At the heart of TidalWave comic book publishing model is the development of innovative stories focusing on topics of importance to the LGBTQ+ community. TidalWave showcases the lives of the famous in its biography line and tells cutting-edge stories of heroism in its fiction line of comic books and graphic novels.
This month, TidalWave Comics re-releases over twenty of its most popular nonfiction comic books featuring LGBTQ+ people in an exciting new print format.
These titles, some of TidalWaves’ bestsellers, include an historical look at the Stonewall Riots. Other titles explore the lives of allies or out celebrities such as RuPaul, Ellen DeGeneres, Cher, Madonna, Joan Jett, Tom Daley, Keith Haring, Lady Gaga, Freddie Mercury, Britney Spears, Kathy Griffin, Rosie O’Donnell, Anderson Cooper, Barbra Streisand, and Liza Minelli, among others.
Publisher of TidalWave Comics, Darren G. Davis, created 10th Muse, one Image Comics bestselling titles during the great comic book boom of the 1990’s. He parlayed that success into his own company; a company not afraid to take chances in the publishing field.
One of the more successful books he wrote and published is “Lost Raven,” about man coming to terms with his HIV while simultaneously battling government-created monsters. The monsters are outward representations of the battle Zak Raven wages within as he grapples with his medical status.
Davis, himself diagnosed as positive in 1999, culled the story from his own journals. “Journal writing was a way for me to deal with the inevitable post-infection depression. I beat myself up pretty bad in those journals,” he said. “I became a bitter person. Someone I didn’t recognize.”
Davis used creativity to bring about change. “I knew that I had to do something productive and try to create something positive. That became the story about a person struggling with the emotions of understanding his HIV.”
The biography comic form allows TidalWave’s talented writers to delve into the history of newsworthy figures and explore the events that shaped them. Their line of biographical comic books have been featured on CNN, The Today Show, Good Morning America, FOX News and in Billboard Magazine, TIME Magazine, The Advocate, POZ Magazine, Vanity Fair among thousands of others, engaging readers of all ages with a mix of information and entertainment.
Educators will find TidalWave’s robust catalog of graphic and literary novels now fully accessible, providing teachable moments for their students. Libraries can order books designed to educate and entertain communities, while comic book stores can capitalize on the focus of the lives of famous – and infamous – while adding credibility to the graphic form by sharing true stories that shape our lives.
“As a reluctant reader, I found the comic book form easy to access, so I always believed comics could both entertain and teach,” said Davis.
TidalWave formed a recent partnership with Ingram to print high-quality books on demand while assisting with eBook distribution and more. Ingram works across the full publishing spectrum, providing assistance to some of the largest names in the business to local indie authors.
All the titles are in print and is available on your e-reader from iTunes, Kindle, Nook, ComiXology, DriveThru Comics, Google Play, Overdrive, IVerse, Biblioboard, Madefire, Axis360, Blio, Entitle, EPIC!, Trajectory, SpinWhiz, Smash Words, Kobo and wherever eBooks are sold.