This comic is basically my way of A) Filling a major gap in the online comic community (I mean, let's face it, you've got three dozen comics about lesbians, a hundred and four about clumsy white males, six about talking ferrets, and eight with dead people, but only two other TS comics that I've managed to find), and B) Working through a lot of the stress and insanity that comes from my life. In a sense, I guess this is therapy (and a lot cheaper, too). I have it up here, online, to try and make people laugh as well as show some people that a transsexual man or woman is no different from any other man and woman and try and make the concept a little less alien to all.

The title "Venus Envy" isn't original, I'm afraid. I, being monumentally terrible at coming up with titles and names for things (I'm planning on naming my first daughter Miranda; that should tell you something right there) was relying on my wonderful roommate to come up with something catching and appropriate. She finally came up with "Venus Envy" and I skittered off gleefully to continue my 'work'.

Ah, but several days later, my esteemed roommate (who has hopefully forgotten by now that I still owe her money) and I discovered that she was not to first to be so mind-beguilingly creative. It seems that "Venus Envy" is also the title of a novel by Rita Mae Brown, a rather talented feminist author. Luckily for me (and for all of you), titles can't be copyrighted, so I managed to avoid a lawsuit... well, I would've, if Ms. Brown were the sort of person to press charges for something like this, which she doesn't seem to be, but I digress (and talk too much, as well).

Anyway, "Venus Envy" is obviously a take on "penis envy", for those of you who don't get the joke, except replacing the word "penis" with "Venus", roman goddess of beauty... "Hera Envy" probably would've been more appropriate, but it wouldn't be as funny nor as catchy.

The first two or three weeks of Venus Envy weren't actually written to be part of a storyline or character development. Venus Envy was originally just a few stupid doodles and jokes about the different ways transsexuality could be kind of funny. It wasn't really until the whole "Erection in School" and "Soccer" weeks that Zoë started to develop in my mind as a real character concept. So, therefore, anything that takes place in the earliest comics, while funny, is not considered an official part of the VE storyline, nor is that young woman really Zoë. For the time being, let us simply refer to her as proto-Zoë.

In several of the earliest comics, the Zoë-like individual (the character concept of Zoë hadn't fully solidified in my head yet) is wearing a strange shit that looks like an "F" inside of a stylized heart. This is actually a simplified symbol for MtF designed by artist Matt Nishii , and I added it to the shirt of my main character back when I was first kicking around the idea of a comic so people would know who the TS was... plus I just think it's a really cool design. Hell, I might even make myself a shirt like that at some point, especially since no one actually knows what it means.

What IS Zoë? Zoë is a teenage transsexual; someone who was born one sex, but with the distinct instincts and thought patterns of the other. She was born a boy, but grew up with a girl's mind, and, at age 15, finally told her parents about this. After several different therapy sessions, her parents finally conceded and are reluctantly allowing her to transition, to become a normal girl. For more information, check out the Links page

What is Larson then? Larson is also a transsexual; a female-to-male. His transition has been somewhat similar to Zoe's, except his parents haven't really paid that much attention to it... then again, they have seven kids, so fretting over any one of them isn't really possible.

And Lisa? Lisa is a lesbian. As far as her physical body is considered, everything is as it should be (though she could stand to loose a few pounds, in her opinion, and maybe a nose job) and she has no plans to change any aspects of her sex.

What the hell is the deal with Brianna? Brianna is probably the lone stand of weirdness in what would otherwise be ca very realistic, dramatic comic. How believable you find her character depends on your views on psychic abilities, and whether or not you think she's really psychic or just faking it to keep people away.

Brianna's not the only weirdness; What about that chicken who teaches physics and helps out the Drama club? NEVER MOCK THE CHICKEN!

Does Zoë/Larson take hormones? Yes. At the beginning of the comic, Zoë has been on Hormone Replacement Therapy for a little under three months. Since no real breast development occurs for six to twelve months, she still pads her bra heavily. Larson has been taking testosterone injections for about as long; his voice has already dropped and he's beginning to develop some light facial hair.

What about Zoë's/Larson's voice? In Zoë's case, hormones won't change her voice. She spent a long time practicing how to change her voice to sound more feminine (having been a drama geek obviously helped a little). In Larson's case, hormones have caused his voice to break and drop, just like any other pubescent boy's

Where are Larson's breasts? Having spent several years as a pubescent girl, Larson does indeed have breasts. He normally binds them (check out Matt Nishi's Binding Tips for the technical details) and wears layers of clothing just in case.

Are you a Transsexual? Sort of. I know that, medically, I'm TS, but it's not a word I use to describe myself (the word I would use would be geek). I've been a girl for several years now, and don't really hang out with other TS girls or do TG things. Not that I have anything against anyone else going through this, I just don't like hanging out with people based solely on a mutual birth defect.

Have you done any other comics? Not really. I used to draw comics for the school paper, and I've gotten started on a few online comic ideas that never went anywhere, but this is the first time I've actually stuck with it. Frankly, I'm a little shocked that I've managed to keep this up so long.

What color is Zoë's hair? Red. It is not blonde, it is red.

Are you sure it's red? Very sure. Go away.

Can I date Zoë? No. Zoë is a fictional being; ink put to paper by a two-bit hack. Dating Zoë would be as realistic as dating Horatio Hornblower or Minnie Mouse.

Can I date you? No. E-mails soliciting romance or casual sex will be replied to with a myriad of viruses, the likes of which no man has known before.

If Zoë and Superman got in a fight, who would win? Superman. Hands down. Even if Zoë had kryptonite and a pointy stick. No one beats Superman except maybe Batman.

If Zoë and Spiderman got in a fight... That's it! Stop it! This FAQ has gotten entirely too silly