Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, cross dressing, dragman, jonathan cape, steven appleby, trans, transvestite

A Very British Transvestite Superhero – Steven Appleby's Dragman Launches Today

Published Thu, 12 Mar 2020 10:02:21 -0500

Steven Appleby is one of Britain's leading cartoonists, with a rich history of work stretching through comics and cartoons, for newspapers, magazines and comic books themselves. And while he has seen much of his work collected, he has never published a graphic novel before now, let alone a full-blown superhero comic. But in doing so, with a 336 page graphic novel, Dragman, launching today from Jonathan Cape, he has created something personal indeed.

Appleby is a transvestite, something he is open about now, but was kept as a secret for decades after he realised as a teenager. And so Dragman is a power fantasy, as all the superhero comic books should be, with one August Crimp, who becomes the super-powered Dragman only when wearing women's clothing.

And in this first graphic novel, out today, August Crimp as Dragman is chasing down a serial killer who is targeting trans women. But there's much more than these themes and ideas. Set in the near future, with Dragman is involved in a superhero members club, where people have to have insurance to be rescued by them, the soul has been identified by scientists and now people can actually sell them for cash. Something Appleby uses as a metaphor for being yourself – if a superhero sells their soul, they lose their powers. And August Crimp has to be true to himself for his powers to work.

The character first appeared in his Guardian newspaper strip in 2002, when he was keeping his transvestism secret. And he told BBC's Front Row about where the character, specifically Batman and Catwoman – the latter of whom was a strong influence in his own cross-dressing. He also cited Edward Gorey and Philip K Dick as strong influences, as no one is who they appear to be.

He got a good response to Dragman, and as the character reoccurred, so he felt there was a lot more to say. And for that he needed a graphic novel, including double-page spreads, he talks about making it an entertaining thriller, but also reflecting the confusion he felt being a secret transvestite.

The launch party is at Gosh Comics, in London, tonight, from 7 to 9pm. Such events are being tempered by fears around the Coronavirus, but that just mean more alcohol to go round. And if Steven Appleby wasn't put off by society's disapproval in the past, he won't be stopped by a pandemic. As Mark Millar has pulled out of signing at London's Forbidden Planet today, Appleby shows that he is of sterner stuff… and he even has a window display (I just cycled past)

Dragman is published in the UK by Jonathan Cape from today, from Metropolitan in the USA from April 7th, and later in 2020 by Podium in Holland and Éditions Denoël in France.

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