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Tough Love and Roses
Graphic novel creator Abby Denson comes to Portland
by Andy Mangels
omic book fans and kids might know her
I’ve had some queer experiences and relationships,
work from periodicals such as The Power-
but my last few serious ones and cunent one have
puff Girls, The Simpsons, Disney Adventures
been with males. I like to think when you love
and Nickelodeon magazine, but Abby
somebody, gender shouldn’t matter so much, but it
Denson has a much more focused plan to
is obviously a very complicated issue. Since I’ve
reach kids with her new book. She is promoting
luckily had a gay-friendly upbringing—my mom
Tough Love: High School Confidential (Manic D isn
Press,
’t homophobic, my dad is gay, one of my uncles
2006; $12.95 softcover), an homage to Japanese gay-
is gay—I have strong feelings about gay rights, and
esque love comics and a beacon of hope to gay teens.
I’m coming from a unique point of view.”
“1 wanted to do a romance story, and 1 thought
Denson notes that many people have asked her
it would be a good twist to make it a gay romance,”
why she would choose to do a story like Tough Love
Denson says. "Also, 1 wanted to show that gay
as her debut graphic novel. “In a way it’s flattering,
people are just as human as anybody else.”
because it often comes from the angle that they
A fan of “shounen-ai,” the term for Japanese
can’t believe a straight person could write so
comics (manga) about beautiful boys in love—
realistically about gay people. On the other hand,
made for and by straight women—Denson chose
there’s plenty of fiction out there that doesn’t get
that style to create her serialized story. "1 was
that assumption. Nobody asks J.K. Rowling about
inspired by shounen-ai manga’s basic subject
how she can write about boy wizards since she isn’t
matter: androgynous gay boys. However, Tough
one. 1 guess since I’m writing about events that
Love is about actual gay teens in an American
could actually happen, it hits home and people
suburb as opposed to a fantasy concept of what gay
look at it as something very real.”
boys are like. 1 was also inspired by manga and my
That reality has hit home in reaction from the
own kung fu training to include martial arts.”
serial and its lxx>k collection. “The best reactions I
The story in Tough Love follows a pair of high
get to Tough Love are the people who say it really
school boys, Chris and Brian, who must deal with
helped them through rough times or that they relat­
coming out to family, gay-bashing, a suicide
ed to it a lot. Also, when straight guys who would
attempt and how to delicately break up with the
never normally read something about gay characters
straight girl one of them dates without the whole
tell me that it made a difference in their opinions or
school finding out their secret. Although the art
made them think, that’s really gratifying. The worst
style is simplistic and clean, Denson has a strong
reaction 1 got was a complaint letter...that Tough
emotional core lacking in some shounen-ai that
Love was too violent and a bad example since it
has recently started being translated to English and
shows a character bashing back. The most stunning
sold at Portland stores such as CounterMedia.
reactions were from actual suicidal gay teens.”
Asked the inevitable question about how
Denson has never been to Portland before but
closely she knows about the subject of coming out,
notes that it “seems to have a great indie comics
Denson says: “ 1 consider myself straight, I suppose.
scene, and I’ve heard lots of great things, so I can’t
wait! Hopefully a lot of nice people will come out to
say hi. I’m looking forward to meeting everybody!”
Finally, she has a message for queer and ques­
tioning kids: "Even when things are looking
down.. .just keep going and.. .things will get better.
Life goes on after high school, and the future is
yours.... We included a resource guide in the back
of the book for gay teens and teens who may be
suicidal. Hopefully it will help people. ”©
C
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ABBY D enson discusses and signs Tough Love:
High Schixd Confidential 7:30 p.m. July 31 at
Powell’s on Hawthorne, 3723 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.
Abby Denson's Tough Love was inspired by
"shounen-ai," a style of melodramatic Japanese
comics by girls about gay boys.
A ndy M angels is a best-selling author and DVD
special features producer who has also been working
in the comic book scene for almost 20 years.