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In 2016 Alice Oseman began writing and illustrating Heartstopper, a coming-of-age webcomic that focused on the love story between two teens named Nick and Charlie. Ten years later, the Tapas webcomic has become a series of print graphic novels, a novella, and a Netflix series. Heartstopper has also won numerous awards, including a 2020 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Graphic Novel & Comic.

There is no mistaking Heartstopper’s success, and Alice Oseman’s only hope is that it leads to more queer stories. “I hope that the existence of Heartstopper will mean that more stories like Heartstopper can continue to exist, whether that’s books or shows or film,” Alice Oseman says during a discussion at BFI Flare 2026.  “Just the fact that Heartstopper was made and did so will means that people are more willing to take a chance on queer stories, and stories about marginalized characters. I think those stories are so important and hopefully we’ll see more of them in the future.”

It’s 2026 and the comic book industry has come a long way, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Heartstopper proves that not only can a queer webcomic find an audience, but it can become a successful streaming series. Alice Oseman is one of the many creators who has broken down the door, and now it’s up to publishers, readers, and creators to walk through.

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