Amsterdam is an enigmatic city filled with historic buildings, beautiful canals, and barely any comic books. It’s hard moving from New York with its thriving comics culture to a city where no one notices your awesome X-Men bag.
Which is why I was thrilled when Molly Crabapple tweeted about a comics event happening right here in Amsterdam at the American Book Center! The ABC is a fantastic store with a wide selection of books and an inspiring comics section. They frequently host authors for lectures and signings. Last week the ABC Treehouse hosted creators Abby Denson and Tim Fish, who are best known for their LGBT-friendly comic creations. Denson has worked with Archie, DC, Marvel and even The Simpsons! Currently, Denson illustrates a blog/comic about NY desserts (The City Sweet Tooth). Fish has contributed stories to Marvel and Oni press, in addition to his creator owned work which has been published in book form, newspapers and magazines.
There was a small turnout, but it worked out better for those attending. It gave us the opportunity to have a frank and open dialogue with the creators. Denson began the event by reading from her groundbreaking book Tough Love: High School Confidential. Her goal was to create a book that told stories and gave advice that teens, and even children, could relate to. Denson also gave it a title that would enable someone to read it in school and not be teased.
Denson at the American Book Center
The School Library Journal approved Tough Love for kids aged 12 and up, which was a big step for bringing gay friendly material to children. Denson received some suicide notes from teens when the story ran in XY magazine, which prompted her to include resources and numbers for suicide hotlines in the printed version. Not only is Denson providing an avenue for confused kids to get information, she offers aid in an area that they might feel embarrassed or scared to talk about.
Denson’s next presentation was Dolltopia, which follows Kitty, a ballerina doll who doesn’t want to be like all of the other dolls. She breaks free from her cookie cutter life and makes her way to Dolltopia, where she is free to be herself. Denson has a raw and realistic style of art that draws you into the story. Her inspiration stems from a youth spent cutting up the clothes and hair of her dolls to make them different. It’s an intriguing viewpoint of our world and the molds that people force themselves into.
Instead of doing a reading straight from the books, Fish chose to discuss specific panels from his original series Cavalcade of Boys. Cavalcade of Boys follows the lives of several gay characters who live in the United States. The series is an interesting mix of romance, dry humor, and realistic situations. Rather than focusing on the typical stereotypes of gay culture, Fish writes and draws the characters simply living their lives. The characters jump off of the page through vivid description and beautiful art. I really enjoy Fish’s take on the human body. Clean, classic and beautifully done. Fish showed us panels from Trust/Truth, a romantic comedy that was published in color as a stand-alone graphic novel. The characters continue to find themselves in relate-able situations that keep your interest.
Tim Fish and Abby Denson, photo by Jeff Suon
Thanks to urging from the audience, Tim followed up with a presentation on the history of gay comics. He illustrated the evolution of gay characters throughout the years and discussed how different publishers reacted to them. I was stunned to learn that the Comics Code Authority was still in effect until January of this year, when DC Comics and Archie Comics were the last to officially drop it. I did some research on the CCA and found a lot of anger and frustration at the blatant censorship it promoted. It’s truly mind boggling to think about how comics have changed and evolved since their conception.
After the presentation we all went for a delicious steak and fries deal at a little place across the street (Fish had the vegetarian wrap). It was wonderful getting to know them a little better, and we heard some interesting stories about their experiences in comics! My first comics event in Amsterdam was a great success. I brought home both Dolltopia and Trust/Truth and enjoyed them both immensely.
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For more information on Abby Denson, check out her website and Twitter!
Tim Fish can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and at his personal blog.
Denson documented her experiences in Amsterdam with a comic for The City Sweet Tooth, and kindly allowed us to post it!
