Yes, Roya is an erotic graphic novel illustrated by Emilee Denich and written by C. Spike Trotman. Published by Iron Circus Comics, the story is set in 1963 California, and blends female-dominated romance with the world of comic strips.

The plot follows Wylie Kogan, a young, hopeful cartoonist who visits the home of his idol, a famous creator named Joseph Ahlstrom, to have his art portfolio reviewed. While there, Wylie accidentally discovers Joe’s hidden stash of adult fetish art, and decides to steal one of the drawings. This theft leads him directly into Joe’s private life and introduces him to Roya, a woman of colour and Joe’s dominant partner. Wylie learns that it is Roya who secretly creates the art published under Joe’s name, and that she acts as the boss in their careers and their relationships. It is not long before Wylie and Joe, on Roya’s instructions, are exploring shared intimacy, and soon all three are enjoying each other’s sexual desires.

Unlike many stories about threesomes and kink, Yes, Roya skips dark costumes, chains and scary pageantry. Instead the book uses humour, warmth and emotion to show a healthy, happy, consensual set of relationships built on trust and good communication. Emilee Denich’s artwork is widely celebrated for its effervescent charm, featuring expressive drawings that perfectly capture 1960s fashion and lifestyle.

The publishing history of Yes, Roya is tied to the rise of independent crowdfunding in the comic book industry, transforming from a simple pitch between two creators into one of the most successful titles for its publisher. The project began in 2015 when writer and Iron Circus Comics founder C. Spike Trotman approached Denich. Trotman had a fully completed script ready, and emailed Denich out of the blue to ask if she wanted to collaborate on an erotic graphic novel. Denich enthusiastically agreed, drawing the book’s pages in batches based on Trotman's script.

To finance the book’s production, Iron Circus Comics turned to crowdfunding in early 2016, launching a Kickstarter campaign called the Dirty Double Header. Yes, Roya marked a major milestone for the publisher as it was their very first full-length, standalone erotic graphic novel rather than a short-story anthology. The campaign was very successful, and the book was officially published in late 2016, printed in a distinct monochrome style using black, white, and green mid-tones.

The novel became one of Iron Circus’s best-selling titles, so creators decided to give it an update a few years later. In 2020 they launched a second Kickstarter campaign to fund a fully coloured version of the book. Over 1,700 backers raised nearly $29,000 to bring the new version to life. Released physically and digitally in 2021, the colour edition introduced the story to a mainstream audience.

Here we show the first four chapters of Yes, Roya – for the rest go and buy the book.