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Imagine, it you can, a world where college less other gnerd (gay nerds, as defined by
students languish in indecision, feigned apa­ Bias and Davis) efforts populating the fertile
thy reigns supreme and the first flutters of ro­ comic underground of comics, Briar Hollow
mance hinge on countless missed signals. Ev­ appears to have emerged as the only one
eryone feels insecure about their place in the dealing not just with the racket of growing
hustling hum of society. Twentysomethings up, but also the sensitive issue of anti-gay
become embroiled in fiery debates over multi­ bullying.
sided die RPGs, fantasy video games and fade
The story for Bias and Davis begins about
into sci-fi daydreams when life gets a little a year ago when Bias was a student at Pacific
too real. If this sounds a
Northwest College of Art,
lot like r ‘al life, then the
enrolled in a graphic novel
picture of web comic series
course. His final project
Briar Ho'cw is becoming
was to make a comic.
clearer.
“I came up with this idea
Bereft of the superhero
about these nerds playing a
game and fighting about
quotient—save for perhaps
the possession of “super
it,” says Bias. “I liked the
resolve” to suffer the hur­
characters and I kind of
kept going with it. It was
dles of adolescence rela­ “More than anything,
tively
unscathed—the
the first comic I think I
we
w
ant
this
to
be
a
brainchild of Portland art­
created characters for that
ist Terry Bias, along with love letter to g a y kids
I’ve ever put out there for
lifelong friend Kimball
people to really see.”
Davis, is a sequential study and teens and their
The first Briar Hollow
of suburban slings and ar­ allies...Anyone w ho
page went up on Bias’web­
rows. With half of Volume
site in March 2010, follow­
feels
like
an
outca
st
1 having been posted on­
ing the recruitment of Da­
line, a vibrant, colorful and needs som ewhere to
vis. The two have been
decidedly nerd-chic world
friends for more than 25
g
o
to
feel
a
c
c
e
p
te
d
.
has unfolded, laying the
years, meeting first as chil­
foundation for the duo’s H opefully Briar Hollow
dren sharing an affinity for
second volume: the unveil­
sci-fi, video games and, of
ca n be th a t p la ce ."
ing of a gay character.
course, comic books, in the
Recently,
established
same neighborhood in
-T E R R Y B LA S
comics like Archie and
Boise, Idaho.
Batwoman generated headlines for their in­
“From an early age we were both sort of
troduction of LGBTQ_characters into their interested in artistic things,” explains Bias.
serials. In Vancouver, Wash., Darren Davis’ “[In Boise] you kind of have to go out and
Bluewater Productions has pioneered the seek what you enjoy. There were a lot of trips
gay character with HIV-positive superhero to the comics store and a lot of hours draw­
Zak Raven. And though there may be count- ing together and making up stories. Most