Legend of Hedgehog Boy

From the beginning, Hedgehog Boy was far more than a simple queer fairytale: its use of such a heavy topic as child abuse and its consequences, both physical and psychological, marked it as a well-thought form of therapy. Contrary to historical fairy tales, which usually showed kids the dangers of straying from the normal path that society had agreed upon, Capones story argues for self-expression, reconstruction after traumatic events and the building of a chosen family. These themes should, it seems to me, resonate one way or another with every queer adult. In fact, Capone subverts the usual goal of fairy tales in various ways, as for example with his portrayal of Frank, the angry teddy bear: Franks role would normally be that of the conscience voice, the calming, moral side of the boy. Instead, we get a fierce warrior whod reduce Jiminy Cricket to road kill in an instant.With The Legend of Hedgehog writer and artist Rene Capone, conjures up all of the classic childrens tales of young and lost souls fleeing into their imaginations in order to escape the cold, harsh nature of reality. And like Peter, Alice, and Dorothy before him, were presented with a brash and courageous hero who doesnt submit to torment and strives to find freedom and happiness despite the predominant darkness of his past. Capone doesnt shrink from his responsibilities as storyteller, and as Kitty says, In all the greatest books, someone always gets rescued. The question, of course, is who does the rescuing, and whos rescued.