Sugar Town Comic | LGBTQQIAP+ comic narratives
Creative Things

Comic Review: Sugar Town.

By Khanyi Mpumlwana

So you’ve knocked your head against something hard and wake up in a universe where the people are queer/poly, downright adorable, and the men don’t make you anxious.

You are, of course, in Sugar Town.

Cue the infectiously euphoric Nancy Sinatra earworm and you’re likely to feel that way reading through this unsurprisingly heartwarming comic. While some LGBTQQIAP+ comic narratives tend to be somewhat arduous, artist Hazel Newlevant brings us into a world that is light and soft and honest.

The story follows a relatably gauche comic artist, Hazel. She finds herself in what seems to be the coolest, most intersectional, only-in-the-SugarTown-universe queer party. Naturally, my first thought was “girl get out. Leave. Someone’s going to notice you’re alone and it’s weird” but this isn’t about me and my social anxieties so whatever.

Anyway, a meet-cute between Hazel and a womxn named Argent (who has all the answers and makes us all want to date her) catapults us into a refreshing and real adventure of the heart. Each frame is a candied truffle as Newlevant delicately weaves polyamory, kink, insecurity and love in satisfyingly genuine and accessible illustrations.

Everything from overthinking to messing up sexy time and accidentally forgetting you’re in public is a humourous reminder that we are all, in fact, Hazel.

What I love:

The extras. Seriously. I mean, the hottie in the red Napoleanic frock coat had me like hey boo hey.

Wrap up: Sugar Town is the chickflick you didn’t know you needed. It’s queer Notting Hill – squishy, sweet and full of the stuff you never admit to craving. And no Hugh Grant.

Khanyi Mpumlwana is a blerd who spends 70% of her time eating. She writes ads to earn a salary and goes into serious debt for travelling. When that happens, she sits at home, eats and watches Netflix until the 25th.

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