Matt Bors

Humorous, painful, fascinating. This anthology covers a lot of ground, coming around most frequently to gender identity, especially in the autobiographical pieces. But there are histories of the Lavender Scare, Pride flag, and queer uprisings; biographies of Gad Beck, Tove Jansson, and Baron von Steuben; and oodles more about haircuts, birth control, Log Cabin Republicans, and Jussie Smollett.

Stories range from one to ten pages in length, with around 40 writers/artists contributing. Unlike a show more lot of anthologies of this size, the subject matter is consistently interesting and the stories are consistently well done. show less

I love the Nib. I'll get that out of the way right now. So, when I saw there was going to be a collection of Nib comics specifically focusing on LGBT topics, I was over the moon, and this collection didn't disappoint. It has something for everyone, incisive political commentary, interesting queer history, and personal reflections. I especially love the the ones written by nonbinary people about their experiences. As a nonbinary person, it makes me feel seen and less alone. It was also cool show more learning a bit about histories I didn't know beforehand, especially the other protests leading up to the Stonewall Riots.
This book is great and has a really cool variety of art styles and perspectives from different folks. I would definitely recommend this for anyone interested in LGBTQ perspectives with a bit of snark and heart. show less

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss. Content warning for depictions of homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, racism, and more.)

-- 3.5 stars --

This anthology has been on my TBR list for years, so imagine my surprise when I was approved for an e-galley on Edelweiss - four years after originally requesting it! (Not that I'm complaining, lol.)

BE GAY, DO COMICS: QUEER HISTORY, MEMOIR, AND SATIRE FROM THE NIB is a diverse and inclusive anthology of LGBTQIA+ comics show more that deal with a wide variety of issues, from adopting embryos as a queer couple to the history of pride flags and the scramble for long-lasting reproductive care in the wake of the 2016 election. (And I write this on the eve of the 2024 election, omfg my heart.) There's a mix of history, politics, and memoir, some of which has an international perspective.

As with any anthology, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but with at least a little something for everyone. I especially enjoyed "Decolonizing Queerness in the Philippines," by Trinidad Escobar; "A Covert Gaze at Conservative Gays," by Sam Wallman; "The Homophobic Hysteria of the Lavender Scare" by Kazimir Lee and Dorian Alexander; and "How Do You Adopt an Embryo?" by Robyn Jordan.

I mostly appreciated the artwork, though the text was kind of small and difficult to read on some strips. I'm really glad I didn't buy a physical copy since there's no easy way to enlarge the text there. Even kindle is a bit of a pita. show less

We Should Improve Society Somewhat: A collection of Comics by Matt Bors is a collection of his comics that stretch from the latter part of Obama's term through Trump's debacle of a term.

First, good political satire isn't supposed to be generating belly laughs. The only kind that can do so is usually the weakest form, namely the insult. The ones currently just making fun of Trump without making any reference to anything elicits laughs from some of those who are smart enough to despise Trump, show more but it makes no actual statement about what is wrong beyond having an imbecile in the White House. Bors points out hypocrisy and/or contradictions within stances within a group. He also is coming from a particular position, not from a particular party. He criticized Obama for his mistakes and miscues just as he does for Trump. It isn't Bors' fault Trump has as many moronic moments in a normal week as Obama (and his entire administration) had in 8 years. So a critique because the book isn't funny enough means that the person either supports Trump's cruel regime or they like a very base level of political satire, or both.

To say it is dated is a way of saying I am a privileged little twit and I don't want to keep rehashing that a moron in office expands my already too large sense of entitlement. This stuff is still going on in mid-2020, so this isn't dated, it is pointing out from comics just a couple years old that Trump is still fooling the people and destroying the country. Oh, but it is too dated or doesn't make you laugh enough. I see. Take your hood off.

For those who appreciate political satire that makes a statement beyond simply choosing a side, you may enjoy this collection. This is not meant to be a collection of new material that speaks to today specifically, but that goes without saying, especially in these times of new unethical and illegal actions daily from the White House. This is a collection that highlights some of Bors' recent comics. He contextualizes many of them by mentioning what event he is responding to or what right wing hypocrisy he is emphasizing.

I highly recommend this collection unless you prefer more base humor or you are anti-democracy (as in, you support Trumpenfuehrer).

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less