Can you tell us more about the selection process for deciding which stories go in the book?

JG: As I say, authenticity was a keyword when putting this book together, so we wanted to make sure that we had queer male creators telling their stories from a more authentic and genuine perspective. We knew also that we wanted to bring as much of a diverse range of identity within that too, so made sure to reach out to creators of all parts of the spectrum of queer sexuality, ethnicity and inclusive of AMAB and AFAB men and non-binary creators.

MM: We were especially careful to guide stories to a place of romance, and not sexuality. We wanted to be sure that this is a great book for adults, but also for especially cool parents to buy for their kids.

What would you say is the most rewarding part of the process?

JG: Honestly, the most rewarding part of the process has been seeing the stories come together. We have some of the most amazing established creators and some of the most exciting new and rising voices all in this book, and seeing the stories they put together (all expertly connected by a tour de force of lettering from Lucas Gattoni) has really been an absolute joy. The next reward will be seeing how happy this book makes people…because it’s going to make a lot of people very, very happy.

MM: When I was growing up in a very small rural town, calling someone “gay” was the surefire way to get in an immediate fight. And that gross homophobia that ran so rampant through the 90s made accepting my queerness really hard. Being bisexual was especially tough, for me, because I saw the gay folks around me erase and dismiss us and the straights hate us just the same. So I was closeted for a very long time, and only a few people here or there, aside from men I’d dated, really knew.

The media of the time didn’t help much, either. I felt very, very, alone – being queer, and especially a queer man, was a punchline on TV over and over again, and positive representation was extremely hard to find. So this is a very longwinded way of getting to the point that with this book, we created the book I’d have liked to have had when I was a kid and realizing my sexual identity. I hope the book helps young queer kids feel less alone in the world.

In terms of audience, who is this book for?

JG: I know it’s such a cop out to say ‘everyone’, but it really is. We’ve seen in the young adult book market, both in terms of graphic novels and prose, that male/male romance is a very popular subgenre, so this will really appeal to anyone who loves titles like that, such as Heartstopper. But perhaps most importantly, it’s for young queer men and non-binary kids who would just like to see that love, romance and happiness are out there for them too.

What are you hoping readers take away from this book?

JG: That their future is bright. That there’s love to be had and shared, and that nothing can truly get in their way, no matter how they want to live their life, or who they want to live it with. Love, adventure, action and happiness…they’re all up for grabs.

MM: There’s hope, there’s acceptance, and there’s love out there.