Review: Letters for Lucardo: Fortunate Beasts

Letters for Lucardo: Fortunate Beasts is the second book of the acclaimed Iron Circus graphic novel series by Otava Heikkila. I wrote a review of the first book for Geeks OUT back in 2017; you may want to start there if you’re thinking of reading the series. This review will contain some unavoidable spoilers for the ending of Letters for Lucardo. Fortunate Beasts was funded through Kickstarter in late 2018.

Fortunate Beasts opens with a brief passage set seven years in the future before cutting back to the aftermath of Letters for Lucardo. When Lucardo confronts his father about sending Ed away, things quickly escalate. The ensuing fight pulls back the curtain a little bit more on the true nature of Lucardo’s family and the Night Court. Lucardo ignores his father’s warnings and immediately begins searching for Ed. It isn’t long before Ed’s quiet new life is disrupted. Lucardo then brings Ed back to the Night Court in the most boisterous and public way possible, setting the stage for a showdown with his father.

One of my favorite this about this series is how the sex is a natural part of the story. It really goes against the grain of puritanical notions about sex that are embedded in our society. Heikkila is also particularly adept at including some delightfully awkward and funny moments that make the sex scenes feel really lived in. If you were to take away the erotic scenes, you would still be left with a touching story. But that story would be missing a pivotal part of what drives the relationship between these two men.

Fortunate Beasts is a more than worthy follow up to its predecessor. It added even more emotional depth to the characters, revealed more about the world of the Night Court, and left me really excited for the third book in the series. Both books are available now through the Iron Circus store.

The Geeks OUT Podcast: Geeks OUT’s Modern Life

The Geeks OUT Podcast

Opinions, reviews, incisive discussions of queer geek ideas in pop culture, and the particularly cutting brand of shade that you can only get from a couple of queer geeks all in highly digestible weekly doses.

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Chi-town’s own Eric Green, as they discuss the new trailer for the Rocko’s Modern Life revival movie, wonder if Nickelodeon Slime will take over the ISS, and celebrate the new writer/artist for TMNT, Sophie Campbell, as our Strong Female Character of the Week.

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BIG OPENING

KEVIN: New trailer for Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling
ERIC: Nickelodeon Slime sent to space

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DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Lion King, The Boys, Fearless
ERIC: House of X #1, John Wyndham novels

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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

Sophie Campbell taking over as writer/artist for TMNT

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THIS WEEK IN QUEER

New trailer for Why Women Kill

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CLIP OF THE WEEK

New teaser trailer for JoJo Rabbit

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THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

New trailer for Gemini Man
• New trailer for Zombieland: Double Tap

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TV

• The Expanse renewed on Amazon
Carnival Row renewed for season 2 ahead of premiere
The Handmaid’s Tale renewed for 4th season
Big Mouth renewed for three more seasons
Lucifer’s 5th season expanded to 16 episodes
• AMC developing graphic novel Farmland
• Hulu is developing The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series
• Netflix cancels Tuca and Bertie
• New trailer for Wu Assassins
• New teaser for season 3 of Runaways
• New teaser for season 2 of The Purge

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COMIC BOOKS

• DC releasing Year of the Villain acetate covers
House of X & Powers of X to have color coded logos

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SHILF

• KEVIN: Havok
• ERIC: Cyclops

Opening in 2020 – Alexander’s Monument to Hephaestion is a New Queer History Pilgrimage

Hephaistion by L Gullo

Hephaestion was the life partner and general of Alexander the Great, one of the most legendary conquerors in human history. I don’t use “life partner” as a veiled term for lover – he was never described in the texts we have as Alexander’s eromenos or erastes like his Persian courtesan, Bagoas. Hephaistion and Alexander are generally thought to have been lovers by most historians, but more importantly, they truly were partners in life. Hephaestion was a crucial part in Alexander’s success over a series of decades, not only in the role he played through military campaigns, but also as Alexander’s dearest confidant. 

Sarcophagus detail of Hephaestion hunting a stag from ancient.eu

We do not have any evidence to suggest Hephaestion had any romantic or sexual partners at all, and only married a wife who had been assigned to him by Alexander as a political act to help integrate Persian culture into their court. As queer people who may have known a person larger than life as Alexander, we can extrapolate that if their relationship was romantic but not sexual, Hephaistion may have been asexual, and Alexander may have taken Bagoas as a sexual partner to fill those particular needs. 


Several people who knew Alexander personally wrote of their experiences with him, but unfortunately these direct sources have been lost to us, and we only have third party accounts from narrators of varying degrees of reliability. Therefore any extrapolation we can make are just like any knowledge we have of him at all – extrapolations. 


But it cannot be denied that Hephaestion was Alexander’s dearest and closest partner through life. 

In 2012, a regal tomb in the Macedonian style was discovered in Northern Greece, as part of a larger complex being explored since the 1970s. The Kasta Tomb. They’re still researching and exploring just who’s remains are interned there, but in 2015 Hephaestion’s monogram was found.  The lead archeologist Katerina Peristeri says this is evidence that the whole tomb is a funerary monument for Hephaestion, built between 325–300 BC.


When Hephaestion died, Alexander began the downward emotional spiral that would eventually lead to his own death, 8 months later. Those 8 months were occupied with petitioning the oracle of Siwa to grant divine status to Hephaestion, which was granted. Hephaestion would be worshipped for centuries to come as a divine hero. Cults dedicated to honoring real people who had achieved divine status were eventually wiped out by the Christian empire in an unforgivable homogenization of spirituality from which we have yet to recover. The cult of Antinous, another king’s beloved who was worshipped by large swaths of people from various countries, was another victim of this eradication. Now, with a monument honoring Hephaestion discovered, we can take up that mantle again if we choose. 


Regardless of your feelings about Alexander’s campaign (He was after all a conqueror, though arguably a conqueror of a different sort than those previously mentioned.) his glorification of Hephaestion in death was a lasting and spiritual tribute to same sex devotion. 


The Kasta tomb is due to open to the public in 2020, and I will be watching for updates when the time comes. It is time we began to have our pilgrimage sites to visit, tragic and celebratory, modern and ancient, active and dormant. These are world-changing monuments to the power of our love, and they are part of our heritage as LGBT people. We are a people who have been violently and systematically isolated from spirituality, religion, and our own histories. It is time to reclaim them. If you visit this beautiful monument in 2020 or beyond, do not think of it as crumbling traces of a past civilization.  Think of it as a living monument built for you, by a man who wanted his beloved friend to be celebrated. 


Resources for further research:

Hephaestion’s Monogram Found at Amphipolis Tomb

Katerina Peristeri, the archaeologist in charge of the excavation of the Amphipolis tomb, presented a new finding that may reveal the identity of the individual initially buried in the tomb. During a conference in Thessaloniki, Greece, Peristeri said that her team discovered the monogram of Hephaestion, a general, and closest friend of Alexander the Great.

Kasta Tomb – Wikipedia

The Kasta Tomb ( Greek: Τύμβος Καστά), also known as the Amphipolis Tomb ( Greek: Τάφος της Αμφίπολης), is an ancient Macedonian tomb that was discovered inside the Kasta mound (or tumulus) near Amphipolis, Central Macedonia, in northern Greece in 2012 and first entered in August 2014.

The Geeks OUT Podcast: His Dork Materials – 200th Episode SDCC Review

The Geeks OUT Podcast

Opinions, reviews, incisive discussions of queer geek ideas in pop culture, and the particularly cutting brand of shade that you can only get from a couple of queer geeks all in highly digestible weekly doses.

In this week’s extra special, super-sized episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Jon Herzog, and making his triumphant return is Graham Nolan, as they celebrate 200 episodes, reflect on the last 2 years, look to the future, and discuss all the news from SDCC in The Week in Geek.

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BIG OPENING

KEVIN: Marvel announces Phase 4 & Disney+ series premieres
GRAHAM: Agents of SHIELD to end with season 7
JON: New trailer for season 3 of Westworld

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DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Crawl, Veronica Mars, Stranger Things
GRAHAM: Batman, Justice League, War of Realms, Cloak and Dagger, Jessica Jones JON: Queer Eye S4, GRRM Dunk + Egg books, JKR Mystery books

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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

New trailer for Harley Quinn animated series

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THIS WEEK IN QUEER

Emmy nominations announced

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CLIP OF THE WEEK

New trailer for Star Trek: Picard

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THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

First look at Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling movie
• First look at Jay & Silent Bob Roboot
• New trailer for The King’s Man
• New trailer for IT: Chapter 2
• New trailer for Cats the Musical 
• Behind the scenes look at Terminator: Dark Fate
• New trailer for Don’t Let Go
• New trailer for Ad Astra
• Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends announced

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TV

• Crisis on Infinite Earths to feature Kingdom Come Superman
Doom Patrol renewed for season 2
Pennyworth to feature queer villain
• New trailer for His Dark Materials
The Boys renewed for season 2
• First look at season 4 of Rick & Morty
• New trailer for The Witcher
• New trailer for season 10 of The Walking Dead, Danai Gurira’s last
• New trailer for Creepshow
• New trailer for Snowpiercer series
• First look at new Star Trek: Short Treks
The Orville moving to Hulu exclusively
• New trailer for HBO’s Watchmen
• New trailer for season 3 of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
• New trailer for Steven Universe: The Movie
• Sneak peek of season 2 of DuckTales
• New trailer for Carnival Row

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COMIC BOOKS

• DC teases The Flash: Death of the Speed Force
Spider-Man statue called “satanic”
• Marvel announces new X-titles
• Marvel announces The Amazing Mary Jane

Review: Ghosted in L.A. #1

Moving to a new city is tough. Starting college is tough. Breaking up with your boyfriend and losing your best friend in a matter of weeks is also tough. So what’s college freshman Daphne to do? Just what anyone in this situation would do – find some new friends and use this as a chance for reinvention, to find oneself after being under the identities of others for way too long.


There’s just one difference: All her new friends are dead.


“Ghosted in L.A.” #1 does what any good series debut should do: introduces the characters, setting, and motivation for the central plot. And Sina Grace packs in a good deal of that exposition, without making the reader feel overwhelmed or rushed. In both overt and subtle ways we know just what we need to know about Daphne: she’s Jewish (which provides some conflict with her evangelical Christian roommate), she came to this college to follow her boyfriend, and she has a bit of a love-hate relationship with her best friend. Indeed, these are story elements seen time and again., But Grace does all this with humor and heart, so by the time Daphne’s main players in her life – – the boyfriend and the best friend – – are out of it, you want her to execute revenge by just simply living the best possible California girl life she can.


There’s only a brief introduction to the supernatural aspects of this story, as we meet the ghosts who become Daphne’s new best friends at the very end of this issue. But that’s okay. Right now, this is Daphne’s story, and we’ll only understand it (and her relationships) within her lens, so I’m more than okay with only just getting to meet our spectral friends in the final pages of the issue. There’s plenty of time to get to know Pam, Blair, and all the other ghosts of Rycroft Manor. We’re on the same journey of self-discovery as Daphne is, and Grace makes sure we’re going to enjoy every step of it.


Grace also assists artist Siobhan Keenan and colorist Cathy Le on artwork, and the three together give everything the Los Angeles polish and vibrancy, along with the character focus present in the script. Our art team plays with the passage of time in ways that subtly advance our script. The shift in color from sepia toned Montana to Technicolor Los Angeles presents a natural shift in story that is a visual buffet. Daphne’s wait for her classmates in the common room of the dorm shows that long wait not just in the change in the sky, but in the change in the population in the room, heightening the sense of isolation she’s starting to feel, that isolation which certainly steers what will happen next.


The art has the look and feel of another BOOM! Studios property, “Giant Days,” but with a little more realism in face and body features. There’s fair representation of all kinds of body types and ethnicities, from one ghost rocking the dad bod to another with a beautiful natural afro. The art team does well at providing corporeal forms for the non-corporeal residents, coloring them in shades of blue to distinguish them as ghosts from the story’s human elements, but still having them retain the basic forms and shapes of humanity. For the most part, backgrounds are sparse, and with the character focus of this issue, that’s okay.


Now there isn’t much to be hinted at in terms of queer content in this first issue, save for a passing look at what appears to be two men in a relationship on Daphne’s college roommate Michelle’s laptop. (Of course I’m left wondering if Michelle herself is closeted, given this and the strong Christian iconography in her dorm room.) What I do know from Sina Grace’s run on “Iceman” is how he slowly and organically introduced the revelations of Bobby Drake’s sexuality. No doubt if he has such elements planned out for this story, he’ll do the same here.


When people ask me what I like most about Sina Grace’s work, I always say that it’s his ability to write heart and humor in equal measure, allowing each to play off of the other, and to do so in a way that appeals to all ages. “Ghosted in L.A.” continues that trend, and adds in a fun twist to refresh already established story tropes. With BOOM! Studios’s “Giant Days” ending later this year, this looks to be the heir apparent to fill the Daisy, Susan, and Esther shaped hole in your heart. 

The Geeks OUT Podcast: Annabelle Comes OUT

The Geeks OUT Podcast

Opinions, reviews, incisive discussions of queer geek ideas in pop culture, and the particularly cutting brand of shade that you can only get from a couple of queer geeks all in highly digestible weekly doses.

In this week’s extended episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by J.W. Crump, as they discuss Annabelle Comes Home, WarnerMedia’s forthcoming HBO Max, and celebrate Angelica Ross joining AHS: 1984 in This Week in Queer.

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BIG OPENING

KEVIN: WarnerMedia confirms HBO Max
J.W.: New trailer Light as a Feather season 2

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DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Annabelle Comes Home, Legion, Scream: Resurrection, Ghosted in LA, Lois Lane
J.W.: Child’s Play, Are You the One?, Big Brother

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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

New female turtle joins Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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THIS WEEK IN QUEER

Angelica Ross joins the cast of AHS: 1984

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CLIP OF THE WEEK

New trailer for Dora and the Lost City of Gold

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THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

New trailer for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
• Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson to star in new Saw
• New poster for Steven Universe: The Movie

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TV

• Amazon orders Paper Girls series
• Another “adult” reboot of The Flintstones being developed
• New trailer for Netflix’s Another Life
• Netflix renews The Society for season 2
• Netflix orders The Cuphead Show animated series
• New poster for Star Trek: Picard

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COMIC BOOKS

• Library cancels event featuring Lumberjanes’ Lilah Sturges

The Geeks OUT Podcast: Under the Tea

Geeks OUT Podcast: Under the Tea

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin (@Gilligan_McJew) is joined by @LynaeDePriest as they discuss Halle Bailey playing Ariel in the new remake of The Little Mermaid, give their hot takes on the new trailer for the live-action Mulan, and celebrate Aneesh Sheth playing the MCU’s first

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Lynaé DePriest, as they discuss Halle Bailey playing Ariel in the new remake of The Little Mermaid, give their hot takes on the trailer for the live-action Mulan, and celebrate Aneesh Sheth playing the MCU’s first trans character in Jessica Jones in This Week in Queer.

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BIG OPENING

KEVIN: Sina Grace spills the Ice(man) Tea
LYNAÉ: Little Mermaid live-action remake casts Ariel

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DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Spider-Man: Far From Home, Stranger Things, Jessica Jones, Young Justice: Outsiders
LYNAÉ: grown-ish, Good Trouble, American Ninja Warrior

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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

New teaser trailer and poster released for live-action remake of Mulan

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THIS WEEK IN QUEER

Jessica Jones introduces MCU’s first trans character

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CLIP OF THE WEEK

New trailer for The Terror: Infamy

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THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

New trailer for Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans
• New trailer for Charlie’s Angels reboot
• New trailer for Jumanji: The Next Level
• New trailer for Knives Out

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TV

• Animated Gremlins prequel coming to WarnerMedia streaming
• Netflix orders Sandman series
One Day at a Time saved by Pop
• New trailer for season 3 of Scream: Resurrection?

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COMIC BOOKS

Thor, Squirrel Girl, and Ms. Marvel plays coming to your local high school
The Walking Dead abruptly ends
Mad Magazine coming to a sort of end

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SHILF

• KEVIN: Rescue Rangers
• LYNAÉ: The Gummi Bears