Wuvable Oaf

The comic also presents an extensive supporting cast of characters, many of whom have starred in their own spin-off stories and mini-comics. Originally funded by a grant from Prism Comics, the series was self-published in five volumes. It was compiled in graphic novel form by Fantagraphics Books in 2015. A second volume titled Wuvable Oaf: Blood and Metal, focusing on Oaf's life prior to the story told in the original comics, was published in 2016.

• Publisher — Fantagraphics • Creators — Ed Luce

Wuvable Oaf loosely depicts men who could be characterized as part of the gay "bear" subculture in that they are queer and of a large, hirsute body type. Luce has never denied this group is the primary inspiration for his creations but has noted in several interviews that the words "bear", "gay" and "queer" have never appeared in the comic itself. He states "It's pretty obvious to anyone who has cracked the book what's going on" and that labels only serve to alienate a potentially larger audience, who might enjoy reading an otherwise completely queer narrative. For this reason, the comic has also been referred to as "post-bear" and even "post-gay" for its lack of dependence on identity based rhetoric. As a result, Wuvable Oaf has gained something of a crossover audience, being one of few queer indie comics to receive press outside the gay community. Whitney Matheson, writing for USA Today noted, "whether you're gay/straight/something in between, I think you'll find yourself rooting for the Oaf and his quest for somebody to wuv."