The Out Side is a comics anthology of short autobiographical comics from trans/nonbinary comics creators. I couldn't resist reading it once I saw the cover, which is super cute. The collection includes some better known creators (such as Dana Simpson, the author of Phoebe and Her Unicorn and an introduction from Julia Kaye, author of Super Late Bloomer) and some more obscure ones. The stories are relatable, emotional, charming, funny, painful, and everything they can be. It covers a spectrum of types of stories (and art styles too!) that highlight some of the very different things that being trans can mean and the ways that experiencing gender can be specific to the individual while also being a part of a communal experience. Trans people looking for experiences like their own, cis people looking to understand trans people, and people questioning their gender identity will all find this to be a rewarding collection. Recommended!

It is a beautiful collection of personal and emotional stories about the authors' relationships with their gender and where they fit within society.

This one was a hard read for me, but not because it was a difficulty in the language. It was because these stories help one understand. Some of the comics are beautiful about coming out, but some are painful. I think this opens up an important dialogue to people who aren’t a part of the LGBTQ+ community, to hopefully understand.

The Out Side is filled with comics from 29 trans & nonbinary artists as they share their personal journeys of self-discovery and acceptance.

This graphic novel doesn’t just focus on coming out, but some talk about the later processes of their life and what it means for them now.

There’s 29 different artists, so there’s 29 different styles of art and stories. Some I liked more than others, but I still enjoyed and loved this as a whole.

Highly recommend, especially for those who are trans and nonbinary as they will most definitely see themselves within these pages.

*Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

This was a nice collection, but many of the comics had poor image quality. It was difficult to read the text on some due to the size and the image compression. Comics were interesting and well done regardless of that issue though!

a bunch of super cool people explains their experiences with transness and nonbinaryness through comics.

i couldn't stop saying "relatable".

it has...
-29 own voices non fiction tales about gender, identity, self-love and acceptance
-great art

would i reread it?
╰┈┈➤yes
would i recommend it?
╰┈┈➤yes
𓍊𓋼𓍊𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𓋼
representation 𐃘trans, nonbinary
genres 𐃘non fiction
𓍊𓋼𓍊𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𓋼
giggle, sob, growl or snore?
╰┈➤giggle & sob
adore, love, like or abhor?
╰┈➤adore
light or heavy?
╰┈➤light
heartwarming or heartwrenching?
╰┈➤both
sweet, sour or spicy?
╰┈➤sweet & sour
𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼
my warmest thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing & NetGalley for the copy!!

These comics are so, so cool. I feel like I found an incredible gift in this anthology. It's really great to see a variety of styles, topics, and authors all writing about the Trans* and nonbinary experience. It's not something I can think of one other book doing fully, though there are graphic memoirs about this, so it's such a cool thing to know a book like this exists in the world. I definitely felt seen and am super grateful to have read this.

Absolute banger of a graphic novel with a diversity of voices and identities represented. The art? Fantastic. The flow? Amazing. Very thankful to have read this.

This is a wonderfully crafted book. It is a collections of stories that are told in vivid truth. While each story is only a few pages long, they all manage to capture my hear. The art reflected the storytellers and story expanding on the reader’s experience to go beyond just words. A truly powerful book. A great fit for middle and higher.

It's very hard to rate anthologies but I definitely enjoyed this!! It started out super strong for me and I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences but some art styles or stories in there were not super clear. Worth a read.

A beautiful collection of comics and graphic novels about being trans, non-binary or queer. I loved the variety of artstyles and I discovered some cool new authors/artists with this book!

This was amazing! I really loved all these stories about trans and nonbinary characters. I don't think I've ever read a comic anthology before, and this was kind of awesome! I loved all the different art styles and all the beautiful stories included in this book!

An anthology of comics by writers and artists who are Trans or Nonbinary. All of these are autobiographical, giving the reader a glimpse into either the process in finding true identity, the prejudice experienced, or the joys in finally being able to be oneself. Each story is unique, like gender, because there are many identities and experiences within our ever expanding knowledge of gender. The art is at times whimsical and at times dark, but always the individual artist shines through and finishes their comic having learned either who they are or are continuing to explore themselves in a more positive and life affirming way.

I think the world needs to read more stories by Trans and Nonbinary authors/artists. Reading someone's story allows you to empathize with them and rethink your own innate/learned prejudices. It is this way that we can grow, adapt, and begin to accept that what we might have been taught as children is outdated and hurtful. I want to be open to meeting new people, to accepting truths, to being a more loving human being. I wish this for so many people, that they could stop letting their fear guide their actions, their hate harm others.

This is also a love letter to anyone out there who is just starting to find themselves. Who needs to find courage in others stories and know that there is hope and love out there for them (if they cannot find it in their family or community). These stories help young people to visualize how their lives can be different, better, more accepting, and that not all communities or families will be closed minded or bigoted.

Each comic is so vivid and captivating. Each story different, but all with the underlying message that they just want to live in a world that accepts them for who they are. This world can be so suffocating with its boxes, labels, ideals. Which can be seen in so many aspects of day to day life. It is all just a manor to control, to dictate, to own and conform an individual to fit into a world crafted to contain the individual, to stop higher thought, to push phobia, paranoia, and prejudice.

These stories are about hope, self-love, individualism, expression, pain, and love. Often times it is about finding others who understand and do not judge. This comic book is so important right now, in the face of all the vitriol against the Trans and Nonbinary community. It is a powerful voice being used to combat misunderstanding and misinformation.

Some stories are short, some long, but all of them are moving and I highly recommend reading and then passing this book on.

I had never read a graphic anthology prior to The Out Side. As someone exploring gender for myself and as a parent, this was incredible. It was full of such diverse experiences, story-telling styles, and art styles. I learned, I laughed, and I cried. I thoroughly recommend this for anyone that wants to learn more about others' experiences with gender or who is exploring their own identity. This collection of stories was insightful and affirming.

Thank you netgalley and Andrea McMeel publishing for providing this arc for honest review.

This is a great little collection of graphic stories for those who want to learn more about first-person perspectives from trans and nonbinary folx.
I really liked that this book has a little bio and illustration of the author for each section.
Definitely worth a read, no matter the reason!
I love the cover of this book, and I am glad that I picked it up.

This was a cute little comic for young queer kids. When I was growing up I didn't have many things like this and I would have loved to see it in my school library or public library to read and feel seen. I think that this is a wonderful way for younger people to read and understand a bit more about gender identity and other queer identities. Even adults could benefit from this if they don't understand the seemingly "new phenomena" and need something easy to give them a starting point. I truly hope this book makes it in the hands of young trans kids who need to feel seen and understood

This was such a brilliant graphic novel, a collection of short comics about trans and non-binary experiences.

Each one was only a few pages long that detailed various experiences from having top surgery to families to religion and how it affects each artist in their journeys. It was hard to read sometimes with the topics but does give a very frank but hopeful message.

Loved how it was collection of stories and art styles so you can pick this up, read on or two stories then put it down until you had a moment come back to it!

I first heard about this anthology through Snailords account (he has a story in it!) and I immediately knew I had to read this book.

I loved the simple narration of all the experiences of the contributors. There's something amazing about depictions of self-love and acceptance of one's identity and I'm so glad I get to read this anthology. Not only did I discover different experiences but also some amazing artists I'm going to Google asap!

I love this comic anthology! It was really cool to see so many artists I've followed over the years, and to find many more new artists to follow. I like how each artist had their own approach to writing about their gender - whether that was talking about discovery, transitioning, childhood memories, self-expression/presentation, or glimpses into a day in the life. There's a wide range of diversity, too. As I read each entry, I was delighted to find how much I had in common with various trans and nonbinary creators, and see how our feelings and experiences overlapped. This anthology is empowering and beautiful.

This is a collection of comics from authors/comic artists who are trans, non-binary, gender fluid, or gender nonconforming. It gives a brief introduction to each artists style and a glimpse into each individual’s experience with gender. Whether it’s about family, society, or their own feelings with gender, this collection offers us all education that we may need to be kinder to someone in our lives or ourselves. I am cisgender and my gender influences a lot of how I move in the world. It is always helpful for me to see how people that differ from myself are affected by their gender. Empathy is something that can always be improved upon.