NEW YORK, NY, 10/05/2017 — Image Comics is pleased to announce BINGO LOVE, an original graphic novel created and written by Tee Franklin, with art by Jenn St-Onge, and colors by Joy San.
BINGO LOVE is about two Queer, Black women and the love between them that spans decades. Their story also explores the complications of coming out at an older age, and how that decision affects their families lives. BINGO LOVE will hit stores just in time for Valentine’s Day, February 2018.
“As a woman who was married once upon a time, I understand how it is to come out as a Queer woman to my family,” said Franklin. “Bingo Love was important for me to create for the youth, the LGBTQ youth needs to understand that happily-ever-after’s aren’t only for straight people. If Disney’s Carl and Ellie can grow old together, so can Mari and Hazel.”
Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray are two young, Black girls who meet at church bingo in 1963 and eventually fall in love…but in this time period, their love was not accepted. Hazel and Mari are broken up by their families’ “shame” and go on to marry and have families of their own. Almost fifty years later—in the fever pitch of church bingo—Mari and Hazel are reunited and rediscover the love they have for each other, even though they both are still married.
Tee Franklin is a Black, Queer, disabled woman, known in the comics industry as a vocal person of color and advocate for the LGBTQ and disabled community. She is credited for starting the popular hashtag: #BlackComicsMonth which aims to make comic book fans more aware of talented Black comic creators, and their diverse comic book characters and superheroes that already exist in the industry.
Franklin won the 2017 Queer Press Grant for BINGO LOVE and has raised almost $60k for this graphic novella via Kickstarter.
Advance praise for BINGO LOVE:
“Tee Franklin’s delivering a fresh, charming story of adolescent love with adorable, fluid art from Jenn St-Onge and Joy San. And if you care about representation, here’s a great opportunity to step up. The world needs more stories with African American girl heroes of all different kinds, and Bingo Love is leading the charge.” —Greg Pak
“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
“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
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