Slap Leather
I've never been a big fan of the Western genre in any medium. Not only did I find the stories boring, the characters flat, and the action predictable, there was just something inherently unappealing about the unremittingly masculine atmosphere. They somehow reminded me of everything I hated about high-school sports or the uncle with the too-strong handshake. Needless to say, Western-themed comic books, which were still around though in steep decline during my youth, never offered the slightest temptation.
Well, apparently someone at Marvel Comics has been reading William S. Burroughs' bent western, The Place of Dead Roads, because there's a new version of their timeworn classic "Rawhide Kid" character riding into town, and this one may actually be worth reading. Here's the full story from ComicCon.com:
Citing reports on comics related web sites, the NEW YORK POST published a feature story on Marvel's new 'RAWHIDE KID' series. The story includes a large color graphic of the Kid. 'SLAP LEATHER', due out in February, is a humorously campy take on the cowboy genre, with the hero being openly and over the top gay.
The POST is reporting: "He may be the fastest gun in the West, but one longtime Marvel Comics character is no straight shooter. The Rawhide Kid, who made his comics debut in the 1950s, will soon be blasting his way out of the closet and be revealed as a gay gunslinger."
"This is going to be the first gay Western," Marvel's editor-in-chief, Joe Quesada told the POST. The Kid was always shown as a shy-around-girls kind of guy. Now you know why."
"It's a classic Western, like ‘Shane,' but with a gay twist," writer Ron Zimmerman told the POST. Admitting "a comedic slant," Zimmerman intends the Kid to be "an empowering character that the gay community would be able to embrace."
The POST said: "One tipoff about his orientation comes in the first issue, when he's asked about the Lone Ranger. "I just want to meet him. I think that mask and powder-blue outfit are fantastic," he says. "I can certainly see why that Indian follows him around." Asked about Wild Bill Hickock, he says, "Very nice man. Big - ahem - I mean bigger than life."
Paging Hugh at Standing Room Only: crass subculture exploitation or valid creative approach? Either way, it sounds interesting enough to be worth a look!
8:58:39 AM 
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