Amy Conlon

I am writing, illustrating and editing a picture book aimed at young-to-pre-teen children with the goal of representing gay men in children’s media. I want to do this in a harmless, positive and entertaining way by using drag, a massive part of gay culture and history, as a primary storytelling tool.

The story follows Dopie, a cat who was adopted by a drag queen, as she tries to set up her “dad” with her “mum” – not knowing they’re the same person. She’s on a tight schedule; dad’s new friend Ron is getting a bit too comfortable, and mum is around less and less because of it. Dopie recounts her efforts as a collection of diary entries and thoughts about the perfect family she believes they could be.