Blast From The Past

The Internet can’t get enough of these vintage queer comics

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In honor of Pride Month, gays across the internet are celebrating a queer cartoonist who changed the game: Gerard P. Donelan, known best by the mononym Donelan.

The Donelan renaissance began with a post from an X user named Luke, who wrote, “Reposting my favourite donelan comic for pride month!” along with a comic showcasing Donelan’s knack for poignant takes on gay life, love, and humor.

The post exploded in popularity, garnering more than a million views and 68,000 likes. Luke responded by posting four more of their favorite Donelan cartoons, and everyone in their comments chimed in with their personal favorites.

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Others shared the things they appreciate about Donelan’s art, including its subtle eroticism.

Donelan’s career began back in 1977, when his comic “It’s A Gay Life” began its 15-year run in The Advocate. His cartoons were also reprinted in two compilation books, Drawing on the Gay Experience in 1987 and Donelan’s Back in 1988. Along the way, he contributed to a number of comic publications, including Strip AIDS U.S.A., which is where his moving comic “The Quilt” was printed.

Donelan’s work is the perfect time capsule of a bygone time in queer history. Luke also shared a link to an archive of Donelan’s comics, perfect for browsing all Pride Month long.

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