A chance to defy the stereotypes

DiegoPalacios 2020-10-29 23:17:36 UTC #21

Saw the first page and i'm already invested in the characters. Thanks a lot for the recommendation!

DiegoPalacios 2020-10-29 23:41:41 UTC #22

comedy it's my weakness and it's been funny so far, thanks for the recommendation

JoshRaid 2020-10-29 23:42:35 UTC #23

Glad you found it funny. I didn't laugh, but I loved it too for the characters and their chemistry.

DiegoPalacios 2020-10-29 23:49:07 UTC #24

@joannekwan got a really good laugh with "Bromodachis" . Just read the whole thing.

May check more recommendations tomorrow.

CeeMTaylor 2020-10-30 00:05:02 UTC #25

Kinda similar to what KR said about their picks, these novels are listed as LGBTQ+ and not BL even though they center mxm relationships for all of the aforementioned reasons -- but I rec them for sure! (Both of my recs also have wlw relationships, too -- and they're both in corners of the broader Fantasy genre, which is my personal fav.)

OH. But first, I'd love to second CC's Come Hell or High Water that KR linked above. Fantastic contemporary romance with spot-on rep, complex characters, and beautiful descriptive prose.^

ok, so.

I've read the first book of Spirits and Crowns (and am excited to journey into the next books soon!). Dieselpunk Fantasy is pretty rare and pretty wonderful. Deals with themes of revolution, colonialism, abuse/trauma. Very lovely, fastburn relationships between a great set of MCs.

OK so I'm just getting started reading Fractured Magic, but I've seen enough on the series' tumblr page to feel good about the rep. What I've read so far is great and the Victorian-gothic Fantasy setting is fantastic. Features mxm and wlw couples as well -- and there's a lot of artwork associated with the series too!

And I've got one of my own, though it's first and foremost an Epic/Dark Fantasy with a central mxm couple (and other rep that gets explored throughout the series). Probably not for anyone who isn't also very interested in doorstopper fantasy. That said, if you're looking for Lord of the Rings but gayer, darker, and more nautical, this might be up your alley.

GabiWolf 2020-10-30 00:15:56 UTC #26

I really like Finding Home by Hari. It focuses heavily on character building and the evolving relationship of the two characters and the baggage they carry.

And if I may plug my own work. I have two fantasy based BL webcomics. One (Grimoire Athenaeum)a modern urban fantasy that has themes of finding yourself and the “magic” of emotions and actually letting yourself feel them.
The other (Passage) is a fantasy adventure with themes of found family, and how all families and love is valid.

WillowTree 2020-10-30 00:29:03 UTC #27

Probably one of my favorites is Do You Believe in Magic by @kmlangleyauthor its a sweeter romance and it's at a really good spot in the story right now where Jake is starting to figure out his magic! I love it!

kmlangleyauthor 2020-10-30 03:09:00 UTC #28

@WillowTree thank you so much

I would highly recommend #muted - it was one of the first BL comics I ever read. The art is beautiful, the storyline is compelling, the characters are realistic and relatable. I’ve read through it twice because of how the characters interact with each other

DiegoPalacios 2020-11-02 17:38:26 UTC #29

@NickRowler Your comic was a wild crazy ride in an entertaining way!. Binged the whole thing. Thanks for the good laughs your story gave me!

DiegoPalacios 2020-11-02 17:46:44 UTC #30

For everyone else: sorry if it's taking too long, been busy this weekend, so i will gradually read as i get more time.

DiegoPalacios 2020-11-10 16:14:37 UTC #31

@joannekwan

I've been checking Spurs &Stripes. While i don't usually read too many stories where the main focus is romance, when one is well excecuted and i get invested enough and the characters are well rounded i really enjoy it.

The chemistry feels genuine and the transition from bickering to respect to mutual affection is smooth and beleivable.

also checked No more mermaids. Really liked the anecdotic journal style and the tone the stories are told and the reflections about life. While it was more erotic than what i am usually comfortable with, is an entertaining and interesting read.

Still more comics and novels pending, thanks for all the recommendations!

Kendial 2020-11-12 00:37:17 UTC #32

Hello, I'm still trying to decide what category to put my comic in, but I'm going to try really hard to write a wholesome tale I hope people like it... it's called Tell Me It's Real. What do you think is the most important thing to include or avoid?

https://tapas.io/episode/1952769

BrambleberrySquirrel 2020-11-12 03:43:13 UTC #33

Pawprint Promise by @Phantomlight is a great BL comic that throws all the stereotypes out the window and has really well done representation for people across the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

https://tapas.io/series/Paw-Print-Promise/info

BrambleberrySquirrel 2020-11-12 04:04:43 UTC #34

Depending on how tropey you plan on getting you may want to make BL either the primary or secondary genre. If you’re going to have representation for folks throughout the LGBTQ+ spectrum then you may LGBTQ the primary instead.

For my own comic I have the primary genre as LGBTQ because while it is a male/male romance not everyone is gay. My comic has characters who are Asexual, Demi, Bi and questioning. I did this because of these elements and my own desire to avoid falling into BL genre tropes that don’t reflect real relationships between men or creating that expectation.

On the other hand BL is a genre that pulls a big audience and is one that I enjoy despite its flaws. So to strike a balance I have BL listed as a secondary genre for my comic. If you look at the thumbnail you will also see a little “BL” written in the corner to give readers a hint that it’s a male/male romance focused story.

In general these are tropes I try to avoid in my work

Seme/Uke stereotypes that reduce men’s personalities down to their preferred sexual position
Hyper focus on preferred sexual position at all. I’m not making a sexually explicit comic so it just doesn’t matter because it doesn’t tell the audience anything about who my characters are.
Only pairing up guys who fit into a masculine/feminine dynamic.
long drawn out emotional conflicts that can be prevented or solved just by having a simple conversation.
Non-consensual sex (no matter the context this is just rape) a lot of BL glosses this over and makes it seem like this is normal, ok or expected. It’s not.

There’s probably some others I’m not thinking of at the moment but these are the big ones that come to mind.

If you want to check out my comic to see how I portray male relationships without these negative tropes you can read it here:

Phantomlight 2020-11-12 04:20:15 UTC #35

T^T You've got a heart of gold! Thank you for the shout out here! And I love that you try to avoid the BL tropes in your comic! I've read a lot of BL with most of the tropes you've mentioned and although not all of them have been executed in a terrible or disrespectful manner, I'm really glad there are creators like you who are trying to fight the norms and also just making a wholesome and enjoyable comic And your comic always really inspiring to me. I love the characters and the story, and the fact that you tackle serious topics. It's not an easy task and you are going about it in respectful way. And I love how much your art has improved. You've worked so hard on this comic and I appreciate the love, time, and work you put into it ^^

BrambleberrySquirrel 2020-11-12 04:37:44 UTC #36

Thank you! Honestly I wish there was a better combo of words than thank you that I could use to respond to this kind of ultra encouraging platinum tier feedback. I’m so happy that you enjoy my work and notice all the effort I put into it not just as an artist, but also as a story teller. Fans like you are the reason I keep doing this even when I feel bad about my art. I actually save comments like this and reread them when that voice in my head tells me I should just give up. Thank you for always being so encouraging and just all around awesome!

On a side note I think part of the ability to avoid these tropes comes from the ungodly amount of BL I’ve consumed lol. You start to identify patterns and get a good idea of how you want your own content to stand out. There are creators I admire like Nagabe and Sakurada Yana who do delve into some of the things on my list. I’ve still learned a lot from reading them though.

UrMom 2020-11-13 04:15:17 UTC #37

Life Outside the Circle is super cute. Non-toxic relationship, one of the main characters is a trans dude, the other has a kid. One of the few BL comics I earnestly enjoy.