2016, Discord Comics
Tab Kimpton

Tab Kimpton’s charming Minority Monsters is ostensibly a metafictional traveller’s guide, chronicling Fred Aura the Explorer’s journey through Alphabet Soup Land, a world of mythical beasts defined by the broad spectrum of human sexuality and gender.

Denizens include Sir Fabulous the Third the Bisexual Unicorn, Madame Lucie Decline the Asexual Succubus, Captain Sashay the Genderqueer Merperson, and Hank and Gary, a heteroflexible hippogriff and gay griffin. Minority Monsters revels in its concept, with a sing-along theme tune, a handy index of both beasts and topics at the rear, and even Tolkieneque maps for those who find themselves lost in Transland or the Desert of Sexual Desire.

This is a silly book, sure, but there’s a sincere point behind it. Kimpton uses each mythical beast’s comic segment to dissect a distinct sexual orientation or preference, followed by Fred Aura’s notes that challenge the real-world myths surrounding bisexuality, polygamy and so on. Minority Monsters is yet another LGBTQ+ comic which finds that magical sweet spot between being informative and tongue in cheek. Even everyman Fred’s journey ends on a profoundly sweet and affecting note.

Minority Monsters can be purchased in hardback from DiscordComics.com or downloaded from itch.io, though due to popular demand Tab is currently crowdfunding a smaller paperback version of the book on Kickstarter. Either format is recommendable. It’s a slight book, as much an adult take on a children’s book (with elements of an edutainment show) as it is a comic, and makes for perfect coffee table bait, left in plain view for unsuspecting readers. Whether Minority Monsters will enlighten your hypothetical guests I cannot say, though Kimpton’s good will and warm humour will certainly raise a smile.