Neil JohnstonNeil Johnston
Go-GoBoy
"It's a plane, it's a bird...
and it's gay!"
by Tony Esposito
Original French article
published in Homo Sapiens, No. 15, Vol.2, January 1995
A new Vancouver comics company,
Mermaid Publications, just launched its five new regular and monthly titles (winners
of a contest). Among them, Go-GoBoy by Neil Johnston tells the adventures
of an openly gay superhero wearing proudly the rainbow colors. Mermaid Publications
underlines that it is the first regular comics with a gay superhero. Hurried statement
(V For Vendetta and Northstar may contredict this) but problably close to the truth.
The story, without being out of this world, offers interesting situations. Our hero
has a lover, gay and straight friends; same thing for his allies and foes. Go-GoBoy's
life is similar to the one of any Marvel Comics or D.C. superhero, but his gay statut
creates innovating diiferences.
The graphic quality plays against the comic. Stores, with hopes of sales, are betting
more often on high quality comics. And Go-GoBoy and other Mermaid Publications
titles are not the best graphic realizations existing.
The projet is nevertheless worth encouraging, in hope that the graphic quality improves
and that its message reaches larger and larger audience.
