Moonstruck will be released by Image Comics on July 19th. (Link to order)

Growing up as a queer kid, artist Shae Beagle never saw themself represented in comic books.

“I just couldn’t relate to any of the stories at all,” they said. “Like the super-masculine, superhero things. I was just never into any of that.”

Comics writer Grace Ellis (Lumberjanes) experienced the same thing. So when they had the opportunity to make an original comic book together, Beagle and Ellis created Moonstruck, a queer and feminist dreamworld of magical proportions.

Moonstruck features a cast of part-human, part-mythical characters as they engage in work, romance, and magical hijinks. For Julie, the main character, this means balancing her job as a barista, butterflies over her new (almost) girlfriend, and her tendency to transform into a werewolf when her emotions run too high. You know, the usual!

I had the pleasure of reading Issue #1 and genuinely loved the world Ellis and Beagle created. Their storytelling presents a creative way to talk about “otherness” and self-acceptance. Most importantly, it’s really fun.

“I just want this book to be a place that a queer person can go to and know that their sexuality is not going to be under attack,” Ellis said.

An illustration of the Moonstruck team by Shae Beagle: Laurenn McCubbin (editor), Shae Beagle (artist), and Grace Ellis (writer).

The Making of Moonstruck

Ellis, 26, met Beagle, 22, through a class Beagle was in at Columbus College of Art and Design called “The Comics Practicum.” The class pairs student artists with professional comics writers to collaborate on an anthology, as well as learning about the business and legal side of the industry. The course was supposed to end with the first five pages of a comic, but Professor Laurenn McCubbin saw something special in Ellis and Beagle’s work.

“Shae and Grace did this amazing Moonstruck story and I was like, ‘Wow, this can really be a full-on, ongoing comic. Would you guys be interested in working on this?’ And they said yes.”

McCubbin helped the duo develop Moonstruck into a pitch for Image, the comic’s publisher, who ended up picking it up for publication. She serves as the comic’s editor.

Trailer for Moonstruck.

Queer Representation

From not seeing themselves represented to creating a queer-friendly comic of their own, Beagle and Ellis are excited about what Moonstruck will mean for future readers.

“I’m really intrigued that people growing up might grow up with our comic, how that will help them see themselves more and maybe become more comfortable with themselves in this way,” Beagle said. “Just by seeing themselves represented in a story, and a story they can enjoy.”

As for Smart Girls who are thinking about going into comics, McCubbin encourages them to take the jump.

“Absolutely do it. If you don’t feel like you’re a good enough writer or a good enough drawer, find other people who want to do it, too, and work together,” she said. ‘It’s easier to do these things when you have other people that are interested in doing them.”

For queer people, people of color, and women interested in exploring the comic world, McCubbin recommends using the resource Hater-Free Wednesdays — a Tumblr of welcoming comic book stores.

Moonstruck hits shelves July 19th. Order here.