“Comics are a great way for people to do things inexpensively because it doesn’t take that much to get your own comic going. Getting it to sell, that’s another question,” Rozanski said. “But you can definitely create your art, share different ideas and perspectives, maybe change a mind.” That’s how Rozanski sees Connor’s work. “When Danielle is putting it out there that she’s trans, people need to be aware that this is not some sort of deviant condition. tThis is something that exists as a normality. Every reader is in some way influenced by that,” Rozanski said. “Some of them may connect with Danielle and see everything a little different. Some of them may be repulsed. But in general, the conveying of ideas is much more interactive within the comics community than it would be in almost any other art form. Connor digs into her own history to tell stories today, such as in the independent comics “Ninja High School” and “Tomorrow Girl.” Patricia Krmpotich, a longtime collaborator and friend, has watched Connor’s journey firsthand. The two met in 2015 when Connor was doing a signing at the Barnes & Noble bookstore where Krmpotich worked, and their partnership grew from there — first through video projects, then into comics. “She not only gave me all of the advice, encouragement, and pointers on how to write a comic, but she also allowed me to make my start playing in the ‘My Gal, The Zombie’ playground,” Krmpotich said. “From there, we became a solid team.” Krmpotich has seen Connor’s writing open up since her transition. “I see a tangible joy,” Krmpotich said. “She can finally write about topics that she’s very passionate about with an authentic perspective and voice. There’s nothing holding her back now and you can see the joy in the freedom.” Connor’s move to Nebraska didn’t go as planned. The Midwest was more affordable, but the cold and barren land of Western Nebraska proved brutal. “Nebraska has RV year-round campgrounds, so I thought I could make it,” Connor said. “But I wasn’t ready for the cold. “Everything froze. I couldn't keep water to drink because it froze.” Despite their help, Connor’s parents have never come around to her feminine identity. By the time she moved to Florida, Connor had begun wearing dresses and other women’s clothing, expanding her wardrobe beyond women’s jeans and shirts. She said her father has told her plainly, “You need to dress like a man.” Connor said that her mother has been a little gentler, but no less firm. She’s told Connor to “Just be the man God wants you to be.” Connor said her parents showed her love and support when she had nowhere else to go. “I sacrifice a lot to live as who I am or as the person that I Everything froze. I couldn’t keep water to drink because it froze. I spent the week of Christmas sleeping in my friend’s comic book store.” This was when Connor was at her lowest. “My depression and my gender dysphoria work in correlation with each other. I spent a lot of 2021, 2022, 2023 in bed,” she said. “I’d been through a lot. I couldn’t get out of bed to shave or do anything.” Connor was only able to escape homelessness with the help of her parents, who invited her to stay with them and helped her obtain a mobile home — a stationary one this time — in sunny Florida. like seeing in the mirror,” Connor said. “It puts strain on our relationship when they tell me the Bible says that God detests when women dress like men, and that men shouldn’t dress like women. While they show me great love, anyone that disagrees with how I live hurts. There’s disagreement there, but they still love me.” Her parents refuse to call her anything but Dan. They still ask her not to wear overly feminine clothing and makeup around them. Connor mostly obliges because keeping them in her life matters more to her than winning the argument. “I stopped pushing the envelope with them,” Connor said. “I want to make it more comfortable for them because I know it’s hard, and they’re being very loving to me and supportive of me. But I do wear foundation and light make-up, and sometimes I don’t care and just show up in my women’s clothes.” What really hurts Connor is that her relationship with her children has grown strained since the divorce. To avoid tensions that may arise from her transition, Connor dresses more conservatively around them, drops most of the makeup and wears plain shirts if that’s what they ask for. She said it wasn’t the depression, the cancer or the homelessness that has been the hardest. “Being without my kids is the greatest loss of my life,” Connor said. “I would do anything to be with my kids again. I would detransition to live with my kids. Well, to the most that I could. I would go back to wearing just the jeans, and plain shirts.” Connor is determined to find a life where she can keep building her relationships without leaving behind her identity. Danielle Connor signs comics at Comic-Con International in 2024 at the Tokyopop booth. 8
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