GLBT-RT

Sayers, Joey Alison. Just So You Know. Autobiographical Comics Ser. #1. Oakland, 2009. softcover. [36] pages. $5.00.

Cartoonist Joey Alison Sayers has the talent—critical in comic art—for getting to a point quickly and making a sharply perceptive observation.

Just So You Know #1 gathers together two years of strips about Sayers' transition from male to female. Hormones, social acceptance, getting a new ID, and coming out to herself and her parents are all dissected on Sayers' drawing pad. The most poignant strip may be "Freaking Out the Parents." At a particularly illuminating point in a conversation with her parents, Sayers explains, "I've been horribly depressed for as long as I can remember and for a bunch of years I was getting drunk and using drugs as a coping mechanism." Her parents listen to everything in silence, wearing twin expressions of concern. Their response comes in the last panel: "Wait?! You did drugs?!!" It's a bittersweet moment.

They aren't hurling invective, which is good, but they can't acknowledge what their child is really sharing, and only react to a side issue. Additionally, Sayers slips in some basic facts about the MTF transition process, which is helpful for any library collection. The final page even includes a small glossary to help readers understand, for example, the difference between transgender and transsexual.

Just So You Know #1 is recommended for public and high school libraries. It's available online through Sayers' website. Payment is through PayPal.

Reviewed by Ruth Ann Jones
Special Collections Cataloger
Michigan State University Libraries

Alan, Kage. Andy Stevenson vs. The Lord of the Loins. Austin, TX: Zumaya Boundless, 2008. $14.99. ISBN 9781934841006.

Andy returns to college in a small town in western Michigan. The first semester goes by without his secret slipping out—not that he doesn't hint to his friends, just that they are oblivious. Then, Andy's first date since Jordan turns out to be less than he's hoped for. Andy wants a soul mate; instead, he ends up in a one-night-stand with Tristan, the "Lord of the Loins" of the book's title. When Tristan determines that the reason Andy wants nothing more to do with him is because Andy is still too closeted, he outs Andy to the whole campus—just as Andy has started getting serious with Alan, a cute, but domineering Asian who insists on a discreet relationship.

Andy Stevenson vs. Lord of the Loins has the same slapstick sensibility as A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Sexual Orientation, but Andy is now more mature. His tongue does get the better of him at times—particularly when dealing with Tristan—but his ease with himself allows him to first escape a trap Tristan set for him, then to exact revenge and end Tristan's manipulations for good.

Unbound Books first published A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Sexual Orientation in 2003, but the press went out of business in 2006. Zumaya Boundless republished it in 2008 when they released Andy Stevenson vs. Lord of the Loins. Kage Alan is working on the third volume, which will also be published by Zumaya, and is expected in 2010.

Both books in this series are strongly recommended for all public and academic libraries. They are acceptable for high school libraries also, but the characters are college age and older.

Reviewed by John Bradford
Head, Automation & Technical Services
Villa Park (IL) Public Library

Alan, Kage. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Sexual Orientation. Austin, TX: Zumaya Boundless, 2008 (2003). $14.99. ISBN 9781934135914.

Home from college for the summer of 1989, but with no car and no girlfriend, 19-year-old Andy Stevenson just hoped for a break from his dull Detroit suburban life when he agreed to accompany his addled, cantankerous grandmother to her brother's 50th anniversary party in California. But a chance meeting with his handsome cousin Jordan leads to his first same-sex kiss and a six-day comedic whirlwind that ends up bringing Andy out of the closet.

Kage Alan takes the familiar theme of the vacationing teen who suddenly sexually blooms, and tells it from the point of a gay teen in denial. Andy narrates his own story with self-deprecating humor, but the slapstick antics of his family, the girls of California, and Andy's own impromptu performance at a gay bar lead to several laugh-out-loud moments.

There is tenderness, too. Jordan sweetly engages Andy and patiently helps him shed his Midwestern reserve. When, towards the end of the book, Andy and Jordan make love, Andy's innocent awe and excitement over what he has been missing leaps out at the reader.

Reviewed by John Bradford
Head, Automation & Technical Services
Villa Park (IL) Public Library

Baumbach, Laura. The Lost Temple of Karttikeya. Albion, NY: MLRPress, 2008. softcover. 194p. $14.99. ISBN: 978-1-934531-93-8.

The Lost Temple of Karttikeya begins as a love triangle: Brandon, a police officer, is dating Phil, his partner, an older man who is bisexual and who is also seeing a lawyer named Susan. Brandon is shocked to hear through office gossip of Phil‘s engagement to Susan and abrupt move to the Homicide Division. Phil has also canceled vacation plans with Brandon in favor of one with Susan, leaving Brandon alone to solve a case of a missing mystical jade object said to help one find his heart's fondest desire. Brandon decides to pursue the object (outside of departmental time) with Christian, an archaeologist and owner of an antiques store.

Traveling with Christian to India in search of his holy grail, Brandon eventually realizes errors in his commitment with Phil, and begins considering a relationship with Christian. The adventure turns deadly, as Brandon encounters a vampire out for his blood. This gives Christian a chance to save Brandon, which leads to a realization of their undying love for each other.

Laura Baumbach has written a tale of romance, self awareness, adventure, vampires, and true love. This story is also suitable for those in abusive or unequal relationships. Moreover, the novel is well-researched, and Baumbach intertwines the Hindu legend of Karttikeya with vivid descriptions of India's Landscape.

The Lost Temple of Karttikeya opens with a lengthy and vivid sex scene, which will captivate readers who enjoy this particular genre. It is recommended for libraries with adult romance collections.

Reviewed by Sara Rofofsky Marcus
Electronic Resources Librarian
Queensborough Community College