Jul 18, 2003  |  By: BILL ROUNDY  | COMMENTS     

Imagine an alternate history of comics — one without censors or skittish distributors, where gay issues are expressed without resorting to metaphors, and creators can tell stories without interference.

That alternate reality already exists — on the Internet, where gay cartoonists reach a worldwide audience.

One sign of the growing maturity of webcomics is the success of “Nowhere Girl,” an online drama about a young lesbian whose life is slowly falling apart. Lushly colored and emotionally powerful, the stunning debut by Justine Shaw is the first webcomic ever nominated for an Eisner Award (the comic’s equivalent of an Oscar).

Other Web creators have also taken notice: on July 6, “Nowhere Girl” won four Web Cartoonists’ Choice Awards, including Outstanding Comic.

Shaw, a computer worker in who works with computers in San Francisco, initially felt guilty because she’s “not even a real comics person!” But she first sketched her lead character way back in 1992, and appreciates having years of work recognized.

“Heck,” she says, “it’s great.”

While traditional comics are still dominated by superheroes, on the Web, you can find comics devoted to horror, romance, historical fiction, and autobiography — with gay stories in each. “Webcomics offer delicious freedom,” says K. Sandra Fuhr, creator of online romance comic “Boy Meets Boy.” “I have no editor telling me what to do, no criticisms that my characters are too gay or not gay enough.”

“Boy Meets Boy” beat out a host of hetero comics to win the WCC Award for “Outstanding Romantic Comic” — and it’s far from alone. “Young Bottoms in Love” is a gay romance anthology updated every weekday, telling a self-contained five-part story with a new cast weekly.

“While the genre is certainly limited in its target audience, it has perhaps the most defined target audience available,” says Tim Fish, creator of the series. “I am able to identify, know, and write to a specific audience …”

Erin Lindsey, 23, a transsexual college student, began posting her webcomic “Venus Envy” in late 2001, and it soon evolved from a simple gag strip to a compelling, sometimes moving teen soap opera about a transgender girl, 16, trying to “pass” at a new high school.

Lindsey attributes the change to “gnomes whispering in my ears at night,” but adds, “The first couple were just doodling and finding my feet. Then I centered on a main character and ideas about her started coming.”

MANY GAY COMIC STRIPS, SUCH AS “Dykes to Watch Out For” and “The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green” have an Internet presence. But webcomics have developed their own forms and traditions. There are no size restrictions: pages can scroll for infinitely, or take as many panels as they need.

Gay cartoonist Howard Cruse, creator of the acclaimed graphic novel “Stuck Rubber Baby” and the strip “Wendel,” has adapted many of his old cartoons on his Web site. “We’re like in the early stages of television, when most TV shows were radio shows with pictures,” Cruse says. “People haven’t yet figured out the special characteristics to the medium.”

Most cartoonists still borrow a form either adapted from the newspaper comic strip (three or four panels, often with a punchline) or from the comic book, creating ‘pages’ of images.

But there are differences: Unlike self-contained daily newspaper strips, webcomics often have plots that stretch on for months. Because archives are freely available, new readers can simply click back to catch up.

The interactive nature of the Web also allows readers to communicate with the artists easily. Many webcomics offer message boards, where fans can discuss the storyline, argue about characters and post encouragement to the artist. This interaction encourages informality and a sense of community with readers. Artists may draw themselves into the strip, apologize to readers when it is late, or even hand over control of the strip, creating a “guest week,” posting fan-created art, or handing it over to another cartoonist.

“Having a comic available only online automatically puts you closer to your audience, and you definitely get input on what they like and what they don’t,” notes Fuhr of “Boy Meets Boy.”

Surprisingly, gay creators haven’t found themselves flamed by homophobic viewers. “All that stuff about everyone online being a jerk who’s just there to flame everyone else anonymously? Not true, at least not in this corner of the Web,” says Shaw.

Response to “Nowhere Girl” has come from all ages, though most of her readers are in their teens and ‘20s. “They’re great people,” she says. “A number of them are really unhappy with their ...