Few human experiences are as universally shared, and yet as diverse, as the loss of virginity. The Virgin Project is a collection of first-time sexual encounters that illustrate a small sample of the breadth of human experience. Some people consider virginity as a prize to be given away. Some consider it a burden to be disposed of. For some, it was stolen and can never be restored. A few place little value on it at all. As one remarked, "I didn't lose my virginity any more than I 'lost' my pacifier. I outgrew it." The very moment of losing virginity among same sex couples can be a gray area and a topic of debate. Some focus instead on gaining their sexuality, and the opening of a new world of human experience. In one sense, losing one's virginity is an antiquated concept, because society no longer regards sex outside of marriage as shameful. Yet it still marks a passage from adolescence to adulthood for every generation. Most everyone remembers the "first time," some with regret, but many with fondness. According to Dr. Alex Comfort, writing in "More Joy of Sex," "Sex is the only social skill we do not learn by watching," which may account for the great variety in the stories. This first volume of The Virgin Project is the product of a collaboration between two artist-storytellers. They collected stories at various times and locations, including the Seattle Erotic Art Festival and the Victoria Erotic Art and Film Festival. All of the stories in this book are true. The names have been changed to protect privacy, and fictitious names were supplied by the people telling the stories, resulting in a few duplicate names. The variety of stories includes everything from teenage experimentation to wedding night nerves, including the humorous and tragic, gay and straight - all of them different. The introduction is by Ellen Forney, a professional cartoonist/illustrator/author and college instructor. In retelling these stories, artistic license has been used.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Illustrators K. D. Boze and Stasia Kato interviewed all sorts of people--gay, straight, bi; young, old, ancient--about their loss-of-virginity experiences. The illustrated stories in The Virgin Project are moving, hilarious, and heartbreaking in turn--sometimes all three at once--and knowing that everyone s first time is awkward, and that some folks' first times are unpleasant, and that most of us survive them, might be good for your virgin, FIRST. It couldn't hurt you to be reminded of those things, either."
Dan Savage, The Stranger
"One of the most interesting books to cross my desk in recent months ... filled with fascinating narratives of an experience common to most people, yet infinitely varied in its details. Some of the stories are joyful, some are hilarious, some are sad, and a few are downright horrific. Though the stories deal with human sexuality, the depictions of 'the deed' are circumspect and tasteful."
Tony Isabella, WorldFamousComics.com
"The writing is the drawn book at its most poetic, in the classic sense of poetry of saying the most with the fewest words .... The authors pay close attention to the true voices of their subjects. The only thing that colors the stories is an accepting humanity. No sort of tale of the First Time is ignored in The Virgin Project .... I don t keep a lot of the books that are given me to read or review; I've even stuck the ones I didn't want to keep in the back of airplane seats. The Virgin Project is going on the book shelf by the bed. Talk about sexy."
Donna Barr, AssociatedContent.com
"Kato and Boze are kind to their subjects, and kindness is important. This project could easily devolve into nasty frat-boy humor, but their respectful tone is both inspiring and sexy."
Paul Constant, The Stranger
"True-to-life tales of innocence lost ... by turns hilarious and horrifying, incredibly moving and chilling." --Bill Baker, WorldFamousComics.com
About the Author
K. D. Boze is an award-winning cartoonist and the author of the daily comic strip 'Cpl Kev' which appeared in the European Edition of Stars and Stripes in the 1980s. He is also the creator of the online comics 'Camille' and 'Role Call'.
Stasia Burrington (nee Kato) was born into an artistic family and was raised on the cartoon classics 'Tintin' and 'Elfquest', and never tired of the art form. She attended Seattle's Cornish College of the Arts, with a focus in painting and print-making and there took comic classes under the tutelage of cartoonist Ellen Forney.
On May 1, 2010 two weeks after the book s release Boze and Kato were named Cartoonists of the Year by Cartoonists Northwest, which also awarded The Virgin Project 2 the Golden Toonie Award in the Comic Books/Graphic Novels Category.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bittersweet Passages,
By
This review is from: The Virgin Project (Paperback)
As if sex weren't complicated enough, the first time can be as difficult to make peace with as it was to finagle. Or it can be maddeningly forgettable. Or an adolescent tragedy. Or a triumph. One thing's certain: this collection of true "first time" experiences, retold and illustrated by K.D. Boze and Stasia Kato, is an instant contender for the title of "Sweetest Adult Comic Book Ever Published."
Whether they're retelling a story of adolescent discovery, messy experimentation, sexual initiation with a hooker, or the anguish of rape, Boze and Kato, individually and in collaboration, infuse each story with heartfelt humanity. If you're looking for bodice-ripper prose or explicit depiction of conjugating genitalia, go elsewhere. While this book has plenty of nudity, positions, and an undeniable arousal factor, it's truly about people. The laughter generated by "Arlen's" story is as straight from the soul genuine as the gut-wrenching tragedy of "Jayne." Each story is anywhere from a page to three pages long; some are in color, but most are black & white. They are, by turns, funny, sad, hilarious, heartbreaking, gay, very gay, and exuberant. Everything but nasty; Boze and Kato don't go there.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Universal stories for everyone,
By Roberta (Seattle, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Virgin Project (Paperback)
This is a very reader-friendly book telling people's true tales of how they 'lost it' drawn in a very friendly, engaging comics style--nothing in the least sleazy about it. From cheerful to truly chilling, consensual to anything but, featuring everyone: men, women, hetero, gay, undecided, I think learning about how many ways people have experienced this has the potential to break down barriers and I am sure many readers will find it therapeutic. The art is never boring, much of it is very humorous and it is a really unique creation. Highly recommended.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buy this book!,
By
This review is from: The Virgin Project (Paperback)
Looking for the ultimate conversation starter? You need look no further than The Virgin Project. This book relates the real life stories of ordinary people and how they lost their virginity. And get this- it's presented entirely in comic book form.
Silly, sad, embarrassing, horrific- this book explores the entire gambit of this universal experience. These tales are touchingly told, only mildly titillating, (R Rated, not X), and written by grown-ups for grown-ups. The Virgin Project is an amazing work that sets a new standard for adult literature. Your coffee table will thank you.
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