Welcome to Pride month! LGBTQ+ creators are well represented in the arts and in creative careers, and while we celebrate countless LGBTQ+ artists all year long, we're always excited to turn a particular emphasis to queer, trans, and gender non-conforming artists every June for Pride month!
This blog post is the second in a series we'll be running all month long highlighting amazing LGBTQ+ comic artists. The first post featured Blue Delliquanti. This one features students at LaGuardia Community College, who contributed to the second volume of The Queerterly, a publication of LGBTQ+ graphic narrative narratives.
LaGuardia Community College, part of The City University of New York (CUNY) system, serves one of the most culturally diverse student populations in the United States. Many students in the Fine Arts, Design Studies, and New Media Technology programs are first-generation college students, first-generation immigrants, or come from low-income families. For many of these students, purchasing personal creative technology simply is not an option. LaGuardia was a recipient of Wacom's Lab Grant in 2025, and created this edition of the Queerterly on their new lab of Wacom Cintiq pen displays!
Volume 2 of The Queerterly features comics from Kris Henriquez, Vee Castillo, Cairo Ong, and Nini Zhang. We spoke to each of them about their comic, what inspired them, and how they created the comic! Download the entire publication by clicking below, and read on to learn more about the young artists.
"My Hair is [Not] Trying To Kill Me" by Kris Henriquez
Kris Henriquez (They/them) is a Dominican comic book artist and aspiring educator from Brooklyn. They are currently studying Fine Arts at LaGuardia community college. "My Hair is [Not] Trying to Kill Me" is their second ever comic, and they look forward to writing and illustrating many more in the future, featuring super awesome POC characters all along the gender and sexuality spectrum. Check Kris out on Instagram.
What inspired this comic? What, if anything, would you like readers to take away from it?
This comic is mostly autobiographical, with artistic interpretations of my emotions surrounding my gender (and hair) around my last two years of high school. It's hard to say there were any direct and conscious inspirations aside from the general ones I have as an artist. I did watch The People's Joker (2022) by Vera Drew during this process, which is an indie parody film that reimagines the Joker as a trans woman. That film used a lot of allegorical story telling and dramatic switches between style and color, so that could have possibly influenced the presentation of this comic.
"How Did They Know?" by Vee Castillo
Vee Castillo (any pronouns) is an aspiring illustrator based in Queens, who has a love for graphic novels, manga, or anything with illustrations. They are a traditional artist whose preferred medium is ink and watercolor. Yet, he is constantly trying and discovering other mediums because of his curiosity for it. She is inspired by the many (too many) movies they have seen, especially from the horror/thriller genre. They are a Fine Arts major at LaGuardia Community College. Check Vee out
What inspired this comic? What, if anything, would you like readers to take away from it?
My inspiration for this comic is my friend group which I’ve known since elementary school, we have always been there for each other since we met. Thus, what I would love readers to take away from this story is that they are loved and supported no matter what.
"Lights, Camera, Action," written by Cairo Ong and illustrated by Nini Zhang
Cairo Ong (she/they), is a film writer and director who likes exploring identity and the in-between moments people don’t always talk about. Their work focuses a lot on emotional tension and queer experiences. "Lights, Camera, Action" reflects their interest in how people navigate being seen and understood. Cairo is majoring in Radiologic Technology at LaGuardia Community College. Check Cairo out on Instagram.
Nini Zhang (they/she), art: is a freelance illustrator currently studying Fine Arts at LaGuardia Community College. She enjoys working with a variety of artistic mediums and exploring different forms of visual expression. Her style is influenced by Japanese and Korean aesthetics, often focusing on delicate and gentle emotions. She also incorporates playful, childlike elements into her work, bringing a sense of warmth to her imagery. Check Nini out on Instagram or X (Twitter).
What inspired this comic? What, if anything, would you like readers to take away from it?
Cairo: A lot of the inspiration for this comic came from real-life experiences and emotions. I wanted to explore feelings and situations that felt personal and honest. I hope readers can connect with the story in their own way and find something familiar or meaningful in it.
Nini: Cairo's ideas and emotions deeply inspired and moved me as the illustrator. Through this comic, I hope readers can gain a sense of hope and the courage to keep believing. No matter what stage of life you are in, misunderstandings may exist in this world, but so does understanding. As time passes, people slowly find their own answers, and eventually, you will meet the right people — those who truly understand and support you. Maybe the timing just has not arrived yet.
Want more Pride 2026 Content?
We're publishing queer comics content all month long. Check out our intro to the series, which featured Roberta Hall aka Happy Impulse, who designed the above illustration, this roundup of LGBTQ+ comics you can read online for free right now, and this feature of comics genius Blue Delliquanti. Stay tuned for more all month long!
