Jenny Blake Isabella introduced herself to her online friends on Sunday, February 9, via Facebook and other social media. Better known as “comics legend Tony Isabella,” she asked her privacy be respected. And it was.
It was always my intent to say more about my transitioning after working over half-a-century in the comic-book industry. I needed time to process my coming out in public and absorb the response I received from this announcement.
I was quite overwhelmed by the love and support I was shown by my online fans and friends. Some of your kind comments brought me to joyful tears. Given the challenging times we live in and the struggles so many of us face, I’ll never forget how quickly you welcomed me and reminded me that, despite the likes of Trump and Musk, my world is full of good decent people.
I hope the following answers your questions about Jenny. If they don’t, well, she’s not going anywhere. As much as time allows, she will answer your respectful questions.
My readers are intelligent people. I won’t try to explain gender dysphoria to you. The short hand version is that when you look in a mirror, you see yourself. When I look in a mirror, I don’t see myself. The person I see doesn’t match who I am and who I am working towards becoming. That said, I won’t go into the nuts and bolts of my situation. I may well write about it in a future book or graphic novel, but, this time around, I’ll discuss what I’m guessing most of you want to know.
My preferred name is Jenny Blake Isabella. I’ve always liked the name Jenny. Blake comes from Marvel’s Doctor Don. Once a Marvel maniac, always a Marvel maniac.
My pronouns are she/her, but I’m not going to get my panties in a bunch if you innocently misgender me or call me Tony. I also make that mistake more often than I’d like. At queer functions, I’ve quipped my pronouns are it/WTF and gotten laughs.
I don’t consider “Tony Isabella” to be a dead name. I’ve written a lot of good stories and other things under that name and done a lot of good for people. I plan to continue writing under that name and my preferred name.
DC Comics asked if I wanted them to change my credits on the DC website and any future reprints of my work to my new name or if they should keep the backlist credits as is and use Jenny for any new work that I do. Darn thoughtful of them.
My response: Going forward, I’ll be writing under both names as I am already doing with Last Kiss. Whether I use Tony or Jenny will depend on the project. For example, if I were to write another Black Lightning series, it would make sense on several levels, including commercial, for me to go with Tony. If I were to write a series starring his daughters, Jenny might be more appropriate. I haven't yet decided which name will go on my new trans super-hero series. It could be both.
I’m scheduled to make several convention and other appearances over the next months. At those events, I will be presenting as Tony because I feel that’s who the fans would want to see and who the promoters booked. When you bring me comics to sign, I’ll sign them as Tony Isabella unless you request otherwise. If you think you can make bank getting the first Jenny Blake Isabella autograph on your books, you should know I have already signed a number of items as Jenny for close friends.
What am I working on? I have created a new trans super-hero. I love her more every day. I think she can be a contemporary Peter Parker for queer and straight kids alike. The initial pitch is ready to go to any publisher or other partner ready to work out a fair and mutually beneficial agreement. I’m not interested in giving up creative control of this new character or selling all rights to her.
My transition will be expensive, especially if the Nazis running our nation continue their cruel assaults on trans people and our medical care. As it is, only my medications and therapy are paid for. Anything else would be considered cosmetic and not covered. Indeed, because of odd complications, I’ll be paying for therapy out of pocket until July.
As a result, in addition to continuing to work on my own projects and writing for Last Kiss, I am available for paying gigs. I can write comic books, books, articles, and movie and TV pitches and stories. I’m going to teach myself how to write screenplays, so that skill will be put on the table eventually.
You can book me for library and school talks. Be clear on what kind of audience I will be speaking to. I give a different talk to children than I would for adults.
I’m developing comics-related products to sell at conventions and elsewhere. These include greeting cards, magnets, original sketches, prints of those sketches and more.
As soon as possible within the next months, I will be launching a Patreon page. Members of this page would receive advance looks at both my new works in progress and some pitches that never got picked up.
I’m available for paying acting gigs, playing both female and male parts. I can do comedy and drama. I won’t do nudity unless it’s absolutely vital to the stories.
Sorry, I have no plans for an Only Fans page at this time. But my Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales and my eBay store will offer all manner of reasonably priced treasures. The eBay store is up and running. The garage sales will start as soon as the weather gets warmer and take place every other week through September.
The best way to contact me for any of the above and convention appearances is by e-mail. I’ll respond to the e-mails as soon as humanly possible.
Finally, to wrap us this “me, me, me” bloggy, here’s the list of my upcoming appearances:
February 14-16: Pensacon
March 1-2: Nashville Celebrity Comic-Con
March 8-9: FantastiCon Toledo
April 26-27: Super Jersey Comics Expo
May 3: Happy Day Comics (Hammond, Indiana)
May 17: East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention
June 14: Pop Culture Show 2025 (Mentor)
July 11-13: G-Fest 2025
August 3: NEO Comicon
I hope to see many of my fans and friends at these shows.
Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back with more bloggy thing fun after I get back from Pensacon.
© 2025 Tony Isabella
Wonderful words, sending you best wishes and eternal happiness from across the pond
ReplyDeleteI can only applaud your courage in moving forward. My beloved niece Megan, now Roan, struggled all her young life trying to find her identity, a journey that took her to a lot of dark places no teenager should ever have to go. It brought her into conflict with some of her family, but when I discovered that she wanted to transition physically, Dee and I always held the door open if she/he ever needed to talk or get advice. Roan had to jump through a lot of fiery hoops to make this change, both medically and legally, particularly during the COVID-crisis when the local government had to literally shut down for months while she was trying to get all the legalities of her change legitimized. I thank God that, for her/him, the medical part is over.
ReplyDeleteBut now comes the nightmare for her, you, and anyone else who has to endure the bigotry, hatred, and pure evil of the new Pottersville once called America. No one is safe from this corrupt government, not even the fools who praise that orange turd like the second coming. Every day, a new outrage. Every day, I despair that my country will never recover from any of this. At our ages, we shouldn't have to wonder if the benefits we have worked all our lives for will disappear into his bottomless pockets, that I'll have to go back to work full time at a moment when my health won't hold up for it.
But, little by little, there are good people who believe in democracy over tyranny who are doing what they can to shut down his "executive orders". And in those moments, my hope is restored... if just for a little while.
God bless you, Jenny, and Dee and I wish you the best.
Good luck with everything, Jenny.
ReplyDelete