Story at a glance
- June is traditionally observed by the LGBTQ+ community as Pride month in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots of 1969.
- Marvel announced it would honor the community by releasing new covers for its “Star Wars” series featuring LGBTQ+ characters.
- The new covers, produced by gay and transgender artists, were released digitally.
Can you name all the LGBTQ+ characters in Star Wars? Whether you’re a diehard fan that’s been waiting for this moment or just learning about them now, you’ll want to check out Marvel’s newly released Star Wars covers ahead of Pride month.
“As part of the community of LGBTQ+ creators — a galaxy not so far away — I am honored to be part of this project,” Jacopo Camagn, the cover artist for ”Bounty Hunters #13,” told StarWars.com. “Sketching Yrica Quell was a journey to expand that endless galaxy, on board with her as rebels against the Empire.”
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Quell, pilot and leader of Alphabet Squadron, deserted the Imperial army and joined the New Republic in the canon novel series by Alexander Freed released in 2019. She’s joined by the original series’s iconic character Lando Calrissian, as well as Doctor Aphra, a rogue archaeologist; Rae Slone, an Imperial commander; Sana Starros, a bounty hunter and smuggler; and Jedi twins Terec and Ceret — all LGBTQ+ characters illustrated by LGBTQ+ artists.
“Being invited to portray these two amazing characters was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I couldn’t let slip away,” Javier Garrón, the cover artist for “The High Republic #6,” told StarWars.com. “It’s a chance to highlight what I love about them and Star Wars: it’s an endless universe, immensely diverse and inclusive. With each story its limits are shattered and it becomes richer, more interesting and more fun to explore. So I wanted to draw Terec and Cerec as the powerful characters they are, filled with determination and hope. Because that’s what a great Jedi means to me. And representation matters.”
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The covers are part of the rollout of Marvel’s “War of the Bounty Hunters” miniseries, which ties in LGBTQ+ characters across different titles in the Star Wars universe.
“This talented team of artists is bringing so much passion and enthusiasm to these covers,” Marvel editor Tom Groneman said last month when the series was announced. “For me, sharing that passion with fans and readers is a wonderful celebration of the most unique, compelling, and iconic characters in the Star Wars galaxy.”
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