In the current climate of anti-trans legislation and book banning across the U.S., A Wave Blue World’s upcoming comic anthology Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans is a breath of fresh air. Co-edited by Sammy Lisel and cartoonist Hazel Newlevant (No Ivy League, Comics for Choice), this collection of stories focuses on the real-life childhood stories of nine trans people in community as they deal with challenges of questioning, affirming, and transitioning in these amazing memoir comics for all ages. A Wave Blue World is best known as an independent comics publisher with a focus on “socially conscious storytelling,” most recently putting out the queer comic anthologies Young Men in Love and The Color of Always (after its successful Kickstarter run).
“When Sammy came to me with the idea of turning real stories from a variety of trans people into all-ages comics, I was immediately excited to link up with some of the many super-talented trans cartoonists I know,” says Newlevant. “We all have our own experiences to draw on, literally! I also had the pleasure of illustrating the story of Brooke Guinan, NYC’s first openly transgender firefighter.” With work from trans writers and artists including Lilah Sturges, Cynthia Yuan Cheng, Kameron White, Sunmi, Ravi Teixeira, and many more, this is a book to keep an eye on for kids and families looking to have meaningful conversations about transitioning.
Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans Cover Reveal
We here at The Mary Sue are proud to have this exclusive first look at the beautiful cover art for Becoming Who We Are for our readers!
Talking about the inspiration for the collection, Lisel commented,
“Growing up, I yearned for stories about fierce, interesting, accomplished, adventurous girls and women who I could look up to and aspire to be. As a mom of a trans girl, I want the same for her: to see herself in stories — not didactic stories explaining what it is to be trans, but fun and interesting stories that ‘happen to be’ about trans people. I want her to know that she’s not alone and that there’s a bright future ahead of her. The stories highlight many of the struggles of growing up, and as such, they also give an opportunity to all children to relate, and relating breaks the ‘otherness’ and therefore normalizes trans-ness.”
Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans hits shelves on May 28, 2024. Check with your local bookstore or comic shop to pre-order it today!
(featured image: A Wave Blue World, provided by publisher)
