Overview

Summer was something that I always had mixed emotions about. Living on an isolated rural road, it meant that I had no other kids to act as a "buffer" between myself and my family at home. No summer romance was in my cards. No cute boys I could crush on, sadly. On the other hand, it meant that I could visit my friend, Jessie, at his house pretty much whenever I wanted. As long as it didn't rain, but sometimes even then, I'd still walk the mile-and-a-half down the road to his house. As far as I can recall, Jessie was the first person I came out to, and the first to support me unconditionally.

I wish that we could have covered a few anime or manga stories in our book reviews. These titles, No. 6 in particular, have some pretty nuanced portrayal of LGBTQ+ people. La Esperança, by Chigusa Kawai No. 6, by Atsuko Asano Tokyo Ghoul, by Sui Ishida Wandering Son, by Takako Shimura Our Dreams at Dusk, by Yuhki Kamatani Aside from that, there are some truly spectacular anime soundtracks out in the world that deserve to be shared. Tokyo Ghoul Bubble (film) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Black Butler Terror in Resonance Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

When I was 13 or so, I had a thing for my best friend. I loved when he took his shirt off, because I liked looking at his chest. His nipples were so pink and tiny. And you could count. Every. Single. One. Of his ribs. The really weird thing about my friend, was how sensitive his skin was. If I poked him gently in the side, he'd flinch like I rubbed him with sandpaper. And if I tickled him, you'd have thought I hooked a car battery onto his nipples! LOL!! It was so weird! But, obviously, I tried not to do that. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable. Too much. *snickers* Secretly, I wondered: "If his ribs are that sensitive... then what about his you-know-what?" Sadly, life took us in opposite directions, and I never had the chance to "do anything" with him. After that, I got over my heartbreak when school resumed in September and suddenly, there was, like, an all-you-can-eat-with-your-eyes boy buffet at the middle school. *silence* .... .... *more silence* ... ... *cracks up laughing* Sorry, guys! I just realized how horny that made me sound, and I swear I wasn't! Really!!

Sun kissed blondes are the hottest. Especially soccer players. Why are they always the soccer players? Their bodies glistening in the sun like that all sweaty and rippling…ugh

(This is being posted early to hopefully give more time for everyone to give an answer to be posted in the magazine. August will be the last one so I'm really hoping for everyone to take advantage and leave their marks as when it's gone, it's gone. I'll probably be posting July early as well but for now, I really hope to see you in this one ☺️) Well, this is it. The final "Comsie Q&A" question. It's been quite a few years of us all sharing a part of our lives with each other. Most of us feeling so alone on the way in; only to learn years later that we were anything but that, at least in shared experiences. For that we have Comicality to thank for providing the beacon that for over two decades drew us all here to his "IMAGINE Magazine"and even "Shack Outback" to gather and become a family. IMAGINE Magazine has shown us that in his memory, his totally unfinished dream can continue in what ever way we want it to. We may have lost his daily presence two years ago but, his absolutely unfinished dream is what led me to this final question: (I'm going to post this one really early to hopefully give everyone a chance to get in on it.) Throughout the course of the 15 years that IMAGINE Magazine has existed and the literal decades Comicalty's Shack Outback has been in our lives, Comicality turned IMAGINE Magazine into a home featuring some of the most interesting "Shack" style content in one place. Stories, Jokes, Musicians, Actors, Artists, Television, Movies, Tabloidesque Situations, and Real Life stories. We have spent years sharing everything that we have found interesting and fun and in that will in the end have a collection of 130 issues to look back on and relive whenever we want. But did we cover it ALL? Not a chance! There are so many who could have made it onto our pages. So much that has been created by others that we could have or even should have covered. If we went on forever, we'd probably still miss some of your favorites. S0 the final "Comsie Q&A" question will be: What do you wish we covered and didn't? Maybe you have a favorite artist that you would have liked to see in these pages to give them some advertising. Maybe a song that is stuck in your head should be stuck in ours as well. Let us know who we missed and in doing so, you will be adding them to the pages of the final issue of IMAGINE Magazine. A pretty cool send off that I think Comsie would have approved of. I'll even include some content from the talent you mention with your response when possible. 💜

When I was about 13 or 14, we were living with my Aunt and her three kids. That happened often and if my parents were having trouble or longer term if they were separated. This summer, we were living out there full time and honestly, I loved it out there. Even more so that summer. I remember there was one day I was messing around in the street by myself out in front of our house on a skateboard when the most beautiful blond, surfer looking kid about my age came up and started asking questions about what tricks I could do and if it would be cool if he came over with his deck and hung out. Of course I quickly wiped the drool off my chin and nodded my head like an idiot, LOL! This was in early spring so, we weren't dressed down for summer and since he had just moved to out little North East town from another one, it would be sooner than most for all of us to shed the long pants and sleeves... I of course had already imagined what he looked like without the covering and honestly, I did not expect him to one up my fantasy image of him, LOL! We lived near the ocean so one of our chores as the worker boys in the house was to go out to the muscle beds at low tide and dig worms to use as bait for our uncle who owned and ran a fishing boat. Of course, when the new kid asked if he could join and help I was fast to say hell yeah. To this day, the sight of him coming out of waist deep water in the skimpy white gym shorts he was wearing still gives me a shiver. Picture any shaggy blond surfer/skater from the 80s in next to nothing that may as well have been nothing when they were wet and, you'll know why today his image is still burned into my memory. Unfortunately, he moved away before winter came but, for that one summer I was 100% in lust with the absolute hottest kid in the neighborhood. Did he catch me looking, sometimes. Did he make a big deal out of it, not really. I'd kill to know why to be honest. ::grin::

As summer starts creeping closer, we want to hear from you about those younger years when you were still figuring out that you were gay, or at least beginning to suspect that your brain had been quietly filing certain boys under “important research.” ::grin:: Did summer mean looking forward to seeing a crush at camp, the pool, the beach, the neighborhood, or wherever your heart had decided to make things unnecessarily complicated? Or were your big summer plans less about romance and more about hoping nobody noticed too much while you continued the exhausting Olympic sport of “acting totally normal”? Many of us are gold medalists unfortunately There are no wrong answers here. Maybe your summer memories are sweet, awkward, hilarious, stressful, confusing, or all of the above before lunch. For many of us, there still aren’t neat conclusions tied up with a sunny little bow. Of course life would have been so much easier if it were. So for this month's question, we ask: when you were young and summer was on the way, were you hoping for a crush-filled adventure, were trying to hide who you were deep down, or somehow doing both at the exact same time? 💜

Unavoidably, unapologetically, unbelievably... ON TIME(ish)! Hehehe! (Yup!) https://imagine-magazine.org/releases/volume-126/

Well there was this one boy…that was so into fitness and sports at like 12-14 he had a flawless chest and six pack. Lighter skin that had softness look to it. I just wanted to constantly stroke it. He had braces a while, then one day just a retainer. His lips looked so soft and he had a small very faint smattering of freckles under his sky blue eyes that I noticed went nearly navy blue at times. His hair was almost a chestnut brown and looked so soft too. He kept it in a side part and had a natural set . God he was beautiful.

We all remember that first stretch of warm weather each year when winter finally loosened its grip? Suddenly, heavy coats disappeared, sleeves got shorter, and everywhere you looked there was a little more skin and thin clothing than there had been just weeks before. When heavy coats get replaced with teeshirts, thick snow suits get replaced with shorts, and our imagination is suddenly replaced with a pretty awesome reality! For a lot of us growing up, it wasn’t just about the weather—it was about that quiet, electric awareness of finally not needing to use our imaginations as much. Being able to enjoy the show, and trying very hard not to make it obvious most of the time. For you maybe it was a matter of catching yourself staring when gym moved back outside, or pretending to be deeply interested in something else while very much trying not to look at someone walking by in a tank top. It was a time for losing your attention at finally being able to see that perfect set of legs or maybe getting treated to a pair of shorts that did little to hide the shape of that perfect butt. You remember that butt, right? Yeah, I see that grin. Hehehe! S0 this month, we’re asking: what are your memories of those early moments of noticing, looking, and maybe trying not to get caught staring? Was there a specific time or place that stands out, or a moment that still makes you smile (or maybe even cringe a little)? Share your story with us. 💜

Wow, looks like this question wan't a popular one on this forum Maybe next time... ** When I was A kid, I had too many responsibilities at home. Two younger siblings to watch out for, an overloaded mother who worked full time to keep a roof over our head and a father who started out an angry alcoholic but ended out letting his alcoholism destroy what good health he could have had, making him like another younger sibling I had to watch out for to help keep my mother from getting overloaded. You know... following about a decade of the man beating it into me that I was worthless and a disappointment. (Good Times) ::groan:: Winter was the worst as we would be stuck inside the house the majority of time but in the spring, I got a break. The kids could play in the yard or go to a friend's house to play. I occasionally got to hang out with one of my best friends, even if it was just to ride bikes, skate, or toss a ball around (or at each other, LOL!) I secretly had a crush on him so I hoarded each and every memory I could with him until we eventually moved away and I lost touch. Of the memories I still look back on, the most memorable were the times we spent when the weather finally let us go outside again. To this day, spring reminds me of him and makes it that much more special.

Something is off with Billy… https://gayauthors.org/story/mrm/brandon-smiling-from-the-billy-chase-chronicles-3/28 https://gayauthors.org/story/mrm/brandon-smiling-from-the-billy-chase-chronicles-3/29 https://gayauthors.org/story/mrm/brandon-smiling-from-the-billy-chase-chronicles-3/30

A rainbow, lots of green and gold, and cool stuff to read! Does it get any better than this? 🤭 https://imagine-magazine.org/releases/volume-125/

If so, that is one spectacular corner 😉

I fear that might be true @JeffsFort. Comsie may have written himself into a corner, bless him….

Hehehe, are we even sure Comsie even knew what Vampire Dawn was supposed to entail? I always pictured it as a change in leadership based on the focus on a newblood and the scope of his power. Taking overall control away from the elders and restructuring as more than just a subculture. What that entails? No clue, LOL!

Now when I wrote this question, I had a semi-funny memory in mind that was destined to be my answer but I knew it wouldn't be short. So I figured, yup, you people need to have this inflicted on you. ::grin:: So, normally with almost everyone I would do the quick gaze redirect or pretend I was looking past the person at something or someone else. But this time I got caught staring at a really awkward time; at someone I had a secret crush on for at least 4 years at that point even though we were very close friends. We'll call him Shawn. Now I met Shawn in the 4th grade and we just clicked. He was kinda goofy, really athletic, good looking, and quickly became a really close friend. At first, I was simply enjoying the craziness that seemed to always be in the room when he was. Then about a year later, I realized that it was absolutely more than that. He was cute, like seriously cute. Light skinned, blond hair that even on a windy day would fall back into place and look perfect, always on the run when it came to sports or anything that had any kind of competition to it. I found myself letting him talk me into doing things that I had no real interest in doing. All it took was his whined "Oh come on Jeff! It'll be fun, I promise!" and I would follow him anywhere. I often found myself wondering why I was putting myself through it all. Baseball after school, football on the school front lawn, kickball with the group of us who hung out. In Jr. High he talked me into playing field hockey which I did enjoy but also wrestling. At thirteen years old, I was not built for wrestling, like, at all. LOL! I was short and skinny and the rest of the boys wrestling for the most part, were not. But I followed him anywhere. In high school, he talked me into trying out with him for the swim team and the football team. I didn't make it for football (I did go for track so I could be close by during his practices and I could run.) but did make the swim team. Which is where I had the most epic "What are you looking at?" moments ever. So, we were running drills that day. I forget what we were getting ready for but we were seriously dragging ass afterward. Now since we played quite a few contact sports over the years, we had showered in open showers and changed in front of each other enough times for me to have images of him burned into my memory, it was just pretty common place though. This day I had grabbed my stuff to shower up, pulled off my swim suit, wrapped around my waist and then sat down to wait for Shawn to grab his stuff because let's face it, I was not missing out on clowning around in the showers with him if I could help it. That was what I was in it for over all anyway, LOL! He finally wandered in and I sat quietly while he started to peel his bathing suit off. I didn't realize it at the time but I partially zoned out and was staring at his 'fun zone' pretty hard. He turned and noticed, tilted his head and then started to laugh. "What are you staring at, you gay today?" (That was a thing, long story, LOL!) I was a little startled because I was lost in thought (they were of him but, that's not the point ) and he had just snapped me out of it. Me being who I have always been reflexively shot back "Huh? Oh um, I was waiting to see if it's finally big enough to see without a microscope. Can'rt be gay for something that isn't there." which honestly wasn't out of character. His response, he just dropped his shorts and jumped up and down a couple times so it would flop up and down. Not huge but, ::sigh::... Shawn: "Any bigger and you could see it from space." Me: "What? It takes up no space." Shawn: "You take up no space." Me: "Well, you are waving it around. You sure you aren't gay?" "You're gay!" "You wish I was gay!" "You wish I wished you were gay!" (I really did ) A normal Wednesday for us honestly and all these years later, I remember secretly trying to memorize every single feature that was uniquely him. He was one of the very few I didn't worry about when it came to being physical. With little to no boundaries or shame from either, he was the only person I could be caught staring at like that and get out of it without getting my nose rearranged Unfortunately, we lost touch after my family moved halfway through high school. No idea where he is today but thanks to my staring, I can still see every inch of him in my mind and smile. Well, you know, after in my mind we get into the obligatory wet towel snapping war coming out of the shower leading to either involving innocent bystanders or getting yelled at by our coach. That's how it's supposed to go, hehehe!

I’m seeking ideas. I want to finish GFD, but I have no idea what Comsie wanted the Vampire Dawn to represent. I’ve spent the past couple of years scouring for answers, but none come! Please respond with any thoughts you might have on the matter. It may help me bring GFD to its conclusion!

There’s something about the first warm breeze of spring that can send your mind wandering back to grade school. The snowbanks shrinking along the playground, the smell of wet pavement after recess, the way the classroom windows were finally cracked open after a long winter. Maybe it was the excitement of field trip coming up, doodling in the margins of your notebook while the teacher talked, or the secret little daydreams that helped the school day pass a bit faster. For many of us, those early springs also carried quiet moments of figuring ourselves out—feelings we didn’t have words for yet, or ones we learned very quickly to keep tucked away like a folded note in a desk. Looking back now as adults, those memories can feel sweet, awkward, and maybe even a little funny, all while we consider the 'what if' moments in some big events. Spring had its own kind of magic back then: the first crush that made your stomach flip, the friend you always hoped would pick you for their team or even just come over and hang out, the walk home when the air finally smelled like grass again. Whether your memory of it all is silly, shy, or secretly sentimental, those small moments often stick with us far longer than we expect. So this months question is... What did you get excited for when spring finally arrived when you were still in grade school? 💜

Ok confession time. Yes I still stare bc honestly why are the guys who work as transportation assistants in the hospitals always like super cute and hot?! Oh that’s be that age again sigh

But yes I did have those experiences early on and it was not safe to act on them in public. Not back then. Not with that school.

I doubt he’s even gay tbh

Hell I still catch myself with a guy at work. I’m too chicken to act on it though. He may have caught once or twice and maybe suspects but we’re all waay too busy to catch each other privately to interact. Oh well.

That is so sweet.

That's not boring... That's awesome