The following is a webcomic from the project Queer Book Yearbook.
Queer Book: The Yearbook Class of 2024 is the fifth edition of an ongoing series I, @olivesauceart, created in 2020. At the time, the series acted as a personal attempt at closure for my academic experience as a college graduate of the class of 2020. Queer Book also allowed me access to community and pride while the world felt so loud with hysteria yet disconnected.
Prior to the 2020 shutdown, I was looking forward to completing college as an illustration major at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Within weeks, I found myself laid off from my retail art store job, and completing my courses over Zoom. With this newfound time on my hands, and the need to make meaningful art in such a revolutionary time, Queer Book was born. This series contains 15 profiles of iconic queer folk, each with painted portraits laid into a yearbook-esque format with a multi-page biography. When initially sharing the series, I dedicated it to a “not forgotten class of 2020”, as well as a “not forgotten pride month.” The goal of the series then was to acknowledge, celebrate and educate, which I’m proud to say hasn’t changed. Learning and teaching the stories of revolutionary queer people continues to remind me of the importance of patience and perseverance. History is not made in a day.
Remembering and honoring iconic and revolutionary queer people is so important, especially in a world that undervalues them or sanitizes their contributions and experiences. As I continue doing this series, I hope to make these stories more accessible. History and literature in general seem to be gatekept — having this information readily available is life-altering. I often think of what my life would have been like if I could have seen queer people positively represented in the media and in history as a child. I hope with this series to provide representation for others.
Through the years of “Queer Book: The Yearbook”, I’ve found an importance in sharing the stories of a range of people, some of whom aren’t necessarily taught about in mainstream spaces. I keep my eyes out throughout the year, keeping a spreadsheet of all people who catch my attention.
This years series includes space makers, business owners, founders, creatives, activists, organizers, and people who have held many roles at once! They are all so different, yet all intentionally partake in the same actions of creating a better future for the LGBTQ+ community.
The variety shown in my selection is intentional. Each of these individuals have collaborated in fostering a safer, more accepting world for the next generation of queer people coming after them. Whether that be by creating movies and shows that give needed representation like Emma Seligman, Ella Yurman and River Gallo, or by showing the importance and strength of the queer dollar and market like Travers Johnson and Charlie Sprinkman, or even purely seeing someone fight for their rights and safety like Angela Davis, Qween Jean, Cecilia Gentili, Rand and more. There are so many ways in which queer people can push boundaries, and I do my best to highlight a wide spectrum of queer changemakers in a list of 15 people.
I normally end my biographies with thank you’s to the queer folk highlighted, and would like to take the time now to do the same. I’d like to thank all of the queer people who have come before me and shown me the endless possibilities. I’d like to thank friends such as Kayla Hopkins, who edits all of my biographies and has continuously supported this series, Faythe Stone who helped me with advertising graphics, as well as Kendall Farris and Maria Kofman for critiquing my painting and design. I’d also like to thank my family for being accepting and celebratory of me in my evergoing queer experience. And lastly, I’d like to thank the people featured in this year’s series. I’ve gotten the chance to talk with many of them directly, and their work and stories are truly admirable! I am lucky to be in a space in which I’m capable of sharing them.
Seven of the 15 portraits and bios can be found in the comic below, and the rest can be found on my website, https://www.olivesauceart.com/queerbook
Click images to expand them.
