June has ended, but that doesn’t mean Pride Month has to come to a halt. Pride Month can be any month is the real truth. To help you continue the celebrations, we’re sharing two gorgeous graphic novels from Legendary Comics that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community inside and out. These graphic novels, which are gorgeous to look at and enchanting to read, are both from LGBTQ+ authors and feature marvelously queer characters. We could not feel more excited about that. (These LGBTQ+ graphic novels also put witches and the supernatural in the spotlight, which are two things that queer people love and feel represented by, as we’ve written about on Nerdist before.) We’re proud to recommend The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One and The Science of Ghosts—both of which are available now!
The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One, Written by Simon Curtis and Illustrated by Stephanie Son
“It’s always tough being the new kid in the coven.” That’s the tagline for The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One. And already we’re hooked because ain’t that the truth? The Witches of Silverlake follows the journey of Elliot at Saint John the Baptist Academy as he and his new coven of queer witches accidentally unleash a bloodthirsty demon that terrorizes their school. Oops! This might not sound relatable to you, but if you’re queer, you know it happens all the time. The Witches of Silverlake sounds like an excellent adventure to embark upon.
Written by Simon Curtis and illustrated by Stephanie Son, the graphic novel delves into the dark side and danger of magic. The Witches of Silverlake is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more.
You can read the full synopsis for The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One below:
Elliot has had a rough year. His dad died, he had to move across the country, and now he’s about to start high school at LA’s prestigious Saint John the Baptist Academy, where his mom has accepted the position of Vice Principal. He’s quickly taken in by the school’s outcasts: the scholarship kids; the queer kids; and the ones who just don’t really fit in with the glossy trust fund babies of SJTBA. They immediately let him in on their little secret…they are witches. Elliot joins them in their world among the crystal stores and occult shops of Silverlake, but just as he feels he has finally found a sense of family with his new coven, a full moon initiation ceremony goes awry and unleashes a demon with a thirst for SJTBA student and faculty blood, whose gruesome killing spree reveals that forces much bigger and darker than their worst nightmares have had their sights set on Elliot all along…With the fun and games of playing with crystals and candles over, the coven now realize that magic is powerful, real, and that it might be more dangerous than they’d ever imagined.
The Science of Ghosts by Lilah Sturges, Illustrated by El Garing, with Contributions by Alitha Martinez
In The Science of Ghosts, written by Lilah Sturges, “trans forensic parapsychologist Jo Ravenna investigates a series of murders intertwined with ghostly echoes, uncovering unsettling truths with serious consequences for her and her friends’ lives.” Illustrated by El Garing, Illustrated by El Garing, with contributions by Alitha Martinez, this horror story wonderfully explores a life post-transition. This novel’s tagline is, “She’ll take ghosts over solving her own problems any day.” Again, if you’re a queer person, this is highly relatable content. We can’t wait to be haunted by this LGBTQ+ graphic novel in the best way.
If that’s not enough to intrigue you, below are the first five pages of The Science of Ghosts for your reading pleasure. Fair warning: You won’t be able to get them out of your head. The Science of Ghosts can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more.
The full synopsis for The Science of Ghosts is below:
In “The Science of Ghosts,” Joy Ravenna, a transgender parapsychologist, navigates the mysteries of the afterlife while confronting the challenges of her past and present. Joy’s first post-transition relationship, a hostile ex-wife, and long-forgotten murder clues test her resilience at every turn. For Joy, dealing with the living is far more daunting than working with ghosts. This gripping 160-page graphic novel is written by Lilah Sturges, Illustrated by El Garing, with contributions by Alitha Martinez and is published by Legendary Comics.
Keep Your Pride Going by Supporting LGBTQ+ Creators and Their Work
As mentioned, both these graphic novels are wonderfully queer, super beautiful, and just downright excellent reads. Make sure to add them to your reading list today and keep the love for queer creators and their queer work going all year long.
Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.