A few months ago I was scrolling through Facebook and I came across this comic. The comic featured a large dog, a young boy and his two dads. AJ & Magnus is a comic that is wonderful, hilarious and an important picture of how our society has begun to grow.
Created by Bryan and Simon Steel in 2014, the comic draws inspiration from their daily life and their adventures with their English Mastiff, Magnus, and his interactions with their young nephew. Bryan notes on their website, ajandmagnus.com, that their comics draw inspiration from classic comics such as "For Better or Worse," "Peanuts" and "Calvin and Hobbes." In fact, I believe that it has the power to be the Calvin and Hobbes for a generation of young individuals from the LGBTQ+ community.
While I have not had an active paper subscription in quite sometime, the first thing I always read when a paper is readily available are the comics. In this world full of strife and tragedy there is little to laugh at, besides politicians. However, newspaper comics are classic. They are some of the first things that children learn to read. The stories come alive in those black and white and, on Sundays, colorful pages. They can take generations through time and space with satire and puns and they provide entertainment from the youngest reader to the oldest. But what they also provide is clever and intricate observations on everyday life. There are many comics that draw from the happenings in the world and "AJ&Magnus" is no different.
"AJ&Magnus" is representative of our time and a beacon of hope to many because it provides representation. It provides representation of "non traditional" queer families and that they're just as loving and insane as heterosexual "traditional" families. While I'm sure some people will note that the characters of the family are all seemingly cisgendered white males, we cannot fault the writers for drawing from their own lifestyle and background. The important thing is that it is representation at all.
Growing up I can't think of a single queer comic character that I saw in the paper. Not one, however Bryan and Simon Steel provide that for us. Reading their comic and the wonderful adventures makes me dream of a future where that may one day be my family arguing over politics, being scared of the dark or even sharing a laugh over an early morning rock band session in our bunny slippers. That is a feeling that so many straight people have gotten to have over the years that many of the previous LGBTQ+ generations haven't experienced like we are now. Because the key is representation in media and daily life.
"AJ&Magnus" is an amazing, hilarious and important comic for our generation. It is a wonderful opportunity for people to see themselves portrayed in an art form where there has been little to no representation. So, Bryan and Simon, I hope that maybe you see this and know that you have touched me and many others and that we only wish for your wonderful adventures to become more and more popular.
