After an unbearably long time sitting on a secret, I can finally announce that I wrote a porno.
Kidding—but only by half. Any of my younger readers, or sensitive parents of my younger readers, or sensitive editors of my material for younger readers, I implore you to stop reading here (if you already disobeyed the headline, that is).
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to pitch for Limerence Press, Oni Press’s then-brand-new line of erotica and sex-ed comics. All props for this go to my good friend Tini Howard, who put me in touch with editor Ari Yarwood, the mastermind behind the imprint. Ari has actually since left Oni (on good terms!), but Limerence remains her brainchild and baby. Recognizing that there is a massive demand for sexy comics online—but that the few making it to store shelves were often one-handed reading for straight men with tastes stuck in 1992—Ari and Oni created Limerence to provide a home for inclusive, interesting smut and educational comics.
I’m not sure the idea for Cheat(er) Code would have come to me had this unique opportunity not presented itself, but I will be eternally grateful to Tini and Ari for lighting this NSFW spark. Illustrated with wild geeky abandon by Daryl Toh (@tohdraws on IG), the 120-page original graphic novel follows Kennedy as his long-term relationship comes to a messy end and he seeks solace in his trusty video games. But thanks to a well-timed lightning strike, those video games are way more hands (and mouths, and [redacted]) on than ever before. Imagine a sexual odyssey through your PS4 hard drive and you’re not far off.
Daryl was the first artist we approached for the book, and it’s impossible to imagine it under anyone else’s pen. Please, please peruse his Instagram—he’s a chameleon, and shares my love of horror in addition to the gay nerdy stuff. Cheat(er) Code could have easily become a visual mess under a less talented artist, but Daryl balances the funny, sexy, emotional, and nerdy with ease, and his contributions to the story are innumerable. A full sixth of the story is only in there because of a suggestion Daryl made, and the number of background gags he crammed into these 120 pages makes me laugh every time I review a pass. It was a huge relief to have a creative partner embedded in video games. Making this book, which is fueled by a love of gaming, with someone who didn’t already speak that language? Please. A nightmare worse than anything in Silent Hill.
I had two guiding lights while writing the script: John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus, a film that feature all-real sex in service of a touching, emotional, often-hilarious story; and the dearth of MLM comics that reflect the less-sexy realities of gay sex and dating. As a preteen, so many of the representations of gay sex and romance that I found in comics came from yaoi, and it took me years to understand why those tropes were so incongruous to my own burgeoning experiences. I never expected one of my first full-length comic projects would be an uncensored, 18-plus nerdy erotica, but I’m immensely proud of the result.
Cheat(er) Code is absolutely a sexy story—seriously, I can’t stress enough that younger readers should STEER CLEAR—but it’s also a heartfelt one about breaking up and putting yourself back together. I’ve been nervous about how this book would sit alongside the rest of my work (hence the nom de plume S.A. Foxe—I don’t want any parents stumbling across it on Amazon, seeing Daryl’s bright, poppy artwork, and making a terrible mistake for their child), but I’m so, so proud of the STORY weaving in and out of all the sexytimes. Whether gay erotica is your thing or not, I hope you’ll give it a chance (as long as you’re over the age of eighteen) when it comes out September 22nd. Or hey, go preorder it now, like a triple-A video game that promises you extra cosmetics if you give Gamestop your cash upfront.
Anyway, did I mention yet that kids shouldn’t read this one?