Circles (comic book)
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Circles is a gay-themed slice-of-life furry anthology comic written by Stephen Domanski and Andrew French. It features art by Scott Fabianek, more commonly known as "K-9". Although Circles is a comic, issues 0-4 have been compiled into an anthology (pictured) which could classify it as a graphic novel.
There are currently 6 issues of the comic as of July 2006.
Circles is published by Rabbit Valley and is available through their website.
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[edit] Setting
The setting is Boston, in the early years of the 21st Century. The first issue is dated Spring 2001, and each issue corresponds to one season of time, so the latest issue as of this writing, Issue 6, is Summer 2002. The comic deals primarily with 6 characters inhabiting a house at the fictional address of 6 Kinsey Circle (a pun on the Kinsey scale in which a rating of 6 means that the subject is exclusively homosexual; also coincidentally the total number of main characters). Although the characters are drawn as anthropomorphic animals, the creators of the book have always been clear that they are, actually, normal human beings. We simply view them through a "furry lens".[citation needed]
[edit] Characters
[edit] Major characters
[edit] Paul "Paulie" Mayhew:
Drawn as a dog (possibly a Golden Retriever, but it is really hard to tell). At age 52 at the beginning of the series, Paulie is by far the oldest character. He acts as a sort of patriarch of the Kinsey Gang, a father figure who considers everyone in the house a member of his family. He refers to nearly everyone as "Dear" (an uncommon habit among British gay men). He does not work, having inherited an undisclosed amount of money from his mother's side of the family (Doug often refers to him as "idle rich"). He is the long-time selves-proclaimed husband of Douglas Pope, with whom he inhabits the top floor of the Kinsey Circle house.
Paulie was born in England, to a British father of Scottish lineage and an American mother who was a naturalized citizen. He grew up in England in the 60s, raised primarily by his father and his Aunt Bettina, who moved in following his mother's passing. Along with his first boyfriend, a slightly older boy named Colin, he became a huge fan of the Beatles, and little Beatle-isms find their way into Paulie's dialogue from time to time.
He moved to America in the early 70s and took up residence with his mother's sister in Boston. After her passing, he became increasingly involved in the gay scene, thanks to his involvement with John Brockhurst. Through John, he also became romantically involved with Arthur Korsky, and, sadly, a young man by the name of Keith. When a friend of Paulie's by the name of Graham killed himself after being diagnosed with AIDS, he decided he was going to withdraw from his more promiscuous lifestyle to protect himself. At his "going away" party, Arthur hooked up with Keith, and the three of them went home together. Back home, Arthur passed out, Keith made a move on Paulie, and an inebriated Paulie decided that one last fling couldn't hurt. Through this liaison, Paulie became HIV positive.
After a period of shock and mourning, Paulie emerged from his grief and began to try to do things with the considerable wealth he'd inherited from his mother's family. He made donations to various charities, gave to local schools, helped friends get started in business (including John, who bought a gay-themed bookstore called Triangle Books), and started obtaining medicines and treatments to defer the long-term effects of his HIV. He was asked to lecture at several of the schools he'd donated to on safe sex, and at such a lecture at Harvard University, he met Douglas Pope. He began a relationship with Doug several months later, and the two have been together ever since. Recently, he has also become an "Uncle" to Doug's son, Jason.
Many of the comic's stories begin from Paulie's point of view, in the form of journal entries. It is indicated that Paulie wants to leave them behind when he dies for Douglas to read, so that he may remember their time together.
Paulie represents a lot of the heart of the comic, and a recent poll shows him as the favorite character of fans of the series. His combination of quiet reliability, love for the family he has created, and the pain of his past mistake seems to have struck a chord with those who enjoy this series.
[edit] Douglas Pope:
Drawn as a river otter. Doug Pope is one of the more conflicted characters in the series, having a tendency to follow his passions and to let his feelings get the better of him. He is 32, working as a financial consultant for a company in Boston. He is the long-standing self-proclaimed husband of Paulie Mayhew and the father and surviving parent of Jason Pope.
Doug was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to upper middle-class parents. His childhood has been described as being largely uneventful, although he admits to having feelings for men at even a fairly young age. After enrolling in Harvard Business School, he met a young woman named Linda and became study partners with her, as well as romantically entangled with her. After meeting Paulie at a safe-sex lecture, however, he became increasingly drawn towards Paulie, despite being engaged to Linda.
When Paulie rejected his advances, showing no desire to be the "other woman" in Doug's relationships, Doug, confused and stung by Paulie's rejection, stormed to Linda's dorm room and had unprotected sex with her. This confused him even more, and he withdrew from everyone for a time, finally coming to the conclusion over a boiling pot of noodles that Paulie was the person he wanted to be with. He had a very painful break-up with Linda, who did not tell him that she was now pregnant with their child. He and Paulie reconciled and have been together ever since. Linda eventually told Doug about the birth of their son, Jason, and he attempted to make some contact with Jason, occasionally visiting them in Maine.
When Arthur Korsky returned to Kinsey Circle, it created awkwardness, and when Doug learned that Arthur was indirectly responsible (at least in his mind) for getting Paulie infected, it drove a wedge between them. After the events of September 11, 2001 (this was added later. The original script, according to Andrew French, did not have this reference), and learning of Linda's death in an accident with a drunk driver, Doug, suddenly a single parent, let his emotions build, until a confrontation with Arthur almost drove Paulie to leave him. The threat of losing Paulie finally broke Doug's defenses down, and he apologized to Arthur for the anger he'd been carrying. Several months later, he decided to take responsibility for his son, and, after a custody battle with Linda's parents, brought Jason home to Boston to live. Despite some awkward moments, Jason revealed that both he and his late mother rather liked Paulie for inadvertently encouraging Doug to come out, preventing Linda and him from entering a loveless marriage. Only time will tell how things turn out between them all, but the indications have been positive.
[edit] Arthur Korsky:
Drawn as a Kodiak Bear. Arthur is in his mid-40s, the second oldest of the Kinsey Six, just after Paulie. He is self-employed as an artist, freelance graphic designer, and occasional handyman. He lives in the finished basement of the Kinsey Circle house, having decorated it in what he refers to as Tiki chic. He has also made part of the basement his art studio. He is responsible for the majority of the house's interior color/design, and often refers to the basement as his "Art Cave."
There has not yet been an issue centering around Arthur's backstory, but we do know that he was born in Hartford, Connecticut. He must have moved to Boston sometime in the mid to late seventies and became romantically involved with both John Brockhurst and Paulie Mayhew. He blamed himself for Paulie's HIV infection, as Keith had come home that night with the intention of being with Arthur. It was only after Arthur, very drunk, passed out, that Keith turned his attentions on Paulie. He left the house for New York after discovering Paulie had become infected by Keith, but it's not known what he did there. He returned to Boston and the Kinsey Circle house in the late 90s, and his guilty attitude helped fuel Doug's belief that he was responsible for Paulie's illness. They have only recently begun to reconcile, but Arthur has gotten involved with more charity work through Doug, and the two of them seem to have at least one thing in common: a great love for Paulie.
[edit] Kenneth "Ken" Brassai:
Drawn as a cheetah. If everyone in the house seems to embody a stereotype of the animal that represents them, then Ken's embodiment is that he's fast and fickle. Little is known about Ken, as he hasn't had an issue of his own yet, but he's known for making and breaking relationships with at amazing speed. Within the course of the first 4 comics (a year in the comic), it became evident that he was with at least 5 different people, though we can safely assume the number was larger than that. He works as a model, often naked, and works out quite a bit, both at home and at a gym. He is 24, and he lives on the second floor of the Kinsey Circle house.
So far, Ken has mostly acted as a foil for he other characters, although there is the promise of a future storyline that will help explain his behavior. He has problems with jealousy and seems to dislike people who cling to him. Ken prefers the fun of a few one night stands to the emotional depth of a relationship. He has recently hooked up with a young man named Michael Lang and are in a six month relationship as of Issue 6. This is unexpectedly longer than normal for Ken as far as the household is aware.
[edit] Taylor "Taye" Dooley:
Drawn as an Eastern Grey Kangaroo. The best way to describe Taye is as a force of nature (as quoted directly from the creators themselves). Intensely affectionate, bold to the point of being forward, and seemingly unafraid to take any action, Taye has, nevertheless, mostly been defined so far by his relationship to Marty. He is 23, recently graduated from Boston University, and lives with Marty on the ground floor of the Kinsey Circle house. He is an actor, having understudied for Angel in the local touring company of Rent (musical). He currently works as a waiter in a French restaurant called La Maison du Chanteur (House of the Singer) where all the waiters sing. Sadly, this restaurant is fictional.
His nature was kept largely a secret to people who were being introduced to Circles. The previews of the comic did not contain images of him, only references, and he does not appear until close to the end of Issue 1. His build up climaxes in an appearance that the writer has described as a tribute to the first appearance of Mary Jane Watson in the original Spider-Man comics. He and Marty shared an immediate attraction to one another which continued to grow as they became roommates and has culminated in their becoming a couple.
Taye seems to have an irrepressible nature, saying rather outrageous things at times. He also seems to be an extremely patient and gentle individual, submitting to Marty's desire to wait on actual sex for months after they began dating. They make a very cute couple, and their new relationship tends to book-end the old "married" relationship nature of Paulie and Doug. Taye has not had an issue of his own yet, but we know he was born in Sydney, Australia (but has no accent, as his parents moved to America shortly after his birth.) He is a bit effeminate, but he had no problem belting his ex-lover, Roger, when Roger was threatening Marty in public. We can only hope we'll get to know Taye better in future issues.
[edit] Martin "Marty" Miller:
Drawn as a common striped Skunk. Marty is the last of the primary Kinsey Circle characters. The preview comic released in 2000 centers upon Marty's learning of a house that was looking for a tenant, and Issue 1 features Marty's introduction to the other characters. He acts as an Audience surrogate in that first appearance. He is 20 when the series starts and is a student at Boston University. Although he studies business, his real love is in working on computer video games and has aspirations of becoming a programmer. Marty is mildly obese but is comfortable with his weight, and Taye, his boyfriend, prefers this look. Marty's family is Jewish, but his family is relaxed about observance with the exception of his grandmother. She is strictly kosher.
Marty and Taye's relationship is a primary storyline of the first four issues. They met in Issue 1, Marty declared his interest to his family in Issue 2, they kissed for the first time in Issue 3, and they consummated their relationship in Issue 4; Thereafter, the book has been focusing more on the other characters of the series. Marty has gotten along well with all the other characters, although some issues of jealousy over Taye caused friction between him and Ken for a bit. Marty is out to his family as of Issue 2, and they are accepting of his and Taye's relationship with only his grandmonther displaying disapproval.
[edit] Minor characters
[edit] John Brockhurst:
Drawn as an American Badger first appearing in the Circles 0 preview. The owner of Triangle Books, a gay-themed bookstore in Boston. He is old friends with Paulie and Arthur, having been romantically involved with them together as a triad during the 70s. He's very perceptive about people's actions (as demonstrated in issue 4, when he and Ken were discussing the Hannuka gift Ken had given to Marty).
[edit] Mrs. Nussbaum:
Drawn as a Grey squirrel first appearing in Issue 2. She lives a few houses away from the boys and speaks in a rather Old-World accent. She and Paulie are old friends, having both lived in the neighborhood longer than almost anyone else. She has a playfully antagonistic relationship with Doug, and they often trade recipes with each other. Despite how they treat each other, she and Doug are very good friends. She cooks foods in incredibly large portions.
[edit] Carter Allen:
Drawn as a Red Fox first mentioned in Issue 2, but first appearing in Issue 3. He bears no relationship to the local Boston D.J. He is the father of two children who seem of mixed feelings on the Kinsey Circle household. Carter Allen, himself, is quite resentful of the Kinsey Gang and tries to steer his sons away from their household at all costs.
[edit] Michael Lang:
Drawn as a Field mouse first appearing in Issue 4. Very little has been revealed of him since his introduction. He has been in a 6 month relationship with Ken since they met. It is safe to assume (by the way he greeted Ken for the first time) that the two are very similar.
[edit] Jason Pope
Drawn as a River Otter first appearing in Issue 6. He is Doug and Linda's son. Although the relationship between him and his "Uncle Paulie" started off rocky, a mutual enjoyment of The Beatles brought them closer together.
[edit] Misc Characters
Kathy: A feline involved in the same community projects as Doug and Arthur. She is very kind.
Roger: Taye's ex, a badger, and a very rude, jealous bully. He tries to beat up Marty, but is shot down by "First-Class Angel" Taye.
Marc: A bouncer at the club, "Paradise Island". He is friends with Taye and takes his job very seriously.
Jesus: A llama drag queen, and a very close friend of Taye's. He is very sweet, and tries to steal Marty away for himself for a while.
David: A mouse who works out with Ken and Gus. He is small, and has a loose tongue, but is watched out for by his gym buddies.
Gus: A lesbian wolf who works out with Ken and David. She is very large and powerful, and is best known for beating up on a mouthy gym-goer by the name of Mac.
Marty's Parents: Obviously, his mother and father. They showed up for dinner one weekend, and upon driving Marty temporarily insane, learned of his homosexuality. They had a bet on whether or not he really was gay (Marty's father lost).
Marty's Siblings: His brothers and sisters. He has a younger brother and a younger sister, who helped him move in, and an older brother (Alex) who graduated BU at the same time Taye did. Little is known about them.
Marty's Grandmother: The deciding factor in Marty's coming out explosion. Her suddenly showing up and pestering Marty about a girlfriend pushed him over the edge. Her first name is "Francine."
[edit] Flashback Characters
Linda: A river otter Doug was involved with in college. She was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver sometime around the incidents of September 11, 2001.
Graham: A rabbit more commonly referred to as "Gingersnap." A friend of Paulie's from the 70s. He killed himself when he was diagnosed as having AIDS.
Keith: A tiger who was friends with paulie in the 70s. After Keith's "wake," he, Paulie, and Arthur retreated to the Kinsey house. After a failed attempt to get it on with Arthur, Keith turned his sights to Paulie, and ended up giving him HIV. Keith later called Paulie on the phone to tell him he had tested positive, and that Paulie should get tested too. No one says what happened to Keith after that.
