After School Rewind
The cartoons that raised me
by Tom Ly
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About the Book
After School Rewind is a camp-forward visual memoir that collages queer nostalgia, emotional ritual, and pop culture critique into a glittering archive of survival. Through annotated childhood drawings, toyline ephemera, and emotionally charged captions, Tom Ly rewinds the VHS of his youth to confront absence, desire, and representation with wit and sovereignty.
From He-Man’s heroic poses to Strawberry Shortcake’s gender swap, every page interrogates the emotional architecture of growing up queer, Asian, and unseen in 80s and 90s America. With layout as ritual and restraint as empowerment, Ly transforms memory into metaphor—turning thrifted textures, cartoon fragments, and dream symbols into a sanctuary of selfhood.
From He-Man’s heroic poses to Strawberry Shortcake’s gender swap, every page interrogates the emotional architecture of growing up queer, Asian, and unseen in 80s and 90s America. With layout as ritual and restraint as empowerment, Ly transforms memory into metaphor—turning thrifted textures, cartoon fragments, and dream symbols into a sanctuary of selfhood.
Features & Details
- Primary Category: Arts & Photography Books
- Additional Categories LGBTQIA+, Biographies & Memoirs
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Project Option: Standard Landscape, 10×8 in, 25×20 cm
# of Pages: 118 - Publish Date: Sep 06, 2025
- Language English
- Keywords queer art memoir, nostalgia, collage
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About the Creator
Tom Ly
Seattle
Tom Ly is an assistant principal, former teacher, and unapologetic nostalgia curator. His debut artbook fuses memoir with pop culture collage—think He-Man, Transformers, and JEM—layered with camp, grief, and glitter. Whether thrifting VHS tapes in Seattle or honoring queer icons with rhinestone reverence, Tom transforms everyday rituals into visual storytelling. It’s scrapbook meets soul work—with a wink and a glitter trail.