The Kenmore Square comic store “remains a hub for queer-friendly conversation and creativity”
BOSTON – Home to comic books, manga and a thriving community, Comicopia in Kenmore Square welcomed dozens to a free book signing with comic book artist, Hayden Sherman on Saturday, Sep. 27.
“I have three sisters that I grew up with and they never could really get into the comic book hobby with me because every time they engaged with comics, it felt like it wasn’t for them, and it felt like this was an opportunity to make a book that felt like it could be something that wouldn’t exclude them” said Sherman when talking about how their upbringing impacted their work on “Absolute Wonder Woman.”
A title under DC’s new “Absolute” imprint, “Absolute Wonder Woman” is a fantasy story set in a separate universe from the typical DC Comics continuity, welcoming new readers without any prior reading required.
With Wonder Woman being drawn tall, muscular and tattoo covered, Sherman has made sure that she doesn’t solely exist to attract men, but to be a character that readers find genuinely “cool,”
“Comics can be very exclusionary in how they look, and I didn’t wanna make a book that felt exclusionary, and if I’ve succeeded in that on any level and have made people feel more comfortable reading a book like this, then I am very grateful for that,” said Sherman.
When first asked to work on the book, Sherman was hesitant, wondering about their role contributing to the most famous super heroine in comics.
“I identify [as] non-binary, but I’m also not a woman, so there’s all of these things that go into it,” said Sherman.
Since then, Sherman’s felt more comfortable working on the book as the rest of the creative team are all women, including writer Kelly Thompson, who has trusted them to be a “vessel for her voice.”
Zoey Townsend, an employee of Comicopia and fan of comics, has felt the positive effect of Sherman’s work on “Absolute Wonder Woman.”
“Having her be unfalteringly kind and feminine and strong and having friends and wants and all these things is just refreshing and powerful,” said Townsend.
In terms of style, she said she appreciates Sherman’s “artsy, abstractist” approach that differs from the typical realism that gets pushed for in more mainline comics, also describing it as “creative and raw,”
As a trans woman, Townsend also opened up about the strange feelings behind knowing an artist behind a book personally, as she first met Sherman as a customer of the store.
Since then, Townsend’s continued to speak to Sherman in person whenever they’re able to go to the store, while also continuing to consume their work and hear news about them online.
“I don’t think my head attaches them as the same person,” said Townsend.
An employee of the store for four years, Townsend has grown fond of the community fostered at Comicopia, saying that it’s “not just a space for queer people, but anybody” and that the location’s wide array of material brings in customers of all kinds who are comfortable conversing with each other.
Customer and fan of Absolute Wonder Woman, Campbell Taylor, agrees, calling Comicopia a “very queer friendly space,” not just in the multiple pride flags on display, but in the way the store “features a strong queer voice and a lot of different stories and things that normally don’t get centered” in other comic stores.
Returning from a hiatus in reading comics, Taylor was attracted to Sherman’s reimagining of Wonder Woman, partially due to her skeletal pegasus. He’s also found himself reading the other Absolute titles.
“There’s a brutality, but there’s also just a genuine warmth to all of them,” said Taylor.
Manager of the store, Dan Palomares, has seen Sherman go from a customer and indie comic artist to a big name in the industry on a well-performing title.
“Watching them grow from working on different books here and there to working on something for DC is just really awesome to watch happen in real time,” said Palomares.
Outside of Sherman, Comicopia has welcomed creators such as Scott Snyder, Matthew Rosenberg, and Tyler Boss to sign copies of comic books for fans of all sorts.
The future of the store remains casual, as no events besides a potential sale in November are planned.
Nevertheless, the store remains a hub for queer-friendly conversation and creativity at 464 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston.
This article was produced for HorizonMass, the independent, student-driven, news outlet of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism and is syndicated by BINJ’s MassWire news service.
