Pride Month 2025 is here, and today we've highlighted some LGBTQ+ comics and manga made by creators that have done work to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ people with their work. Whether it's activism in the streets or within pages, there are all sorts of ways to support each other and be an ally.

Gengoroh Tagame 

Notable works: The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame, My Brother’s Husband

A pioneer of gay manga, Tagame's earlier explicit work was groundbreaking in representing queer desire from a Japanese gay male perspective in a country where standing out has been something typically discouraged. He rose to prominence in the 1980s and ’90s with gei-komi (gay manga) that revolutionized gay male imagery in Japan, featuring rugged, hypermasculine characters and explicit erotic narratives, often exploring themes like BDSM. He also co‑founded the influential magazine G-men, which helped shift aesthetics in gay media and support a vibrant gay art scene. As his career evolved and perspectives on LGBTQ+ people in Japan changed, Tagame transitioned toward more mainstream, all-ages storytelling. His acclaimed works My Brother’s Husband and Our Colors tenderly depict family dynamics and LGBTQ experiences, which has earned him major accolades like the Japan Media Arts Festival Award, Japan Cartoonists Association Award, and an Eisner Award.

Later this year, Tagame’s influence will be recognized further at the Art of Manga exhibition at San Francisco’s de Young Museum (Sept 27, 2025 – Jan 25, 2026). This landmark showcase, the first major U.S. exhibition celebrating manga’s artistic legacy, will feature over 700 original works, including works from Tagame’s My Brother’s Husband. His inclusion highlights the power of LGBTQ narratives within manga and honors his journey from underground erotic art to celebrated, emotionally resonant storytelling. Truly a testament to his enduring impact both within queer communities and broader manga culture, even today. 

GlobalComix is a proud Premier Sponsor of the event, and you can get your early bird tickets here.

Alison Bechdel

Notable works: Fun Home, Dykes to Watch Out For

Alison Bechdel is a celebrated American cartoonist known for her influential contributions to LGBTQ literature and comics. She first gained recognition with Dykes to Watch Out For, a long-running comic strip that offered one of the earliest, most nuanced portrayals of lesbian life and community. The strip also inspired the widely used “Bechdel Test,” which critiques gender representation in media.

Her 2006 graphic memoir Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic: a powerful exploration of her relationship with her closeted gay father and her own coming out. It's earned widespread acclaim and was later adapted into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. Bechdel’s later works, including Are You My Mother? and The Secret to Superhuman Strength, continued her signature blend of personal reflection, literary depth, and cultural commentary. Her groundbreaking storytelling has earned her numerous accolades, including a MacArthur “Genius” Grant, and she remains a vital voice in both the comics and LGBTQ communities.

Riyoko Ikeda 

Notable works: The Rose of Versailles, Claudine, Orpheus

Riyoko Ikeda is a pioneering Japanese mangaka best known for her iconic work The Rose of Versailles, a 1970s historical shojo manga that became a cultural phenomenon. Set during the French Revolution, it follows the life of Oscar François de Jarjayes, a noblewoman raised as a man to serve in the royal guard. Through Oscar, Ikeda explored themes of gender identity, social expectation, and same-sex attraction, things that were radical ideas for mainstream manga at the time. The manga’s influence extended beyond Japan, inspiring multiple anime adaptations, a Takarazuka Revue stage production, and generations of readers with its gender-bending lead and richly political storytelling. The Rose of Versailles recently got a new movie anime (OVA) earlier this year that is available on Netflix and Crunchyroll.

Though not always categorized as explicitly LGBTQ, Ikeda’s work broke ground in depicting complex relationships that defied traditional norms, especially in shojo manga. Oscar’s romantic entanglements and ambiguous gender identity resonated deeply with queer readers and helped carve space for non-conforming characters in manga. Ikeda continued to challenge conventions with works like Claudine...!, a tragically poignant manga about a transgender man—one of the first of its kind in Japan. Her legacy lies in blending historical drama with gender and identity themes, influencing both the aesthetics and storytelling of LGBTQ narratives in manga for decades to come.

Howard Cruse 

Notable works: Stuck Rubber Baby, Gay Comix

Howard Cruse was a groundbreaking American cartoonist widely recognized as the “godfather of queer comics.” His work helped lay the foundation for LGBTQ representation in the comic arts during a time when it was still considered "obscene" or inappropriate material in comics. In 1980, Cruse founded and edited Gay Comix, an anthology that gave voice to openly gay and lesbian cartoonists during a time when queer content was often censored or hidden. The series doesn't continue today, but offered personal, political, and humorous reflections on LGBTQ life, pushing boundaries and expanding the possibilities of what comics could express. I'm sure it could be something that we read today and see reflections of our own times.

Other than Gay Comix, Cruse’s most acclaimed work is Stuck Rubber Baby (1995), a semi-autobiographical graphic novel exploring themes of race, sexuality, and civil rights in the American South. Its unflinching portrayal of a young man coming to terms with his identity earned it widespread praise and multiple awards over the years. Through his art and editorial work, Cruse challenged norms in less-accepting times, gave visibility to LGBTQ lives of creators and non-creators alike, and opened doors for future generations of queer comic creators.

ND Stevenson

Notable works: Nimona, Lumberjanes, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

ND Stevenson is another award-winning cartoonist, writer, and showrunner of recent years. He rose to prominence as a co-creator of Lumberjanes, the Eisner Award-winning comic series from BOOM! Studios. The series, praised for its strong female and queer representation, follows a group of girls at a supernatural summer camp, blending humor, heart, and adventure while celebrating friendship, gender diversity, and self-discovery. All-ages books about Queer experiences have had some difficulty being included in libraries across the nation, and the work ND Stevenson has done to raise awareness and education has been imperative and inspiring for LGBTQ+ youth. Lumberjanes became a critical and commercial success, breaking new ground for queer visibility in all-ages comics.

Beyond Lumberjanes, Stevenson’s work also includes works developed for TV, like the graphic novel Nimona, a subversive fantasy tale that started as a webcomic and was later adapted into a Netflix animated film. He also served as the showrunner for the acclaimed reboot She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which received widespread praise for its inclusive storytelling and nuanced portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters. Stevenson’s voice as a creator has been vital in expanding queer narratives in both comics and animation, earning him a devoted fanbase and numerous accolades.

You can find Lumberjanes from BOOM! Studios right here on GlobalComix!

Lumberjanes 

Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and they're not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! Not only is it the second title launching in our new BOOM! Box imprint but LUMBERJANES is one of those punk rock, love-everything-about-it stories that appeals to fans of basically all excellent things.

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It's never easy standing up to society that doesn't feel inclusive or accepting. Through literary works, all of today's comics and creators have contributed to the increased acceptance and appreciation for LGBTQ+ voices. You don't have to be a member of the community itself to support it, either. Ally voices are just as valuable. We should all do our part to help ensure a future for queer comics, manga, and the future queer creators of our industries.

Here's a list of resources used for today's article, as well as other links to lots of lists of recommended queer reading and past articles from our 2025 Pride Month celebration:

• Recommended Reading for Pride Month 2025 by GlobalComix

• Banned & Challenged Comics by CBLDF

• Commonly Banned Comics @ Cal State LA
• The Censorship of LGBTQ+ Comic Books with Maia Kobabe and Mike Curato

• Queer comic creators talk their hopes, helps (and fave new reads!) for Pride from PopVerse

• 7 LGBTQ comic artists share how they navigate their identity from The Washington Post

• 20 Essential Queer Comics from the Past Five Years by Publishers Weekly

See you again soon, and happy Pride Month 2025 from all of us here at GlobalComix!