This entertaining, funny, and warmhearted chronicle of the rocky road toward self-acceptance is a real charmer. Browse Books: Young Adult Nonfiction / Comics & Graphic Novels Im a Wild Seed By Sharon Lee de la Cruz Cover Image Gay Giant: A Memoir By Gabriel Ebensperger. Contending with self-hate is a recurring theme: “Please, God, I don’t want to be a queer cross-dressing hairstylist when I grow up.” Though it’s a familiar coming-out arc, Ebensperger generously spices the script with his cheeky humor and vivacious visuals (whenever he draws himself in heterosexual territory, he is delineated in fabulous pink, in contrast to the stolid grays of everyone else). As Ebensperger matures, he endures the occasional homophobia of his unwitting family (particularly his grandmother), navigates puberty and his burgeoning sexuality, and draws inspiration from celebrities such as Alanis Morrisette and Björk.
His penchant for playing with dolls, distaste for sports, and general effeminacy set him apart from his peers, particularly in a country where machismo rules as ideal, even among other gay males. “Have you ever had the feeling that even if you wanted to you’d never blend in?” he asks before chronicling his experience of feeling, from a very young age, like an outsider. The whole thing has a bit of a science fiction ending that I didn’t see coming (and that I don’t think mentioning in this way will ruin for you).Ebensperger debuts with a big pink splash in this forthright but lighthearted memoir about the struggles of growing up gay in Chile. My favorite moments: the pages showing that he’s not really a giant compared to his brothers and others (including Totoro), and, when he’s a little kid, when he puts on his mom’s red shoes and asks his dad to pretend it’s his wedding. I don’t remember a big coming out scene with his parents or family, but there’s a hilarious description of the first time he masturbated, and a very touching first kiss. For a long time h kinda avoided admitting, even to himself, that he was gay.
He had a crush on both Chris Pine and Ferris Bueller at different times, and loved Jem and the Holograms. It’s probably got something to do with the art being overwhelmingly, wonderfully pink.Īs a little boy Ebensperger played with girls and girls toys, and people often thought he was a girl.
256pp.Įbensperger’s comics are big and bright and his font of choice and drawings make everything feel positive, even when he’s working through some stuff.
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