Terfluffle at the Supermarket

Cartoon by Barry

Help me make more of these cartoons at my Patreon! A $1 or $2 pledge really matters.

This cartoon was written by me and drawn by my most frequent collaborator, Becky Hawkins. Becky also came up with the title. Thanks Becky!

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

This cartoon has four panels.

PANEL 1

Two women are talking in a supermarket. The first, a woman with stylish glasses and her blonde hair pulled into a low bun, and wearing a reddish orange dress with matching shoes, is grinning with a smug expression and holding up her phone to show the other woman.

The second woman has short brown hair, worn in a style called a “quiff”:  “short hair that’s left longer on top and dramatically swept to the side.” She’s wearing jeans, brown boots, an open red button-up shirt over a white tee, and four piercings in her ear.

The two are waiting on line by a counter at a supermarket; we can see a glassed-in counter (like a Supermarket deli) behind them, with ad pictures on the wall showing a sub sandwich, a big joint of meat with slices carved off, and a salad.

GLASSES: As a feminist, I look for small ways to fight misogyny every day!

BOOTS: What a great idea!

PANEL 2

A close up of Glasses, holding up her phone in one hand, and raising her other hand’s forefinger to make a point, still smiling widely.

GLASSES: Like, here on FaceBook I told a trans “woman” that he‘s just a man in a dress!

GLASSES: And on Twitter I said that all transgenders rape women by appropriating women’s bodies!

PANEL 3

Another close up of Glasses, reading her own screen and laughing big, but with a rather mean expression.

GLASSES: And here, I said transgender “women” are to women what Twinkies are to food!

GLASSES (very large): HA!

PANEL 4

In a shot similar to panel 1’s shot, we see Glasses continuing to smile and talk to Boots. Boots, with a horrified expression, has turned away from Glasses and is now holding her own smartphone, which she’s frenetically typing on with a forefinger.

GLASSES: So what’s a small way you’re fighting misogyny?

BOOTS: Telling everyone I’ve ever met to block you.

Posted in Becky Hawkins collaborations, LGBT cartoons |

Which Kids Matter

Cartoon by Barry

Help me keep making cartoons by supporting my Patreon! I make most of my living from people pledging small amounts, like $1 or $2, and I think that’s awesome.

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

This cartoon has four panels. Each panel shows the same thing: Two women walking through a hilly park as they argue. The two are staying at least six feet apart from each other as they talk.

The woman in front is wearing a jacket with rolled-up sleeves, black tights with holes in them, and a striped shirt. She has a pink streak in her black hair. The woman behind is wearing a skirt with a pattern of exclamation marks, a white collared shirt, and has wavy hair falling to a little below shoulder level. She’s wearing glasses.

PANEL 1

PINK is talking calmly while, behind her, GLASSES waves her arms and talks in an argumentative fashion.

PINK: So when an eleven year old trans kid is prescribed puberty delaying drugs, that could spare them decades of suffering!

GLASSES: But what if a boy likes dolls, so his parents decide he’s a girl and force him to change sex? That’s why we must outlaw puberty delaying drugs!

PANEL 2

Pink isn’t yelling but she’s speaking passionately, waving her hands as she talks. Behind her, Glasses has her hands in her pockets and is listening without much expression.

PINK: I’ve never seen a real case like that. That would be awful. But if a case like that happened, it’d be one in a million. On the other hand, there are definitely trans kids who need this treatment.

PANEL 3

Pink turns back a bit to talk directly at Glasses as she asks Glasses a question. Glasses, hands still in pocket, replies calmly.

PINK: So how many trans kids would you sacrifice to prevent one hypothetical non-trans kid being forced into delayed puberty?

GLASSES: All of them.

PANEL 4

Pink has now turned all the way around, looking a bit horrified, and holding her palms up in a “let me just explain this” gesture. Glasses has stopped walking, has folded her arms, and has raised her voice, with an angry expression.

PINK: I don’t think you understand – we could be talking about a hundred thousand-

GLASSES: I said all of them!

Posted in Barry's favorites, LGBT cartoons |

Intellectual Excuses for Misgendering

Cartoon by Barry

Help me make more cartoons like this one by supporting my Patreon! A $1 or $2 pledge really helps.

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

This cartoon has four panels, plus a tiny “kicker” panel below the bottom of the strip. Each of the four panels shows a man and a woman walking through a hilly park; she is walking away from him, looking annoyed, and he’s following, lecturing pretentiously.

He is wearing a yellow dress shirt, collar open, and has a beard and rectangular glasses. She is wearing a dim orange dress, with a thick belt and a headband.

PANEL 1

He’s talking and holding up one forefinger in a “I’m making an important point” way.

MAN: I will NOT use your “preferred pronouns.” The reality is, you’re a man. That means “he” and “him.”

PANEL 2

The “camera” has zoomed in to a closer shot of the man (we really only see the back of the woman’s head in this panel). The man is now speechifying, one palm on his chest and the other hand raised a bit, and looking solemn and pretentious.

MAN: Anything else is a LIE. And you can lie to yourself all you want, but you cannot force ME to lie on your behalf. I’m morally and ethically obligated to tell the truth, regardless of how that makes you feel.

PANEL 3

The “camera” has zoomed out to a more distant shot of them walking through the park. She’s still in front, not turning back to look at the man. There are a few trees in the background, and a wooden picnic table in the foreground.

MAN: It’s not my goal to hurt you. But I have principles. I value truth. You understand what I’m saying?

WOMAN: I do.

PANEL 4

She walks forward, still not turning; behind her, the man has stopped walking, and looks a bit startled.

WOMAN: You’re saying you’re a gigantic asshole.

KICKER PANEL

The bearded man from the first four panels is talking cheerfully to Barry (the cartoonist); Barry is facepalming.

MAN: What impresses me most about myself is how SUPER rational I am!

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

Debate Us You Cowards!

Cartoon by Barry

Help me make more cartoons by supporting my Patreon! A $1 pledge really matters to me.

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

This cartoon has four panels, each of which takes place in a different setting, and with a different set of characters.

PANEL 1

A man wearing a polo shirt and jeans follows a woman down the street. The woman is wearing a hoodie and is walking a small dog. The man is talking cheerfully, doing the “explaining with my hands” palms up gesture; the woman is looking back at him out of the corner of her eye and has raised her voice testily.

POLO SHIRT: So you see, when you “transgenders” insist you’re women, that’s you forcing society to along with your delusions. Let’s discuss this.

DOG WALKER: LEAVE ME ALONE!

DOG (in thought balloon): Jerk!

PANEL 2

A woman and man are walking on a path in a park, the woman walking away from the man. The man is bald-headed with a van dyke beard, and is wearing a t-shirt with a big exclamation point on it, and an open black vest over the shirt. The woman has tattoos and blue hair.

The man has a friendly smile and has raised one forefinger in a “professor explaining a point” style; the woman is holding up a smartphone and speaking angrily.

VEST DUDE: When men aren’t allowed to hit women, men have no means of controlling crazy women. If I may quote Professor Jordan Peterson-

BLUE HAIR: DUDE! GO AWAY!

PANEL 3

A customer at a coffee shop, a blonde woman with curly blonde hair, is chatting with a friendly expression with the barista. The barista, who is Black and wearing cat’s eye glasses, is waving their hands and yelling. The customer has a “Q,” in the same font as the “Quilette” logo, on the back of her shirt.

CUSTOMER: There’s no need to get mad. I just want to politely debate whether or not Black people have genes that make them stupid.

BARISTA: i’M NOT GOING TO “DEBATE” THAT!

PANEL 4

Three characters from the previous three panels – Polo Shirt, Vest Dude, and Customer – are sitting around a round table with coffee cups on it. They are all looking annoyed and unhappy.

POLO SHIRT: These “identitarians” are so rude!

CUSTOMER: Why won’t they debate us?

VEST DUDE: They’re cowards!

Posted in LGBT cartoons, Racism & Racists, Sexism & Misogyny |

Dear (Some Of) My Fellow Lefties

Cartoon by Barry

Support my Patreon and help me make more cartoons! A $1 pledge matters a lot to me.

TRANSCRIPT OF COMIC

This comic strip has nine panels. The first eight panels each show a single character (a different character in each panel), speaking to the viewer.

PANEL 1

There is a caption at the top of panel 1.

CAPTION: Dear (some of) my fellow lefties:

The art shows a man sitting at a desk, laughing. He’s wearing a white collared shirt and a necktie.

MAN: Ann Coulter is a man! Haw haw!

PANEL 2

An older woman, with white hair and a floral-print blouse, is holding up her hands and laughing, as if she’s telling a joke.

WOMAN: Clarence Thomas’ parents should have named him “Tom.” Get it? Like Uncle Tom?\

WOMAN: As a white liberal, it’s totally my place to say that!

PANEL 3

A man with an enormous beard, wearing sunglasses, a bowler hat, and a coat with big puffs around the collar and wrists, speaks to the viewer, smiling. There’s a bike parked next to him.

MAN: I bet all these anti-gay conservatives are secretly gay!

MAN: Let’s laugh at them for being gay!

MAN: (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

PANEL 4

A thin woman, wearing a red knit cap, a hoodie, and hoop earrings, is speaking angrily.

WOMAN: Trump just keeps pulling lies out of his big fat ass!

WOMAN: God fat people disgust me!

WOMAN: Er… I meant, Trump disgusts me!

WOMAN: Whichever!

PANEL 5

A man, wearing glasses and a “this is what a feminist looks like” tee shirt, stands pointing to something on the screen of his tablet. There’s a hillside with paths and a couple of trees behind him.

MAN: When I see pro-life women, I think, who’d even want to get them pregnant?

PANEL 6

A person sits at a small round table, a coffee mug in front of them. They have heavily tattooed arms, the side of their head is shaved, and they’re wearing a small ring on their nose and several more in their ear. They’re smiling and holding one hand up to their mouth as if telling a dirty joke.

PERSON: Guys obsessed with protecting big guns are just making up for they lack downstairs, ifyaknowwhatImean.

PERSON: You do know what I mean, right?

PERSON: I mean penises!

PANEL 7

A woman stands outdoors, dressed for a cool day. She’s got a jacket, a scarf, and a big knit hat. She’s looking a bit aggravated as she speaks.

WOMAN: You know who votes Republican? Inbred, flyover state hillbilly retards!

PANEL 8

A redheaded man sits on a curb, leaning on one hand. He’s wearing a button-up collared shirt, open, over a striped long-sleeved tee. He’s grinning.

MAN: I love it when right-wingers get sent to prison. “Don’t drop the soap!” Ha!

PANEL 9

There is no art in this panel. Instead, the entire panel is black, except for a caption in big white letters.

CAPTION: Shut up and get the hell off my side.

Posted in Ableism, Barry's favorites, Fat Acceptance, LGBT cartoons, Racism & Racists, Sexism & Misogyny, Social Justice |

The Trans Story Journalists Love To Tell

Cartoon by Barry

If you like these cartoons, please help me make more by supporting my Patreon! A $1 pledge really matters to me.

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

This cartoon has four panels. The first two panels are more or less square shaped; the third and fourth panels are wider than they are tall.

PANEL 1
Three people – A dapper man wearing a bow tie and suspenders, a woman with a bob haircut and a hoodie, and a woman with tattoos and a skirt with a donut pattern – are walking along a path on a grassy hill. Behind them we can see clouds, a tree, a house. The guy with the bow tie is cheerfully reading something aloud from his cell phone. The woman with the donut skirt, also smiling, is hitting her forehead with her palm in a “duh!” gesture. The woman with the hoodie isn’t smiling.

BOW TIE: Another study ahs found that transitioning improves life for nearly all trans people.
DONUTS: Well, duh. Transitioning turned my life around.

PANEL 2
The three have come to a stop, as Hoodie speaks, looking a bit nervous, shrugging and scuffing the toe of one sneaker into the side of another. The other two are a bit surprised by what she’s saying.
HOODIE: Not me. Honestly, I’ve found the whole experience miserable.

PANEL 3
A long horizontal shot of a crowd of legs, in various types of clothing and shoes, all running fast in the same direction. There is a very large sound effect.
SFX: RRRRUMBLE!

PANEL 4
The largest panel in the cartoon shows Bow Tie and Donuts looking very surprised as Hoodie is suddenly surrounded by a crowd of at least 16 reporters, all holding out their cell phones towards her to record what she says. Hoodie, looking left and right, is shocked and panicked. The reporters are yelling out questions and offers.
REPORTER 1: I’m a reporter – can I interview you?
REPORTER 2: Me first!
REPORTER 3: …write a profile of you?
REPORTER 4: …write a column for the Times?
REPORTER 5: …TV segment?
REPORTER 6: …appear on our podcast?

Posted in LGBT cartoons, Media criticism |

The Boy Who Cried Collapse!

Cartoon by Barry

If you enjoy these cartoons, and can spare it, please help me make more! I couldn’t do these cartoons without the support I get from my patreon. A $1 pledge means a lot to me.

Transcript of Cartoon

This comic has four panels.

Panel 1

CAPTION: 1965

The panel shows an academic dude, who looks very well put together, standing on a college campus. He’s smoking a pipe and wearing a snazzy suit with a bow tie. He looks very confident.

DUDE: If government doesn’t outlaw birth control, society will collapse.

Panel 2

CAPTION: 2000

The same dude, but 35 years older; his hair is no longer fully black. He’s wearing a jacket and tie, and looks very stern, holding up a finger to make his point. The camera is a little tighter on him now, but it’s not a tight shot.

DUDE: If we can’t throw people in prison for gay sex… Society will DEFINITELY collapse!

Panel 3

CAPTION: 2008

The panel shows the same man, in a tighter shot. He looks older now, and his hair, while thick, has no black left in it. He looks a little wide-eyed and panicked, and his body language looks more desperate. His word balloon is a little shaky.

DUDE: If gays can marry… SOCIETY WILL COLLAPSE!

Panel 4

CAPTION: TODAY

The same dude, now in a close-up. He looks older; his hair is white and thinned, and he has visible wrinkles. He is leaning on a cane with one hand, and the other hand is in a fist shaking impotently up and down. He is sweating and wide-eyed and fully panicked.

DUDE: If trans people get equal rights… SOCIETY WILL COLLAPSE FOR REALSIES! Any day now! This time for SURE!

Tiny “kicker” panel below the bottom of the strip

The cartoonist, Barry, is talking to the academic dude.

BARRY: Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?
DUDE: No, but I hope he’s not gay.

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

Witch Hunt

Cartoon by Barry

If you enjoy these cartoons, and can spare it, please help me make more by supporting my Patreon! A $1 pledge really matters.

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON
This cartoon has four panels.

Panel 1
This panel shows two women hanging from chains on a dungeon wall. Both women look dirty and are wearing ragged clothes. One is blonde, one brunette. They are looking at each other and chatting.

BLONDE: So, Merga… How have you been?
MERGA: Oh, you know…

Panel 2
A close-up of Merga. She looks like she may be in shock.

MERGA: Yesterday my neighbor said he dreamed that I danced with the devil. Today, they tortured me for hours until I “confessed” just to make it stop.

Panel 3
A shot of the two of them, looking very downcast.
MERGA: And tomorrow, they’ll burn me to death at the stake. How have you been?
BLONDE: Same.

Panel 4
This panel shows a smartphone, being held in someone’s hand. On the smartphone screen, an angry middle-aged man wearing a suit and necktie is speaking.

CAPTION: 400 years later.

NECKTIE: Someone on the internet criticized J.K. Rowling using hyperbolic language. It’s a WITCH HUNT!

Tiny kicker panel below bottom of strip.
The necktie dude from the fourth panel is talking to Barry (the cartoonist).
NECKTIE: You’re right, it’s not a witch hunt. It’s a lynch mob!

Posted in Conservatives, LGBT cartoons, Sexism & Misogyny |

Farrakhan in the Nest

Cartoon by Barry

If you enjoy these cartoons, and can spare it, please support my patreon. A $1 pledge really matters.

For those of you unfamiliar with this story, this Atlantic article offers a recap. It’s a story that I felt I HAD to comment on. I expect this kind of behavior from the right, but not from allies.

Transcript of Cartoon

Panel 1
Two anthropomorphic birds are standing and chatting in a nest. They have human bodies (and clothes) but bird heads. A third bird, wearing a suit with a bow tie and rectangular glasses, flies in from the right side; this bird, we will find out, is named Louis.
BIRD 1: This is our nest! I hope you find it welcoming.
BIRD 2: It looks great! I’m really–
LOUIS: JEWS!

Panel 2
BIRD 1: Have you met my pal Louis? He’s such a great bird.
BIRD 2: Uh…
LOUIS: Jews are the mother and father of apartheid!

Panel 3
BIRD 1: I don’t agree with everything Louis says, but…
BIRD 2: I’m Jewish and queer. I’m really not comfortable in this nest.
LOUIS: The wicked Jews promote filth lebsianism and homosexuality!

Panel 4
Bird 2 is flying away from the nest as she speaks.
BIRD 1: But you’re safe and welcome in this nest. We oppose ALL bigotry.
LOUIS: Degenerate Hollywood Jews are turning men into women and women into men!
BIRD 2: Jewbird OUT! Bye!

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

Radfem Clubhouse

Cartoon by Barry

You can read lots more cartoons, for free, here. Or click here to see a bunch of lgbt themed cartoons.

PANEL 1
This cartoon is colored mostly in a desaturated orange, except for dark orange shading and white highlights.
On a woody hillside, a light-haired woman in a black tank top and a skirt stands in a crude treehouse, which is nestled in the crook of a tree, ten feet or so above the ground. Slats are nailed to the tree trunk to form a crude ladder up to the treehouse. The light-haired woman is talking to a black-haired woman wearing glasses, who is standing on the ground looking up at the treehouse.

GLASSES WOMAN: I want to join your radical feminist club! But only if it has no Jews.
TREEHOUSE WOMAN: What? NO! That’s NOT what our radfem club is about.

PANEL 2
GLASSES WOMAN: To be radical feminists, we must put WHITE feminists first and sideline feminists of color.
TREEHOUSE WOMAN: No, NO! WE might DO that, but never EVER say so aloud!

Panel 3
GLASSES WOMAN: As radical feminists, it’s our duty to align with the Christian right to oppose lesbian and gay rights!
TREEHOUSE WOMAN: STOP this! Our radical feminist club does NOT stand for bigotry!

Panel 4
In contrast to her stern, angry expressions in the first three panels, the treehouse woman is now smiling broadly, opening her arms in welcome.

GLASSES WOMAN: TRANS WOMEN ARE MEN!
TREEHOUSE WOMAN: Except for that bigotry. Welcome to our club!

Small kicker panel at the bottom of the strip:
A new character, a woman with short hair, talks to the treehouse woman. The treehouse woman yells back at her.
SHORT HAIRED WOMAN: Lots of key radical feminists are pro-trans! Look at Andrea Dworkin.
TREEHOUSE WOMAN: Dworkin was a FAKE feminist!

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

Dear People Who Are Neither My Doctor Nor My Lover….

Cartoon by Barry

This cartoon is a collaboration with Grace Allum. Thanks, Grace!

If you enjoy these cartoons, please support them at Patreon! A pledge of a dollar or two means a lot to me.

Panel 1
(This panel is mostly a caption, in large white lettering on a dark blue background. There is a woman at the bottom of the panel, speaking directly to the reader, apparently speaking the words of the caption.)

Caption: Dear people who are neither my doctor or my lover:

Panel 2
(This panel is divided into two subpanels. In one subpanel, a woman with short hair and glasses asks a question with a cheerful attitude. In the other subpanel, a woman in a jacket and collared shirt is speaking with a concerned expression.)

Glasses: Have you had “the surgery” yet?

Jacket: When you guys went to Europe, we all figured it was for “the whole package?”

Panel 3
(There is nothing in this panel but large white letters on a dark blue background.)

Caption: I am never going…

Panel 4
(This panel is divided into two subpanels. In one subpanel, a man wearing a sweater-vest asks a question. In the other subpanel, a balding man who looks like a businessman cheerfully asks a question.)

Sweater-Vest: So did insurance cover the surgery?

Businessman: Well, your wife is postmenopausal, so she doesn’t really miss anything, right?

Panel 5
(There is nothing in this panel but large white letters on a dark blue background.)

Caption: …to tell you…

Panel 6
(This panel is divided into two subpanels. In one subpanel, a woman with tattoos gestures with her hand while asking a question. In the other subpanel, a woman in a striped shirt intertwines her fingers and cheerily asks a question.)

Tattoos: Are the nerves all right? Is everything “functioning?”

Striped Shirt: So I assume you’ve had both surgeries?

Panel 7
(There is nothing in this panel but large white letters on a dark blue background.)

Caption: …what my junk looks like.

Panel 8
(This panel is divided into two subpanels. In one subpanel, a bearded man wearing a tank top asks a question. In the other subpanel, a woman wearing a polka-dot sweater asks a question.)

Beard: Did your wife have to give permission for…you know?

Polka Dot: You’ve had the surgery, right?

Panel 9
(Final panel. The top half of this panel contains only large white letters on a dark blue background. In the bottom half of the panel, we see Sweater-Vest from Panel 4 and the woman from Panel 1 talking.)

Sweater-Vest: Then how can I know you’re really a woman?

Woman: Because I told you.

Footnote at bottom of strip: All dialog based on questions people have actually asked!

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

Trump’s Transgender Ban

Cartoon by Barry

Transcript

Panel 1
Shows Donald Trump standing on stage, at a podium.
CAPTION: Trump to Soldiers, January 20, 2017
TRUMP: “I have your back!”

Panel 2
The image shows a soldier, in US army fatigues, looking down in surprise at a knife emerging from her chest. We can see a hand with a suit sleeve the exact same color as Trump’s from panel one, coming in from the side of the panel to stab her in the back.
CAPTION: Trump to Trans Soldiers, Today

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

Questions You Probably Shouldn’t Ask A Stranger (collaboration with Rachel Swirsky)

Cartoon by Barry

If you enjoy these cartoons, please support them on Patreon. Even a $1 pledge makes a big difference to me.

Rachel Swirsky also has a Patreon! Check it out here.

Transcript of cartoon.

A BIG CAPTION AT TOP OF CARTOON says “Questions You Probably Shouldn’t Ask a Stranger.”

Panel 1
A man turns back from an ATM machine, surprised at a woman putting her hand on his shoulder.
WOMAN: How much money do you make?

Panel 2
A grocery store. A woman in the foreground examines a can of food, her back to her little son in the cart. Another woman, dressed like a movie spy (trenchcoat, dark glasses, cig dangling from lips) leans towards the toddler and whispers to him.
WOMAN: How can you know for sure your mommy loves you?

Panel 3
A public bathroom with several stalls. A woman is just emerging from a stall, and stumbles back in surprise as another woman, who bears a camera and has extremely energetic body language, approaches her, talking very cheerfully.
WOMAN: Can I take a picture of your poop?

Panel 4
A woman sits behind a table. The table has a big sign that says “Trans Student Union.” Another woman cheerfully asks her a question.
WOMAN: So, do you have a penis?

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

New Comic at The Nib – “If It Looks Like a Duck”

Cartoon by Barry

I have a new comic up at The Nib today! This is a very unusual comic strip for me – it’s autobio, a genre I almost never do. It’s about what happened to me when I took a job playing a female duck.

Posted in LGBT cartoons, Sexism & Misogyny |

What Bathroom Bills Do

Cartoon by Barry

If you enjoy these cartoons, please support them on Patreon.

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON
Panel 1
Three people stand talking. They’re on a sidewalk with a field behind them. A man with black hair and a mustache is speaking cheerfully; the other two, a man with a beard and a woman with glasses, look skeptical.
MUSTACHE MAN: Stop acting like “bathroom bills” are a big deal! It’s only the public restrooms! When do you need to use those?

Panel 2
A closer shot of beard boy and glasses girl, as they explain. They’re not yelling, but they are intent.
BEARD BOY: You mean, apart from work, school, college, airports, train stations, bus stations, rest stops….
GLASSES GIRL: Movies, plays, concerts, museums, ball games, public meetings, courtrooms, stores, malls, the DMV, Congress, jury duty… And a million other things! You mean apart from all THAT?

Panel 3
Mustache man confidently blathers on; glasses girl and beard boy yell back in unison.
MUSTACHE MAN: Right! So it’s not like we’re trying to completely ostracize you from society.
GLASSES GIRL AND BEARD BOY IN UNISON: IT’S EXACTLY LIKE THAT!

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

Think of the Children!

Cartoon by Barry

This cartoon was written and colored by Barry Deutsch, and drawn by Becky Hawkins.

Transcript

Panel 1
CAPTION: 1940
A man in a suit and hat is speaking loudly to a crowd of people watching him. He is holding out a book called “The Talmud Unmasked.”
MAN: We can’t allow Jews in our club! They’re perverts and deviants! Think of the children!

Panel 2
CAPTION: 1960
A woman and man stand in front of a suburban home. Behind them, on the lawn, two adorable children are playing catch. The man has his arm around the woman’s shoulder, and the woman is holding a baby in her arms.
WOMAN: Blacks integrating into our neighborhood? No! Think of the children!

Panel 3
CAPTION: 1980
Several protesters are marching in front of a school building. One protester, a woman holding a child (who is struggling to get away) with one arm and a sign saying “FIRE HER!” with the other hand, is speaking.
WOMAN: A lesbian can’t be a teacher! Think of the children!

Panel 4
A man in a suit stands on the steps of what looks like a government building. Many reporters are holding out microphones to record what he’s saying. He has a small girl with him, patting her on the head with one hand while pointing at her with the other.
MAN: We need to keep transsexuals out of public bathrooms! Think of the children!

Kicker panel.
The small girl has turned to face the man with the suit. He speaks to her sternly, holding up an admonishing finger.
GIRL: But I’m trans.
MAN: Don’t confuse me!

Posted in Becky Hawkins collaborations, LGBT cartoons |

Special Treatment

Cartoon by Barry

TRANSCRIPT

Panel one shows a man wearing a suit and sitting behind a desk, talking to a woman who looks unhappy about what he’s saying. The man is a banker.

BANKER: I’m sorry, sir… er, ma’am… but our bank’s name change policy doesn’t recognize court orders.
WOMAN: But…

Panel two.
The same woman is talking on a cell phone, looking annoyed. We can hear a voice coming from the cell phone.

VOICE: We can’t cover your gall bladder surgery because your insurance excludes transgender healthcare.
WOMAN: Seriously?

Panel three.
The same woman is at an open door with a sign that says “building manager,” holding a sheet that says “rentals” in her hand. A man with a beard, presumably the building manager, stands inside the doorway talking to her.

MANAGER: I don’t think you’d be a good fit for our building…

Panel four
A woman in businesswear stands behind the woman, who we now learn is named “Brenda.” Brenda is walking out, angry, carrying a cardboard box of in the classic style of someone who’s just been fired.

BUSINESSWOMAN: I’m sorry, Bob – I mean, “Brenda” – but the other workers just aren’t comfortable working with you.

Panel 5
Brenda stands at a counter, talking to a man behind the counter. There’s a “help wanted” sign visible taped to the counter. The man looks like he’s raised his voice angrily.

BRENDA: But the sign in the window says…
MAN: There’s no job opening here!

Panel 6, the final panel.

A man with curly hair raises his hand in the air, grinning, while Brenda glowers.

MAN: Oooh, “pronoun preferences.” Trans people always want special treatment!

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

Where Am I Supposed To Pee?

Cartoon by Barry

This comic was co-written by Barry Deutsch and Grace Annam, and drawn by Barry.

Transcript of comic:

Panel 1

(A white woman in jeans and a t-shirt, with a big mop of curly hair and glasses, is holding out a clipboard and a pen towards a Black woman with a polka-dot skirt, sleeveless blouse, carrying a purse. The polka-dot skirt woman has stopped to listen to what clipboard woman is saying. They are on a sidewalk; we can see a tree, a fire hydrant, and a parked car in the background. A dog sniffs the hydrant.)

Clipboard: Sign the petition for the “Bathroom Bill!” It makes it illegal for people to use public bathrooms that don’t match the sex on their birth certificate!

Panel 2

(Polka-Dot has turned towards Clipboard and gestures towards herself by placing her hand on her upper chest.)

Polka-Dot: Actually, I’m trans, and there’s something I really want to ask you.

Panel 3

(A large panel, showing Polka Dot shrugging while looking a bit angry. Behind her we can see a street full of buildings drawn in a cartoony style. Her dialog is written in large bubble letters, forming the title for this comic strip.)

Polka-Dot: Where am I supposed to pee?

Panel 4

(Clipboard, looking irritated, holds her hands out in a “it’s so easy!” gesture, while Polka-Dot clasps her hands together and looks a bit horrified at what Clipboard is suggesting.)

Clipboard: Does it say “male” on your birth certificate? Then use the men’s room.

Polka-Dot: But I’m no safer in a men’s room than any other woman!

Panel 5

(This entire panel is a thought balloon extending from the previous panel, showing what Polka-Dot is visualizing as she speaks. The image shows Polka-Dot, having just walked into a men’s room, looking frightened as three hulking male figures approach her. Polka-Dot is holding up a sign that says “I’m Trans.”

Polka-Dot’s dialog in this panel isn’t spoken by the Polka-Dot in Polka-Dot’s visualization; rather, it’s an extension of the dialog from the previous panel.)

Polka-Dot: And I’d out myself every time I use a bathroom! That’s really dangerous! Lots of trans people have been assaulted!

Panel 6

(Polka-Dot is attempting to explain further, but Clipboard holds out her hands in a “stop talking” gesture.)

Polka-Dot: I’m just asking that you think about how trans folks are supposed to–

Clipboard: That’s not gonna happen.

Polka-Dot: But–

Panel 7

(Much to Polka-Dot’s surprise, Clipboard reaches up with both hands and lifts the entire top of her head neatly off, as if it were a hat. We can see the top of Clipboard’s brain, and that her brain is bound with many tight black cords.)

Clipboard: Here, look at my brain.

Polka-Dot: Whoa!

Panel 8

(A close-up on Clipboard’s exposed brain, and the thick black cords binding it; Clipboard points at the brain with her left hand.)

Clipboard: See that stuff strangling my brain? That’s fear. Fear of things I don’t understand. Fear of you.

Panel 9

(Polka-Dot looks concerned, while Clipboard yells angrily.)

Polka-Dot: All that fear strangling your brain looks really painful. Why not take it off?

Clipboard: Never!

Panel 10

(Still looking irritated, Clipboard explains. Behind her we can see the city as a dark silhouette.)

Clipboard: Uprooting my fear would require lots of work. I’d rather direct my fear at you. That way I don’t have to confront it.

Panel 11

(A closeup on Clipboard, laughing like a B-Movie villain. We can still see her bound brain.)

Clipboard: That’s how fear always wins! Until everyone stops seeing trans people as freaks to be feared, I can’t lose! Ha ha ha!

Panel 12

(Final panel. We are in a park, but there are science fiction elements; there’s a spaceship floating in the background. Two children, one on a hoverboard, and one with pointy ears and with a robot dog on a leash, are talking. In the foreground, Clipboard – brain still strangled – reacts with frustration to what the kids are saying.)

Hoverboard Child: My teacher says people used to try to stop trans people from going to the bathroom!

Robot Dog Child: Weird! Where would President Hernandez pee?

Clipboard: Dammit!

This cartoon on Patreon

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

What If All The Defaults Were Reset?

Cartoon by Barry

Transcript of cartoon:

What If All The Defaults Were Reset?

Panel 1

(A suspicious-looking young white man in a sweater, arms crossed, is listening to a magical fairy, who is speaking earnestly to him while hovering in the air on her two small wings. The Fairy is dark-skinned, has her head shaved except for a little poof of hair on top, has no arms below the elbows, and has two little feathered wings.)

FAIRY: When you’re not the “societal default” – white, straight, male, cis, etc – it’s like a thousand little weights!

Panel 2

(Sweater-dude looks angry, and has lifted his arms in the air to make a point.)

SWEATER-DUDE: You minorities always make a big deal out of nothing… I’m sure it’s not hard to handle!

Panel 3

(The Fairy, a wild grin on her face, casts a spell – we know because a caption says “casting cool magic spell” – and a big cloud of magic smoke appears where Sweater-Dude was.)

FAIRY: Okay, let’s see!

Panels 4-13
(These panels form a giant circle. They can be read starting with any panel.)

Panel 4

(A man with an eyepatch puts his hands on his face in a gesture of astonishment.)

MAN: You identify as the sex you were assigned at birth? Whoa! So what does your junk look like?

Panel 5

(A fat woman with cat’s eye glasses and a striped crop top is giving instructions with a cheerful, helpful demeanor..)

WOMAN: If you’d just stop undereating you could be fat. You can do it!

Panel 6

(An irritated looking woman with curly hair, arms akimbo, is asking a question.)

WOMAN: ¡Habla español! Esto es América!

Panel 7
(An older woman with a punk haircut makes a shrugging “what can we do?” gesture.)

WOMAN: Sure, nearly all the Senators and CEOs are women. But how is that sexist against men?

Panel 8

(A young person with tattoos looks anxious as they speak.)

WOMAN: Have you tried being queer? Really really tried? I only ask because I want you to be happy!

Panel 9

(An older woman looks up from a TV Guide, looking puzzled..)

WOMAN: Why would anyone watch a TV show about young people?

Panel 10

(A cheerful man wearing a yarmulke is giving helpful advice. His hands are flapping in the air around his face.)

MAN: Couldn’t you just try making stimming gestures? You don’t want to seem weird!

Panel 11

(A woman holds her hand over her mouth in a gesture of dismay and astonishment.)

WOMAN: You like sex? That must be so hard.

Panel 12

(A man in a wheelchair spreads out his hands to indicate being impressed..)

MAN: You walk everywhere? Wow! I could never live like that!

Panel 13

(A young Black woman looks at the viewer with a friendly “just asking questions” expression.)

WOMAN: Why do white people talk with that accent? And can I touch your hair?

Panel 14

(This panel is surrounded by the circle formed by panels 4-13. It shows Sweater-Dude, wide-eyed and panicked, hands on the sides of his face.)

SWEATER-DUDE: What’s happening?

Panel 15
(This panel, occupying the bottom third of the comic, shows the Fairy speaking directly to the viewer. In the background, we can see Sweater-Dude, with the giant circle formed by panels 4-13 on his back. Sweater-Dude is trembling with the effort of holding up so much weight.)

FAIRY: If you have to lift this weight every day of your entire life…

Plus the weight of historical inequalities plus the weight of institutional oppression…

It can all add up to a crushing load!

If that weight looks petty to you … Maybe that’s because it’s not on your back.

Posted in Ableism, Fat Acceptance, LGBT cartoons, Racism & Racists, Sexism & Misogyny, Social Justice |

The Gender Fence

Cartoon by Barry

If you argue with the more intelligent conservatives about gender issues, sooner or later you are challenged with a famous quote from G. K. Chesterton:

In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, “I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.” To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: “If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.”

That argument makes sense as far as it goes; but what it ignores is why the “modern type of reformer” wants the fence taken down. It ignores the possibility that the person wanting the fence taken down is reacting to real and immediate pain, and that there might actually be some urgency in the situation.

Transcript of cartoon.

This cartoon has two panels.
PANEL ONE
In the first panel, a genderqueer person whose gender presentation is ambiguous, is talking to a suburban-looking man wearing a polo shirt. There’s a old-fashioned wooden rail fence running between them.

CAPTION: How they see gender.
GENDERQUEER PERSON (sternly): We need to dismantle this fence.
SUBURBAN MAN (cheerfully): Whoa! Let’s not rush.

PANEL TWO
The same scene, except now the post of the fence is going through the genderqueer person’s back, pinning them to the ground, and they are in agony.

CAPTION: How I see gender.
GENDERQUEER PERSON (agonized): WE NEED TO DISMANTLE THIS FENCE!
SUBURBAN MAN (cheerfully): Whoa! Let’s not rush.

Posted in LGBT cartoons, Sexism & Misogyny |