The Pervert by Michelle Perez

A surprisingly honest and touching account of a trans girl surviving through sex work in Seattle. With excerpts published in Eisner nominated anthology ISLAND, the full colour volume, drawn and painted by Remy Boydell is an unflinching debut graphic novel.

"It's a real story that doesn't try to gussy itself up at all. It reads like a Goya painting looks. Perez is telling stories that are so different from other mainstream comics, but will also resonate with so, so many people. You don't need to be trans or a sex worker or depressed to see yourself in this book. Perez is able to capture a shared experience that Millenials have where we just can't seem to swim upriver no matter what or how hard we try.

Sometimes when I read books I think wow, I'd love to live in the world this person has created; with The Pervert, Perez has written a book where I think wow, I already do live in the world this person has created. While it's brutal, there's also kindness and love in the book.

One of the clients we meet had previously had a relationship with a trans woman and the way he loves her and talks to her warmed my heart. He's never shown as a perfect person, but he's given sympathy, because he's a human being and he's trying. I love these parts of the book. There are also splash pages of art that is simply beautiful. Sometimes the subject matter is something gruesome, like a car crash or deer carcass, but it's still overwhelmingly beautiful." Autostraddle

Paperback / 160 pages