The last few weeks I’ve been hard at work finishing the first draft of Sexuality: A Graphic Guide. This is my next follow-up to Queer: A Graphic History after Gender: A Graphic Guide – which is out next month! A major section of the sexuality book is – of course – on consent. As I revisited that topic again I realised that I wanted to synthesise where I’ve got to. So I created a checklist of things that we might want to aspire to, in order to engage as consensually as possible with ourselves and others.

Consent is a constant theme in my work, but I notice that every time I revisit it I see more of the picture, make more connections, and understand it more complexly and completely. I like the metaphor of a spiral for this, and for so many things. We co round and round the same territory in our lives and our work, but each time we can sink down a little deeper if we’re up for it.

The Zine

I’ve added the consent checklist zine to the zines in the resources section on this website, and it’s also at the end of this post. It’s not an illustrated zine this time because it didn’t feel right for one of those, but I do have an idea for another of those to come soon (well actually several). I may well stick with my habit of doing a comic or zine for New Year.

If you check out the zine you’ll also notice that I’ve added a suggestion that people who download them might like to support my Patreon. Yes I have a Patreon now! It’s for people who enjoy the free materials I put out here, and my other work, to support what I do, if they want to and feel able to, now that I’m a full-time writer. Please do sign up if that’s something you’d like to do.

Meanwhile, here’s…