No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics

No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics traces the history of queer comics in the USA through the profiles of five pioneering artists - Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, Jennifer Camper, Rupert Kinnard and Mary Wings. Showcasing their groundbreaking work alongside the artists’ personal lives, the film explores the evolution of an LGBTQ comics scene from its beginnings in the 1970s to international recognition, and its legacy in contemporary comics today. Directed by Vivian Kleiman, a longtime collaborator of filmmaker Marlon Riggs, this engaging documentary is a touching and vital celebration of queer art.

‘I did this film for young queer people today in the US. I did it because I wished that there had been a film like this when I was struggling to come out. I know that there are still young people out there today who are struggling with self-acceptance, and the whole impetus for queer comics is to make our lives visible. I really didn’t think it would have any appeal to international audiences, and one of the joys of being a documentary filmmaker is sometimes being found to be wrong.’

Director Vivian Kleiman, from an interview with Filmmaker Magazine.