Graphic pleasures – the Sunstone graphic novels

March 31, 2019 kinkstar 601 Comments

Graphic novels and graphic (sexual) content are a perfect match. Do you need proof? Check out Stjepan Sejic’s Sunstone graphic novels. Under the name “Shiniez”, he submitted the first page of his Sunstone graphic novel series in June 2012 on his Deviantart page, and has since generated a following of 100.000 on this website. Sejic touched up these pages and published them in book form a few years back, and now you can find them around the world. Which is no wonder, because they’re beautiful, they’re fun, and most importantly, they’re hot.

The Sunstone graphic novels

The story starts with Lisa, a red-headed author, who is charged by her friends to start writing their story. (The relation between author and character that I discussed in the previous post really takes on a new dimension here, with author-inception).

first scene in Sunstone graphic novels series — Shiniez, Sunstone 2012

Lisa met Dominant and love of her life Allison through a chat room. It turned out they both had long been interested in BDSM and had some experience with it but neven been in a true D/s relationship. Or a lesbian relationship, for that matter. After their initial nervousness, they find out that they are well matched and decide to have a “friendship with BDSM benefits”. Eventually, feelings of friendship turn into something more, and since neither will admit this, drama ensues. As Lisa states on the first page:

“It is a sexual story… but also a story of the true human nature.”

The Sunstone Method

The best thing about this series of novels, is how much it manages to do. Though at times it’s all about aestethics and pornography (as you can see in some of the next images), at the same time it presents an impressively accurate education for people with no experience in BDSM. There are lengthy descriptions of the lure, risks and experiences of different kinds of practices, without it getting boring to kinksters who are more experienced. Another thing that is quite unique in these novels, is how many different aspects and variations they discuss of the set of practices that fall under the umbrella term of BDSM. From the start there’s a focus on fetish wear (especially latex), and bondage and suspension:

Bondage scene in Sunstone graphic novels — Shiniez, Sunstone 2014

Later on, there’s a move to sex machines, pony play, impact play, and permanent marks. They also show the different settings in which BDSM can occur (in the bedroom, private playrooms, in public, online, through literature, in workshops and BDSM clubs) as well as the different number of participants (self-bondage, coupled, threesome). There’s people from different gendered couplings, different ethnic backgrounds and social classes. In summary: it is a good attempt at showing the diversity of the BDSM experience whilst focusing on sexy pictures (see below) and developing enticing story arcs.

sex scene in Sunstone graphic novels — Shiniez, Sunstone, 2013

Wait. Arcs?

The Sunstone future

Yes. Arcs. The first arc is the Sunstone arc, which is Lisa’s safeword with Ally. The first five chapters, or books, are about this couple, and introduce the characters and the scene. The second arc is called Mercy, which focusses on Ally’s best friend Alan and his (female) partner(s). Shiniez published the first book in this arc last week. According to the author, after the (multiple chaptered) Mercy arc, we can expect a third as well. So if you want to keep entertained and delve deep into this fictional realm, expect to get a new fix from the Sunstone graphic novels intermittently over the next couple of years. I know right!