Der bewegte Mann / Pretty Baby. Comic. [German]

Ralf Köenig wrote this in 1987. Just few years before the fall of a Berlin wall, which in itself became a landmark of a new age. Newertheless, in "Der Bewegte Mann", there is no feeling of dread which might be expected, there is no talk about politics, at least not on a global scale. There is politics - one of a gender, and it's role in a society, but it lacks hardcore theoretical approach, and addresses the theme in a worldly manner, non-complex, cynical and somewhat tragical. Considering that entire comic is based upon the meeting of two worlds - blue-eyed (in a real and metaphorical sense), blue-haired, alpha-male Axel, and Waldo/Waltrauda, easy-going, slightly feminine homosexual, it is marvelous how Köenig manages to avoid bunch of stereotypes that often comes when one presents this topic. This friendship (with certain erotic attitude) will lead Axel into a world of night-clubs, queer partys, and will introduce him to a world hidden beneath the layers of society. World that has same probles as world form which Axel comes from. How he will deal with this discrepancy is the main problem that occupies 120 pages of comic. Twenty years from publishing of this comic, it is a wonder that it still possess a material for scandal. At least in some parts of the world, especially in those parts that talk big about liberalism and democratic society. Voice of the Other, that is here presented not entirely different from the non-Other, still manages to cause a disqueting feeling in certain mindsets, and reader has to wonder what is the cause of this. What is it that can be called scandalous here? Answer is very simple - nothing. Or is it that mere fact that protagonists of human drama are not the ones we're used to? Or a fact that life is presented in a certain joyous, somewhat melancholic way that pays no heed to totalitarian imagery of gneder roles, gender politics, and standrad notion of normal? Yet, that part of the story in "Der Bewegte Mann" is sort of necessity, not the main point. Main point being something that is not entirely alien. "Der Bewegte Mann" is a story of human relations, of passion and finding ones place in a world. It is still a powerful, cynical critique on many levels. At the same time it possess acurate feeling for nonsesne in our picture of world and certain common-sense approach to big questions of life. It is a must-read for everyone. Sure, it is not perfect in a way that nothing is, but yet it is much better than many volumes of contemporary literature that deals with similar topics.