The Limerence (a part of Oni Press) line of Quick & Easy Guides are a wonderful thing. They tackle difficult subjects in clear, direct fashion in a portable format at a reasonable price.
With everything going on in comics, though, I hadn’t realized a new one had come out last fall. (Thanks, TCAF, for me finding this there!) A Quick & Easy Guide to Coming Out, by Kristin Russo and Ravi Teixeira, is an obvious choice for the imprint and an important one, particularly these days.
Both the authors share their stories and emphasize that the process can be complicated. What you come out as can also change over time as your understanding or identity shifts, and you may have to have the conversation many times in different ways.
It’s a tough topic, and I’m glad the authors handled it so well. The approachable art allows the figures to talk to the reader, much like a conversation with a knowledgeable friend. (We also meet their cats.) The colors are tones of sage and mauve, which is oddly relaxing.
There’s emphasis on finding a supportive community, on different identity words (and how they mean different things to different people) and pronouns, the need for self-care, and how to make the right choices for oneself. Coming out is scary, even without the disturbing politics in the world today. That’s why I was glad to also see a discussion of safety and resources available. A section on how to respond to common responses that aren’t great to hear is useful as well.
A Quick & Easy Guide to Coming Out is an educational, informative, and most importantly supportive and reassuring book. A great resource.
English (US) · 