Banner showing a group of people sitting at a table and standing at a white board, actively having a discussion.

Our Charmed Circle #1

by

Comic panel of a hand cracking an egg into a dish of food

Comic panel of a phone chiming next to the dish of food, with a screaming cat icon and an answer/reject call button.

Comic panel of Fenix standing at the stovetop, holding their phone. They are saying "Oi nanay! Friends are calling. Food's done too." A voice off screen says "Mhm."

Comic panel of Fenix walking up stairs, holding a bag of chips in their mouth, a bowl of food in one hand, and a glass in the other. Their nanay looks up the stairs at them, asking "Stove is off, yes?" Fenix replies "Mrmph" since their mouth is holding the bag of chips.

Comic panel of Fenix putting out headphones in black and white silhouette, with a bright screen in front of them. Four text bubbles on the screen read: "Fenix: 'Sup nerds. We ready, Liam?" "Amrita: Where did I put my..." "Mary: Thumbs up emoji" An unnamed bubble says "Actually..."

Comic panel of of another character wearing headphones, awkwardly holding their neck. They say "Call me Zoe."

Comic panel of four screens of video showing everybody's reaction. Fenix s frozen, eyes wide and sparkling with a drink up to their mouth. Mary's face is off camera, but we see the top of her cyan hoodie and pink cat ears on her headphones, with a red exclamation mark above it. Amrita is very close to ht ecamera, just showing her nose, wide eyes, and forehead, and Zoe is still sitting a little awkwardly, waiting for a reply.

Comic panel of the four characters reacting more. Fenix shout "Let's goooooooo" with a word bubble stretching across the next panel. Mary peeks up onto camera and says "I like it." Amrita is lying back on a bed covered in stuffed animals and says "I was right! It suites you. Zoe!" Zoe holds their headphone away from their head as Fenix's shout continues out of it."

Comic panel of cute chibi versions of the characters all hugging Zoe, representing their virtual support.

Everyone’s journey to understanding their gender is different, as are the people we choose to be part of it.

Our Charmed Circle shares the story of four friends connected across the continent by a shared enthusiasm for gaming and bound by a sense of solidarity. Follow the story of Fenix, Amrita, Mary-Jo, and Zoe as they navigate the realities of online relationships and daily life. With this comic, CHASI and artist Sharon Strauss aim to explore the issues we face, the world we live in, and how we find the strength to forge an identity in an ever-changing political landscape. Watch for a new comic every second week.

CHASI’s Our Charmed Circle page includes character bios and links to every comic.