Greg welcomes comics historian/curator Paul Gravett back to the show to discuss his QUEER AS COMICS exhibit at the newly opened Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in London. Paul goes deep into not only the exhibit’s Tom of Finland origins, but the origin of the Centre as well. He spotlights forgotten cartoonist Barb Kutzner, one of the queer artists this show is finally getting proper recognition for. He talks broadly about comics as a queer medium, neither this nor that, as well as where the show’s title came from (it’s not where you think!). Paul lays out his curated approach designed to invite unprepared visitors, and its survey of queer comics with a UK emphasis while including wider work; he highlights how comics’ hybrid, often self-published nature has enabled queer expression, from Tom of Finland onward. They discuss feedback, exhibition design choices that let visitors handle select comics, and the important role of the advisory board in making the show what it is.
From there the discussion goes to Tove Jansson, one of Paul’s other perpetual interests and someone with their own important place in queer comics, and Winsor McCay, before shifting to Paul’s own background in comics. Greg gets the man with no nostalgia, no loyalties, and no limits to at least indulge in a little retrospection on their own career. How ESCAPE Magazine helped build a community of ‘indivisualists’ and what advice he has for a Paul Gravett of 2026 looking to follow his example. All that, plus some Bill Sienkiewicz fanboy-ing, an ARE YOU BEING SERVED explanation, and more!
[This episode is number 843 in a series.]
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro
07:36 – Quentin Blake and Illustration and Tom of Finland
10:33 – Finding a New Home
14:28 – What’s in a Name?
17:07 – Comics as a Queer Medium
21:48 – Curating Tone and Access
25:58 – Finding the Lost Barb Kutzner
33:46 – It Takes a Village: The Advisory Board and Scope
44:19 – Windsor McCay’s Earliest Drawing
47:06 – Tove Jansson
53:32 – ESCAPE Magazine and UK Comics Finding Their Place
1:00:37 – Building a Comics Community
1:06:31 – Anthology Craft and Flow
1:09:07 – Indivisuality and Influence
1:15:27 – Comics for These Times
1:20:45 – Questioning Manga and Markets
1:22:31 – Knowledge in the Aggregate
1:26:42 – Outro