A Harvey Milk Biography Is Kicking Off a New Comic Book Series on LGBTQ History

A Harvey Milk Biography Is Kicking Off a New Comic Book Series on LGBTQ History

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Many comics fans know the name of Chuck Rozanski. Not only is he a comic historian who writes for the Comics Buyer’s Guide, he is the owner of Mile High Comics, the largest comic book shop in America. Rozanski is also an activist; he’s been honored by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund for his defense of free speech, and his fundraising for LGBTQ causes like the Matthew Shepard Foundation. But now, instead of just selling comics, he’s starting to make them — and he’s starting with a Harvey Milk comic book that tells the true story of the gay hero.

The upcoming comic book is approved by the Harvey Milk Foundation. All proceeds — after the printing and art is paid for — will be donated to the LGBTQ organization, the Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire. And this isn’t the only book Rozanski is planning. He’s been doing research on LGBTQ movements through history, potentially including both the Holocaust and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. He said:

The hatred and bias that some people continue to express toward others is both painful and shocking to me. In large measure, that is why Thomas Buchanan and I decided to begin our graphic novel series with the story of what happened to the gays of Europe during the Holocaust. I have spent the past month reading horrific first-person accounts from the Holocaust that are so emotionally wrenching that I have oftentimes found myself in tears.

The hardest part of my writing the first story arc of our book was constructing prose that could convey the horror of what was inflicted upon well over 100,000 people during the period of 1933-1945, while not being so horrific as to compel people to just drop our book, and walk away.

In addition to the upcoming graphic novel series, Chuck Rozanski is also running a Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) fundraiser for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. He hopes Shepard’s parents, Dennis and Judy Shepard, will be able to attend. And, for those outside of Mile High Comics’ home base of Denver, Rozanski will also sell a complete set of FCBD special editions for a $40 donation to the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which will include a special, signed print of Matthew Shepard himself.

 

Are you excited for Chuck Rozanski’s Harvey Milk comic book? What topic should he cover next? Let us know in the comments!

Featured image from the documentary The Times of Harvey Milk

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