IDW has revealed that “It Rhymes with Takei” is scheduled for release in June 2025. This graphic memoir is by George Takei, Harmony Becker, Stephen Scott, Justin Eisinger, and Jose Villarrubia.
This graphic novel combines historical context with intimate subjectivity, showing how the personal and the political are always intertwined. The emotionally rich words and images depict the fear of being trapped even in gay community spaces, the struggle of speaking out on many issues while remaining silent about the most personal, the sadness of losing friends to AIDS, and the truth. It depicts the joy of finding love. Brad Altman and his determination to publicly and legally declare his love in front of the entire world.
So what’s the summary?
George Takei has been many things to the world: actor, author, outspoken activist, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise, living witness to the internment of Japanese Americans, and social media king. But until October 27, 2005, there was always one piece missing. That’s the one face he didn’t show the world. There was one very intimate fact about George that he never revealed…and it rhymes with takei.
Available for pre-order now
idaho
Los Angeles, CA (October 30, 2024) – Top Shelf Productions tells the untold story in a new full-color graphic memoir from the team behind George Takei’s award-winning bestseller THEY CALLED US ENEMY. I am proud to announce “IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI”. His journey from hidden actor to international gay icon. Scheduled for publication in June 2025, IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI offers an unprecedented look into the heart of this beloved star and a celebration of the warp speed changes he witnessed during his lifetime.
George Takei is an actor, author, and outspoken activist.
Helmsman of the Starship Enterprise, living witness to Japanese American internment, and king of social media. But until October 27, 2005, there was always one piece missing. That’s the one face he didn’t show the world. There was one very intimate fact about George that he never revealed…and it rhymes with takei.
For the first time, George Takei tells the full story of his life in the closet, his decision to come out as gay at the age of 68, and how that moment changed everything. Following the phenomenal success of his first graphic memoir, THEY CALLED US ENEMY, Takei reunites with the team of Harmony Becker, Stephen Scott, and Justin Eisinger, this time with award-winning colorist , José Villarrubia joins in, completing an amazing New Testament. From a youthful experiment in the 1950s with unrequited childhood love and strict conformity, to worldwide fame as an actor and a paralyzing fear of being exposed, to speaking your truth and becoming one of the most watched actors on the planet. From the watershed moment of becoming one of the first gay men to become a gay man, It Rhymes With Takei paints a comprehensive portrait of one iconic American as he navigates the waves of LGBTQ+ history.
Combining historical context and intimate subjectivity, IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI shows how the personal and the political are always intertwined. The emotionally rich words and images depict the fear of being trapped even in gay community spaces, the struggle of speaking out on many issues while remaining silent about the most personal, the sadness of losing friends to AIDS, and the truth. It depicts the joy of finding love. Brad Altman and his determination to publicly and legally declare his love in front of the entire world.
Reflecting on his remarkable life on both sides of the closet, George Takei provides a charismatic and candid witness to how far America has come and how precious that progress is.
rhymes with takei
Written by George Takei, Harmony Becker, Stephen Scott, Justin Eisinger, Jose Villarrubia
ISBN 9781603095747 | $29.99 (US)
Full color hardcover, 6.5″ x 9″ | 328 pages
