Drawn to Comics: Gifts to Impress Your Queer Comics Crush
by rory midhani
I’m a cool chick. I’m fashionable, I’m a trend setter, I’m confident. But for some freaking reason I keep on getting crushes on nerds. Why does this keep happening to me??? I don’t know, friends, but what I do know is that it does keep happening and that I’m finally starting to accept it. In light of this acceptance that I’m attracted to nerds, and in the understanding that there are probably lots of you who are attracted to nerds too, I decided that I’d finally try to do something about it and put together some suggestions for gifts you can get for that special nerdy crush in your life. These gifts also work well for the nerdy partner you’ve already got! One final note: don’t use this guide as, like, a creepy way to trick someone into liking you. This is supposed to be used to find gifts that the person you like will like.
Comics That’ll Impress Her
I mean, obviously, the first step is to show her that you understand what kind of comics she’s into. Here are some comics that I think will get that job done. If she’s into superhero comics, I’d go with volume one or volume two of Patsy Walker, AKA, Hellcat. It’s a comic by a queer writer (Kate Leth) and a queer woman of color artist (Brittney Williams) and not only is is one of the best written, funniest comics with the biggest heart, and not only does it have spectacularly fun and bright art (with great colors by Megan Wilson), but it’s also the most queernormative Marvel comic ever. Most of the supporting characters are queer, they make a lot of queer references, basically if you’re a queer person, you’ll feel right at home in this comic. If you want something a lot more intense, but also very feminist and pretty queer, I’d suggest Bitch Planet, which also has two volumes out and is basically a comic all about misandry and strong women.
Maybe though, your crush isn’t into monthlies. In that case, a couple all-time greats are Skim by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki and the Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel. Another, more off-the-beaten-path choice would be Syllabus, a non-comic book by comic legend Lynda Barry.
Comic Book Underwear
If you want something more forward than a comic book, you could go with some of these cute clothes that are a perfect way to charm a nerdy girl or non-binary person. There are these super adorable tank top and underwear sets that are perfect for a night in bed cuddling and watching Supergirl or Steven Universe. You can go with Batgirl, Wonder Woman or Marceline from Adventure Time. If you’re the type who prefers sports bras, there’s this nice Marvel Comics one that will look great on you. These also make cute gifts for yourself that will help endear you to your crush.
A Sketchpad and Pens
A lot of comic book nerds also love to do art themselves! I have it on good authority that these Micron pens are the best out there for inking and this seems like a good sketchbook, so I feel like they’ll go good together.
Random Gifts
For the gal you’re already sleeping with or the gal you want to, you could send a hint with these Batwoman pillowcases, or this cute Hambo stuffed animal, the stuffed animal Marceline has that Princess Bubblegum gets back for her in a pretty gay episode of Adventure Time. If you want a big gift, this America Chavez cosplay outfit is like, super freaking amazing and will totally win any queer comic fan’s heart. Also, you can’t go wrong with some DC Comics Bombshells merch, like this Batwoman statuette or queer character mug.
Sexy Catwoman Costume
Speaking of Catwoman, she’s pretty much the most iconic sexy superhero, plus she’s bisexual. Like, right on, right? If you want to dip your toes into the Catwoman cosplay pool, you could get this mask and go all Michelle Pfeiffer on your crush, or for the full thing, there’s this entire Catwoman catsuit that just needs some stitches painted on to make it complete.
New Releases (Dec 7)
Welcome to Drawn to Comics! From diary comics to superheroes, from webcomics to graphic novels – this is where we’ll be taking a look at comics by, featuring and for queer ladies. So whether you love to look at detailed personal accounts of other people’s lives, explore new and creative worlds, or you just love to see hot ladies in spandex, we’ve got something for you.
If you have a comic that you’d like to see me review, you can email me at mey [at] autostraddle [dot] com.