprising, also known as the Stonewall Riots. In addition to that, we'll be featuring two comics, The Stonewall Riots by TidalWave Productions and The Melting Pot Riot by Team Diamant Comics.

Before Stonewall, there were numerous uprisings against police and state brutality, harassment, and entrapment of LGBTQ+ communities in the U.S....

Ever want to read about real life stories of real life people? This edition of the Popular Last Week features real stories about real people and real events. From autobiographic, to memoirs and re-tellings of the legendary figures of the past, we've got a variety of candid stories.

It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, 194 pages - Published by Image Comics, (cc/ @GCpartnerships)

Cartoonist ZOE THOROGOOD records six months of her own life as it falls apart in a desperate attempt to put it back together again in the only way she knows how. IT'S LONELY AT THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH is an intimate metanarrative that looks into the life of a selfish artist who must create...

Don't let these pretty faces fool you, our Fresh Friday Features contain women who know how to break bones and hearts! These warrior women know what they want and will mow down anyone in their way. 

This week, @ArtCrumbs picked:

• Comic - Briar: What if Sleeping Beauty never got her happily ever after… and instead had to save herself?
• Graphic Novel - Dark Mists: Kyoto, Japan. 1936. While a shroud of impending unrest hangs over Europe, in Japan the number of Yakuza members is close to outnumbering the Japanese army.
• Manga - Circuit Champ: Grace is ready to join the world of mech combat with her homemade bot, Sydney.
• Webcomic - Kinsetsu - Kintsukuroi no...

Travel between dimensions with What's Trending as your guide. From supernatural abilities to open portals, to those thrown through space and time against their will, there's lots to explore when you're dimension-hopping across the multiverse!

Worlds Forgotten, 26 pages - Published by BentBox Comics, (cc/ @BentBoxComics)

"Worlds Forgotten" tells the story of Keon, a mysterious boy with the rare magical ability to open portals to uncharted worlds." Join Keon on his journey as he comes of age and unravels a past that will shake him to his core.

Story and Art by BentBox Comics

The Wallachian Library, 867 pages - Published...

Our Creator Interview series continues with Brett McGowan of Mythoverse Comics, creator mastermind of Changeling: An Urban Fairy Tale! Exploring folklore worldwide and about to celebrate its 5th Anniversary via Kickstarter currently aiming to fund Anniversary editions. Thank you so much, Brett, for answering our questions!

GlobalComix: For those new to your work as a Writer and Artist on Changeling, can you tell us a little bit about your work and yourself?

Brett McGowan: My name is Brett McGowan. I live in Tacoma, WA, and I'm the writer/creator for Changeling: An Urban Fairy Tale along with the head of community outreach and public relations over at the Mythoverse, as well...

Shine up all your gear and refresh your neon gas, the Popular Last Week today is full of pulse-pounding cyberpunk stories. From chasing the gods to fighting crime, wandering mercenaries, and cyber-superheroes, we've got something for your cyberpunk fixation!

Godslap, 250 pages - Published by Bad Egg Publishing, (cc/ @RobertMeyers)

In the city of Montpelier, the mighty rule form on high, while the struggle for survival plays out on the streets below. Godslap follows the story of Aius Braun, an impetuous young man whose anger at the world is only outstripped by his untapped potential to change it.

Story and Art by Aubrey Sitterson, Baldemar Rivas, Jackson Clarke, Justin...

Are you willing to go the extra mile to make sure things get done right? This edition of Fresh Friday Features tests the grit of these characters to follow through, keep their promises, and go above and beyond the call of duty. Can you keep up with these forces to be reckoned with?

This week, @ArtCrumbs picked:

• Comic - Long Walk to Valhalla: But when a young girl named Sylvia shows up, claiming to be a Valkyrie sent by the Norse god Odin to deliver Rory to Valhalla, Rory will have to face the past he's tried to lock away.
• Graphic Novel - Kaya: After the destruction of their village, a young girl with a magic arm and a fighting spirit is tasked with delivering her...

The response to our team-up with Vault Comics has been amazing. Thank you for reading our vertical transformations, leaving comments, and sharing your reactions at the end of each episode.

We love the stories as much as you do, so we're delighted to reveal the upcoming schedule for even more amazing Vault vertical editions into September!

Upcoming Series

• May 26th: Witchblood
• June 10th: Engine Ward
• June 26th: The Last Book You'll Ever Read
• July 11th: Wasted Space
• July 22nd: Deadbox
• August 9th: These Savage Shores
• August 20th: Relics of Youth
• September 2nd: Friendo

Keep your eyes peeled. We'll add Coming Soon promotions to the...

Embrace that mysterious feeling of sonder with our What's Trending this week. Featuring characters with lives as dramatic and diverse as our own, these titles will give you a break from everyday reality. Enjoy walking in someone else's shoes for a change!

Weakness, 313 pages - Published by DAYcomics, (cc/ @TOPCO)

DSY Law Firm is one of the biggest in the country, but what goes on behind closed doors is just shocking! Corruption, blackmail, betrayal and money! The weak shall not survive!

Story and Art by Gyou and Team Husky

in/habitants - NSFW Horizontal Version, 238 pages - Published by inhabitants.zone, (cc/ @inhabitants)

in/habitants is...

Our Creator Interview series continues with Matt Trinh of Mythoverse Comics, creator mastermind of Mythics! Exploring folklore around the world and about to celebrate its 5th Anniversary via Kickstarter launching later this week. Thank you, Matt, for sitting down with us to answer our questions!

GlobalComix: For those new to your work as a Writer for Mythics, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Matt Trinh: My name is Matt Trinh, I’m a writer from Michigan, born and raised. Head writer of the Mythoverse and writer-creator of Mythics.

GlobalComix: What drew you to being a writer?

Matt: It was at first out of boredom, notes of stories to write while in class,...

All aboard the Time Machine for today's Popular Last Week. Where and when would you go if you had the opportunity to travel through time? These characters each have their own reasons for leaping into different years or even different worlds entirely! Can they accomplish their goals without creating waves in the space-time continuum? What butterfly-effects will ripple through their lives?

Rick and Morty (Volume), 1566 pages - Published by Oni Press, (cc/ @GCpartnerships)

The hit comic book series based on Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s hilarious [adult swim] animated show RICK AND MORTY continues! Catch up on the adventures of degenerate genius Rick Sanchez and his...

Our  Fresh Friday Features takes us into the lives of warriors! Defending the world from enemies or fighting for your own survival, each of these battle-hardened characters has a code of their own and their own reason for fighting. Explore their stories and find your warrior's spirit in these inspirational titles of things worth fighting for.

This week, @ArtCrumbs picked:

• Comic - Age of Yōkai: With her father dead and her home destroyed, Sonomi joins a trio of wandering samurai in their quest to exact vengeance from the master of the yokai: the sorceress known as Odokuro.
• Manga - The Fall of Godz: Only the strong survive while the weak suffer and parish across the...

This month we have more Vault vertical editions launching, including The Autumnal coming tomorrow, May 18th. Later this month on May 26th, Witchblood will arrive, filling out a slate of daily new episodes. No matter the day of the week, there will always be exclusive Vault verticals to read.

Take advantage of our special Vault50 promotion to get 50% off a year of GlobalComix Gold, for only $44.99. Get ahead of the game and be ready for new episodes for less than $1 a week.

Here's a daily breakdown of what you can read this May from Vault and GlobalComix.

New Episodes Every Sunday

	Coming May 26th: Witchblood
	A modern, Wild West road trip about...

Traveling deep in the mountains or out there on the open sea has a special magic. Our What's Trending this week features characters going on various adventures, some into fun new worlds, others into dangerous locations. So grab your best friends and gear up for adventures that bring the magic to the trail!

NINJA HIGH SCHOOL, 5103 pages - Published by INDY COMICS, (cc/ @APDALLAS)

A ordinary boy's life changes when a ninja and an alien enter his life.

Story and Art by INDY COMICS

Mandy and the Magic Toad, 397 pages - Published by ArtDweeb, (cc/ @ArtDweeb)

After a toad swallowed her wand, Mandy the Witch and her friends: Ellie the Vampire...