You muggles make me sick. With all your hang ups about who’s gay and who humps house elves and who gets off to watching people drink unicorn blood while being asphyxiated. Just sick. Where a wizard chooses to stick his wand is his own business.
So what if Dumbledore’s gay? He’s not hurting anyone. Well, he’s dead, so he’s really not doing anything. Also he’s fictional.
Speaking of fiction, there ARE victims associated with this outing. The slash fic writers. You can’t very well craft rich and textural homo erotic slash fiction for a character who’s ACTUALLY gay. How is that naughty? Slash where the only men having new and exciting sexual encounters with other men is only worth reading if the pairing are supposed to be straight. You don’t do Willow/ Tara slash. You do Xander/Spike slash or Giles/Jonathan slash. Or maybe even The Master/Andrew/Giles/Uncle Enyos slash. I would even settle for Joyce/Anthropomorphic Ms. Kitty Fantastico/Rat Amy slash. But NEVER actual gay character slash. Gross. That gives me the heebies and makes me want to call my congressman (who is probably gay).
In retrospect, instead of the Dumbledisco, I should have done a comic about Dumbledore in an airport bathroom and the ensuing press coverage.
Matt Lauer: “But, Headmaster, why did you start tapping your toes under the stall?”
Dumbledore: “It’s really very silly, Matt. This has all been blown out of proportion. I was going to proposition the young man in the adjacent stall for anonymous gay sex and that seemed like the best way to get his attention. I had written a note on my shoe that said “I want to have sex with you in a gay way” and I wanted him to notice it. Thus the aforementioned tapping.”
Also, if you want to see that last panel as a desktop let me know. If you want to see it as a shirt, then wait a couple of days. Oh, I’m so not kidding.
Desktop please sir.
Oh… and if Josh was gay I’m be all over him.
I’m just saying…
Hey Joel, it does matter.
You know this is some kind of good news for the gay community. Things are different in the UK, but you know good and well there is a culture war going on here in the US right now.
If a popular character is a homosexual then it makes homosexuality a little more OK.
Thing is, a majority of people in this country have a problem, to one degree or another, with that.
Most Harry Potter fans are kids, too, and it’s not cool to go after someone’s kids. But it is effective. “Hello children, this is JK Rowling. You loved and trusted Dumbledore as a mentor and a role-model all these years haven’t you? Well, now auntie J has something to tell you – he’s been gay. So you see, one day when your parents lay out their deeply held values to you, about how they may have any problem with anything GLBT people do or say, I’m here to let you know that your parents are wrong.”
Think I’m overreacting? Could be, but just put yourself in my place for a second. What if Rowling had instead came out and said: “All this time Snape supported Bush, Blair and the war in Iraq.”
or
“Hagrid held pit bull fights in his spare time.”
or
“Dumbledore was an evangelical Christian.
Just sayin’.
PS: Great comics – been forwarding stuff to my friends all morning!
I second the desktop request. I have Harry Potter obsessed coworkers to that will giggle.
Also, I saw your illustration in The Observer last night while my partner and I were out at Chipotle getting burritos. Very cool.
(And Grimmbear, Josh does have The Gay. Let the stalking commence.)
@Grimmbear
I will try to have it up over the weekend. Resolutions? I will probably just do all the most common ones.
@f__K
I actually haven’t seen it yet. I need to pick one up at lunch. Was it in color?
Im sure Josh appreciates you sending wave after wave of e-stalker after him. I know I do.
@Joel
It was in black and white, would be cool to see the color version.
I think this is the first stalker I sent after Josh this week. Must be a slow week.
@varden
I totally agree. This is a positive move from a cultural standpoint. The evangelicals and such didn’t let their kids read Harry Potter anyway so this really wont affect them. The ones it stands to affect most are the children of the standard white american couple who say that everyone deserves equal rights but secretly “hate fags” and instill those beliefs in their children. They are secular enough to let their kids read Harry Potter but too conservative to outright tell them its OK to be gay.
You’re right that associating a positive childhood memory with a gay character can go a long way to stop the intolerance they are probably being taught.
I was taught as a child to “love the sinner, but hate the sin.” Only as an adult did I realize how hateful this was. It takes years to undo this kind of brain washing.
Regarding the comic, i used to wonder if I should directly address the fact that one of my characters is gay. In the end I decided not to make any sort of statement but certainly not to hide it. The purpose is if people were to meet Josh he wouldnt say “Hi, Im Josh. Im gay.” He would just say “Hi, Im Josh. Fuck you.” Or something to that effect.
This isnt a comic about being straight or gay, and I dont intend for it to deal with relationships or sex. Its a comic about being a geek and that (as corny as this sounds) transcends sexuality.
@f__k
Thats a bummer. I will definitely post the full color one on the site. I’ll make a desktop out of it.
*signs up to stalk Josh*
Ah, I’m always lured back with the JC comics…and I find that I enjoy the other stuff more and more.
You forgot “you’re being glib.”
Coz you are. Tsk.
Please let me know when the T-Shirt is available. *grin*
@Hugh
Look for an announcement on the site this weekend. Finished most of the design last night and HOLY CRAP does it look freaking awesome. Im not one to toot my own whatever but, TOOOOOOT!
I am so amazingly happy with how this shirt design is turning out. I’ll put you down for 6.
Ha ha! Seriously, make a desktop /please/! ^^
Hahahahaha!
@Joel & @varden
You guys are totally right! I think this is actually a /huge/ thing not because a popular character is gay, but to the fact that it’s trying to say that even though you may be LGBT, that you can still be as smart, awesome, etc as everyone else. ^^
That, and it makes the intolerance of that go away as well, which is always a good thing.
/Quote/
This isnt a comic about being straight or gay, and I dont intend for it to deal with relationships or sex. Its a comic about being a geek and that (as corny as this sounds) transcends sexuality.
/Joel/
//Quote/
I think you’re really onto something here. It doesn’t matter if your LGBT… you can still be a geek regardless. It’s an interest and it really does transcends sexuality.
Oh yes yes, desktop please!!
@kathleen and Paul, et al
Hoping to have the desktop downloads page live this week. The new shirts have taken most of my time.
I really have to have that desk top! Please?! 😀
Hahaha I love the triceratops expression. It makes me giggle.
@AJ
A line is forming around the corner.
@CarrieP
Joco is great fun to make comics about. Hopefully he will do something else spectacular in the coming months and Ill get to do a new one.
@Denise
Ive studied Psychiatry, Matt. Have you?
@Hugh
THEY ARE AVAILABLE TODAY!!!!!!
@Crow
Will do!
@GlitterGuts
Thanks. I wrote that after the drawing. He HAD to have some reason to be in that position.
I think I love you. I secretly agree with Josh, but all my friends are so very excited about it, and I have insufficient genital power to deliver the triceratops line. I may have to print this out and leave it pointedly about.
Yay shirts!!!
@Allie
Post it on the fridge!
I too would love to stalk Josh, woofy bearcub that he is. *gets happily in line*
Actually… They’re all sporting that ‘bearish’ vibe to be quite honest 😉 Must be a geek/techie thing.
@Furi
I’ve hidden Josh’s cell phone number somewhere on this site. Find it and he shall be your reward.
They’re all actually sporting that “bearDish” sort of look. In real life, Eli has us all beat. His beard is about chest length and growing more powerful by the day. I would draw him that way in the comic but I ran out of pixels. There really isnt much difference in the “bearded geek” look and the “bear-ded look.” Since Josh occupies both categories he’s some sort of demigod.
People forget then when Dumbledore was introduced, he was wearing "high-heeled purple boots." That's about as fabulous as it gets, right there.
i remember something in book 6 about how "flamboyantly" he was dressed when meeting Tom Riddle for the first time.
I'm amazed you went for the "Xander/Spike" description instead of "Angel/Spike" like most people do O_o
Actually if you read between the lines it was quite obvious…
"Hi! I'm here to talk to Gellert."
"Oh, he's in the bath right now, so I'…"
"It's okay, I don't mind. I REALLY need to talk to him." *runs up stairs*