DC Comics and Marvel artist Phil Jimenez, best known for his work as the writer/artist for “Wonder Woman” and the miniseries “Infinite Crisis,” recently declared that comics are “inherently gay or inherently queer.”
Jimenez recently appeared on the PBS digital series First Person, where he spoke with host Kristin Russo about his identity and the intersection between the queer community and comics. During that conversation, he revealed quite a bit about himself, including the fact that he identifies as gay first and foremost, above anything else.
The writer /artist began drawing when he was just 7 years old, illustrating a precise depiction of Wonder Woman. Undoubtedly, Jimenez has come a very long way since he was 7, evident by his lengthy career and his many successes.
Jimenez spent the interview etching Russo’s traits in the likeness of Wonder Woman while he shared information about his younger life. He disclosed that he grew up creating fantasies in his head, which were rooted in the knowledge that he knew from a young age he was different. That expanded his interest in things such as dinosaurs, sharks and monsters, as well as museums and spaces designed to tell stories. Consequently, this encouraged him to want to tell stories, and then he discovered comic books in his teens.
The artist came out in the comic world by publishing a tribute to his boyfriend Neal Pozner in the rear of a comic book called “Tempest.” For him, it was wonderful venue for coming out, because historically the comic community has always been an accepting community that has also been “othered.” Jimenez mentioned Flame-Con as an example of a site where comics and queerness intersect in a very visible way, exemplifying an accepting nature within the community.
Please check out Jimenez’s interview below, and learn more about the talented artist’s thoughts on X-Men, the projection of fantasies, the development of queer characters and his relationship to comics.
By Nicole Akoukou Thompson [Latin Post]