SAMESH team member, Paul Stone, has spent over a year researching the queer history of Marvel and DC comics, beginning in the 1950s when the Comic Book Industry formed its own regulatory standards council known as the Comics Code Authority (CCA). The role of the CCA was to ensure all comic books sold in newsagents and newspaper stands abided by the code and were subsequently given approval to be sold.

Among the many standards, the CCA stipulated that:

• Sex perversion or any inference to same-sex attraction is strictly forbidden
• Illicit sex relations and sexual abnormalities are neither to be hinted at nor portrayed
• The treatment of romance stories shall emphasise the value of home and the sanctity of marriage.

KWEER is a preview exhibition that features a sampling of LGBTIQA+ content in Marvel and DC Comics from the inception of the CCA through to today.

These comics, by some of the world’s best writers and artists, represent the first appearance of queer superheroes and comic characters, and address issues such as gender, same-sex relationships, homophobia, HIV/AIDS, and queer protest.

Whether you are a queer history buff, comic book lover, or art lover, KWEER has something for everyone.

Book a free spot and visit the exhibition any time during Diverse-City’s opening hours.