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.
- 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: This autobiographical manga explores Japanese culture surrounding gender, transgender issues, and the day to day obstacles faced by gender minorities
- Webcomic - Magical Boy Troubles: Juan's boyfriend Kikyou is a magical boy which is pretty cool, right?
Fungirl by Elizabeth Pich, 32 pages - Published by Silver Sprocket, (cc/ @avisprocket)
Fungirl is a hapless (hopeless) mess of a woman. Her oblivious antics infuriate her roommate-slash-ex-girlfriend and threaten any opportunity for employment, but surely Fungirl will figure it all out... eventually.
Story and Art by Silver Sprocket
Fungirl is everything I wish I could be sometimes. She's blunt and not afraid to be herself. I think we should all aspire to be as brave and true to yourself as she is. I think my favorite scene was definitely when she tried to buy the donut. Intrusive thoughts for the win! Super funny and I pray we get to see more of Fungirl!
Pearl of the Sea, 167 pages - Published by Catalyst Press, (cc/ @catalystpress)
Since her mother left, Pearl has spent more and more time in the ocean, fishing to help her father pay the bills. But when she gets mixed up with a group of illegal abalone poachers and starts diving near a restricted wreck, Pearl meets an ancient sea monster named Otto—who isn’t quite as monstrous as she thought. And when Otto’s enemies come back to finish what they started, Pearl is the only one who can save him, but only if she has the courage to let go of her past and open up to others—including the girl from class she’s got a crush on.
Story and Art by Catalyst Press
A tale of loss, discovery, revenge, it's a deep-sea story about change. The tides never settle and nor does life. The art and action with the paneling is dynamic and well done, and I like the fact that Pearl grows over time, from a rule-breaker doing what she needs to do, to looking at what is the right choice even with the world coming at her. It's got a nice and well-wrapped ending that's also super wholesome. Another lovely title from Catalyst!
At 30, I Realized I Had No Gender, 170 pages - Published by TOKYOPOP, (cc/ @GCpartnerships)
At age 30, Shou Arai came to a realization; they had no gender. Now they were faced with a question they'd never really considered: how to age in a society where everything is so strongly segregated between two genders? This autobiographical manga explores Japanese culture surrounding gender, transgender issues, and the day to day obstacles faced by gender minorities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community with a lighthearted, comedic attitude.
Story and Art by Shou Arai
To be completely honest, I didn't know much about what intersex was before reading this manga, though I knew it existed. Seeing someone go through their life as a younger person, into an adult well into their midlife years while reading this was an incredibly refreshing experience. It also gave me a new perspective on gender identity, how or why we choose to express those things, and some laughs along the way that, as a non-binary person, I could definitely relate to.
Magical Boy Troubles, 41 pages - Published by Magical Comics, (cc/ @Fran)
Juan's boyfriend Kikyou is a magical boy which is pretty cool, right? Except he cant stop worrying about him because his job seems to be pretty dangerous. But what can Juan do about it? Updates every Monday~ Support me on Patreon for early access.
Story and Art by Magical Comics
Absolutely adorable webcomic, it's an insanely beautiful and well-paneled title. I'm amazed at the paneling and the development of the characters, namely Juan over the book. I want to see more adventures! Very cute, lots of action, and a must-read for magical boy or magical girl fans!
That's all for now, but we'll have another set of Fresh Friday reading recommendations next week. You can also browse through our Featured Comics news section and add them to your Library for future reading!
Check out more amazing stuff from @ArtCrumbs below.
Did you get a chance to check out any of these fresh picks? If you enjoy any of these stories, don't forget to add them to your library, and share your thoughts in the comments below! You can also join our Discord server to talk with other readers and creators.