One of the things that is often touted as a great benefit about webcomics is that, because of the lack of gatekeepers, virtually anyone can publish their own webcomic. Creators are not reliant on a large corporation to print up thousands of copies of their work and distribute them. Creators don’t even need to shell out their own money to try to print up books, since the startup costs of a webcomic are so minimal (especially if you’re considering that some items—like a computer and internet connection—are things they’re paying/have paid for regardless of whether the webcomic happens or not). So by having such a low barrier to entry, a greater variety of creators who have historically been sidelined in print comics can add their voices to the mix. It’s much easier to find webcomics by women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ creators, differently-abled storytellers, and so on.

And because of that greater diversity of creators, you’re more likely to find a greater diversity of characters as well. Not just protagonists and antagonists, but whole crowd scenes are given greater consideration. The mix of people we see in webcomics is more akin to the mix of people we see in real life.

There is an immense benefit to seeing yourself reflected in the stories you read. Seeing someone that looks like you becoming the hero of the story helps to validate your own sense of self. It helps to visualize goals you might not have thought possible for someone like yourself. It helps to visualize what you can achieve. That’s incredibly powerful and it’s importance can’t be understated.

But as I was thinking about that tonight, it dawned on me that that’s only part of it.

The other part is that creator behind it. As a reader, you can see the characters validating your sense of self. But if that creator also happens to look like you, that is someone who might also share your struggles. The brilliance of Kylie Wu’s Trans Girl Next Door comic is only partially that she’s sharing her experiences as she transitions to womanhood: both the emotional roller coaster as well as the physical affects of hormone therapy. That she’s sharing those details of her life is bold, but helps to validate others who must be experiencing the same thing.

But, as I said, that’s only part of the brilliance there. The other part is that it’s Wu herself there. As a creator, she has readers reaching out and connecting directly with her. “I had the same thing happen to me!” “I felt the same way!” “I know, right?” Wu is sharing bits of herself through the comic, but through the comic, she’s helping to create a community specifically for people who relate to the transgender issues her comic’s about! And while every comic’s fans are going to have some kind of connection by virtue of their appreciation of the comic, the traits that are embodied by Wu and her fans are more empowering than simply sharing a similar type of humor or appreciation of art. They’re reflective of an entire social class that’s not always welcome in broader society. So while Wu’s comic shows that any individual reader might not be alone, the community she’s built up around the comic acts as a beacon for everyone facing those challenges to come together.

And that is where the real power and brilliance of webcomics itself shine.