A Glass, Darkly

Words By Luis Silva

Art/Lettering/Colors by Joelle Blot

Hello, dear reader. My name is Luis Silva (@mr_lou_silver) and I hope you enjoyed this comic that me and my best friend Joelle Blot (@stardragonart) worked on just for you. While you’ve already read this story (it is a one-page comic, after all) this section will be akin to the creator commentary you’d see on the special feature section of a DVD you found in a haunted video store that not only survived the advent of streaming services, but which contains a great many goodies.

We’ll start with the title. A Glass, Darkly itself primarily a reference to the 1 Corinthian 13:12. From my understanding of this verse, it compares mankind’s inability to understand god to a person trying to look through a dark and distorted looking glass. However, this story title is not only a reference to that verse, but also the time of night in which I’d often look in the mirror. 

Yes, I know it’s cliche, but this is based on a true story. Specifically, it is based on a time in my childhood where I, as a superstitious Catholic (don’t worry, I’m completely lapsed now) would try to poke and prod at the supernatural that my father would always say lurked out there, waiting to get me. Anyway, I figured that looking at the giant mirror in my house in the dead of night would be a good place to start. 

I’d stare at my reflection, and stare often. The thoughts in the comic itself are ones that I genuinely thought when I was a kid doing this. However, the reason I stopped in real life was a bit different. I simply thought, what if, just what if… my reflection blinked when I didn’t?

That was too spooky for me.

Fast forward a good twenty years to when I presented this potential story to Joelle, and she drew it out pretty quickly! When I asked Joelle about the colors for the comic and why they seemed so familiar, she told me that, “The color scheme has elements of the ace and trans flags.” Joelle also told me that the nameless main character was inspired by an old Dungeons and Dragons character she made named Riot. 

We hope you enjoyed this story as much as we enjoyed making it, and if you want to see more queer horror, check me and Joelle and our friend Andres (@adbravoart) over at our up and coming publishing house, Creatively Queer Press! (Follow us at @cq_press on Twitter and Instagram, as well as our site creativelyqueerpress.com)

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Dysphoric Reality

TW: Suicide (potentially), dysphoria

People talk about dysphoria as if its a monster. This looming beast who lurches over us, slowly pressing its weight into our bodies. This creature that lurks around every corner, in every shadow. This Blood Mary who waits in our mirrors to strike if we dare to catch a glimpse. Dysphoria is described as dark and monstrous, something ready to rip out hearts and minds out the moment we dare to acknowledge it, feeding on the small triumphs to bring us back down. Those watchful eyes that never leave, that phantom breath down our necks.

What if I were to tell you that for some, dysphoria really is a monster. It really is a creature lurking in the shadows, sucking on happiness and leaving a hollow shell. What if I were to tell you that it may kill me soon and is just waiting for the right moment to strike with blade sharp fangs and claws? If the hushed ways we speak of these feelings manifests. It twists. It warps. It becomes real. Welcome to my world. I do not only have to deal with dysphoria, I have to live with it.

Continue reading “Dysphoric Reality”