Bingo Love Launches Kickstarter
We get a lot of press releases about Kickstarters, and for the most part we pass them by. If we posted every Kickstarter, the site would fill up pretty fast. Sure, maybe we should be a little more fair, but the comics section of Needless Essentials Online is where we share a love of the best of comics, and try to help promote the really good stuff. We open every one of these emails, and when we get one that looks fantastic, we will share it. It’s that time again, when I was pleasantly surprised by an e-mail.
TEE FRANKLIN ANNOUNCES BINGO LOVE, A QUEER ROMANCE GRAPHIC NOVELLA
Kickstarter campaign for story of star-crossed lovers who cross paths again 50 years later launches March 15th via Kickstarter.
Written by Tee “Vixen” Franklin, art by Jenn St-Onge, with colors by Joy San
An encounter in a church bingo hall in 1963 begins the lifelong romance in Bingo Love, a graphic novel by writer Tee “Vixen” Franklin (Love is Love), artist Jenn St-Onge (Jem and The Misfits), colorist Joy San (Rumble for Toronto Comix), and letterer Cardinal Rae (DC, Image, Papercutz), to be introduced in a Kickstarter campaign launching March 15th, 2017. Franklin, whose writing credits include stories in Nailbiter, Love Is Love, and Elements, as well as the creator of #BlackComicsMonth, will be self publishing her first full-length comic through her own company, Inclusive Press.
The story revolves around Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray, two thirteen year old girls who, in no time, become the best of friends. As their relationship grows, they discover their deep love for one another, but the timing couldn’t be worse. Two girls in love are bound to be star-crossed in 1963, and their families forbid them from seeing each other again. Not only do the young women have to endure the pain of separation, but they’re also both married off to men they don’t love. They seem destined to live apart, permanently cut off from one another, but fate — and bingo — have another plan for them.
“Bingo Love is Black Mirror’s ‘San Junipero’ meets Moonlight,” said Franklin. “We want to tell the story of women who are gay, Black, and in love — and who learn to live without apology. We also want to show that love and passion are present at every age — and just as intense for women in their sixties as for teenagers.”
Bingo Love will be an 80-page, full-color graphic novella. Kickstarter stretch goals will include bonus stories by Marguerite Bennett (DC Comics Bombshells, InSEXTs) and Jules Rivera (Misfortune High), as well as D.J. Kirkland (Black Mage). Rewards will include Skype sessions with Kelly Sue DeConnick (Bitch Planet), Scott Snyder (All-Star Batman), and Steve Orlando (Midnighter and Apollo); portfolio reviews with Top Cow’s Bryan Edward Hill (Postal); and script reviews with Bingo Love’s editor Erica Schultz (Charmed), Al Ewing (U.S. Avengers), and Shawn Pryor (Cash and Carrie).
The Kickstarter campaign begins on March 15th, for more information visit www.bingolovecomic.net.
Select Praise for Bingo Love:
“Bingo Love is the young, tender love story that brown queer women have never been allowed to have. This is the coming of age story that 10 and 15 year old baby-queer me needed.” – Vita Ayala (Our Work Fills The Pews)
“Bingo Love is a dose of pure sweetness, about overcoming hardship without relying on tragedy, with beautiful, bright art to boot!” – Tini Howard (The Skeptics, Power Rangers: Pink)
We’ll share the preview pages that were sent along at the end of this article. Just on the character designs, this looks like a story with characters that I can like. Hazel and Mari in 2015 look adorable together, but seeing them in 2030 has me worried. It’s odd for me to care about characters after not reading much about them, but that is the power behind great character design. Jenn St-Onge also provides great storytelling with a style that is open to a broad audience. The environments are believable and unique to each time period, but always seeming real.
The story is something that I can’t talk too much about because all I have is three pages and a press release. However, the premise sounds interesting and rich with drama. I worry that the story may have an ending that resembles a popular romantic film, but with a jump out of the gate that is this strong, I will not be surprised if Tee Franklin can surprise me.
So head on over to their Kickstarter and see if it’s something you think is worth being published.
Preview Pages:
