Loyalty can't wait to host Rhea Ewing and Susie Dumond in conversation (moderated by Loyalty's owner Hannah Oliver Depp) in celebration of Fine: A Comic about Gender, our Spring 2022 Leap of Faith pick! This event will be held digitally via Crowdcast. Click here to register for the event with a donation of any amount of your choice, or you can order the book or the Fine Leap of Faith box on our website to be automatically added to the event's registration list. Donations will go to Trans Lifeline. There will also be an option to snag the book during the event.

A vibrant and informative debut with “great documentary power” (Alison Bechdel), Fine is an elegantly illustrated celebration of the transgender community.

As graphic artist Rhea Ewing neared college graduation in 2012, they became consumed by the question: What is gender? This obsession sparked a quest in which they eagerly approached both friends and strangers in their quiet Midwest town for interviews to turn into comics. A decade later, this project exploded into a sweeping portrait of the intricacies of gender expression with interviewees from all over the country. Questions such as “How do you Identify” produced fiercely honest stories of dealing with adolescence, taking hormones, changing pronouns—and how these experiences can differ, often drastically, depending on culture, race, and religion. Amidst beautifully rendered scenes emerges Ewing’s own story of growing up in rural Kentucky, grappling with their identity as a teenager, and ultimately finding themself through art—and by creating something this very fine. Tender and wise, inclusive and inviting, Fine is an indispensable account for anyone eager to define gender in their own terms.

Rhea Ewing (they/them) is a comic illustrator and fine artist who graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BFA in drawing and printmaking. They currently live in California, taking artistic inspiration from the state's diverse landscapes.

Susie Dumond is a queer writer from Little Rock, Arkansas. She is a senior contributor at Book Riot, where she writes a monthly Horoscopes and Book Recommendations column, as well as various quizzes, book lists, and bookish news pieces. Susie received a bachelor of arts from the University of Tulsa and a master of arts in public policy and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies from the George Washington University. Currently, she’s probably making cupcakes at her home in Washington, D.C., with her partner, Mary, her dog, Waffles, and her cat, Maple.

Please note Loyalty has a zero tolerance policy for harassment or intimidation of any kind during this virtual event.

Rhea Ewing and Susie Dumond for FINE