A Good Sport is a graphic memoir written and drawn by French cartoonist Soizick Jaffre, detailing her participation in the 2018 Gay Games, her lifelong love of athletics, and her own personal search for freedom. This memoir is visually rich with Jaffre’s colorful, expressive illustration style that runs the gamut from realistic portrayal to eyepopping surrealism. A Good Sport deftly balances both personal and world history to paint a picture of feminist triumph and queer self-determination. Jaffre’s journey takes her from the beaches of France to the streets of Saigon, from the cafes of Tel Aviv to the bowling alleys of America. Along the way we learn some of the history of the Gay Games and their origins in Olympian Tom Waddell’s fight against discrimination. We also see how the Games provide a gathering point for queer athletes of all nationalities whose drive to compete is also an expression of their personal struggles for equal rights. Throughout A Good Sport, Jaffre makes the connection between one’s right to participate in a chosen sport and the “game of freedom” that we all must play to become our best selves. A Good Sport includes an introduction by cartoonist and comics scholar Justin Hall and a foreword by 2018 Gay Games co-president Pascale Reinteau.
