The creator continued, “It was very important to me that transgender characters were a part of that, and I hope there is room to introduce more trans characters – most likely in the fifth volume!” I felt that it was important to have a really wonderful group of LGBTQ+ friends at the heart of the story because, contrary to what some TV shows and movies seem to believe, LGBTQ+ people often find each other and enjoy hanging out in groups!” Oseman has said that Heartstopper was inspired by her desire to tell stories with all kinds of queer characters. In an interview with The Beat‘s Avery Kaplan, she stated, “I always knew I wanted to fill the Heartstopper world with all kinds of LGBTQ+ characters. The outpouring of love for the books inspired the Heartstopper series on Netflix. Since then, the publisher has published the remaining volumes of the book. In the Spring of 2019, Hachette Children’s Group published the first volume more widely, followed by Volume 2 in the same year. Oseman first crowdfunded the series to bring a limited edition to print, and the project reached its goal within two hours, ultimately earning £58,925 on Kickstarter. Not only has Heartstopper received critical acclaim for its realistic representation of queer characters and relationships, but it has also amassed a large fanbase with over 52.1 million views to date. The story explores themes of identity, self-discovery, friendship, and love.

Originally a webcomic on Tumblr and Tapas, Heartstopper tells the story of two high school boys, Charlie and Nick, who become friends and eventually fall in love.

Heartstopper volume 5