Photo of Jen Wang by Ye Rin Mok
Jen Wang is a cartoonist, author and illustrator from Los Angeles and is the creator behind Koko Be Good and co-author of the New York Times Bestselling graphic novel In Real Life with Cory Doctorow. Her latest book, The Prince and the Dressmaker, hit shelves on February 13th, 2018.
The Prince and the Dressmaker revolves around Prince Sebastian as he searches for a bride―or rather, his parents are strong arming him into finding one. However, Sebastian has a secret life: at night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means she has to stay a secret forever. It’s a romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family.
We met up with Jen after a book signing at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle.
LC: I wanted to talk a little bit about your protagonist and why you chose to make him exist outside of the heteronormative, cookie cutter, sort of hero. What was your reason for making him fluid?
JW: I think I just felt like…for a while I was looking for a story that would be like a positive Disney movie romantic comedy. Then I wanted to make sure it was a little more contemporary that felt a little queer. I had the idea of a character that would have this clear passion that people could relate to, even if they didn’t have a gender variant identity themselves. If you understand that Sebastian is into fashion and big dresses, that could be something anyone could relate to.
LC: You both wrote and illustrated the book, correct?
JW: Yes!
LC: Was it a conscious decision to make Sebastian unconventionally handsome compared to romcom heartthrobs?
JW: Yeah! I mean, the character is a teenager and I wanted him to look like a teenager. I didn’t want him to be super handsome or too adult looking or too sexy. Not that a teenager can’t be sexy, haha. I wanted to show the version of yourself when you’re still trying to figure out who you are. There’s a lot of recognition in a character who looks like someone you can relate to. I feel like most people seem themselves as conventional looking. The only thing I wanted to make sure to do was to give Sebastian a prominent facial feature . There’s so many costume changes; I didn’t want people to lose the character in a room full of ballgowns.
LC: How did you choose the time period for the book?
JW: The book takes place in the late 19th century and I wanted a time frame that would be sort of old-timey with people in corsets and horse drawn carriages. At the same time, I wanted there to be an emergence of technology. The 19th century had both of those things for me.
LC: Did you pull from any fashion designers as inspiration for your costume designs?
JW: I did research on clothing from the time period. I looked at a lot of historical cosplay costumers online, particularly accessories. There’s a ton of resources for that. The rest I tried to make a bit more modern like something people would wear now.
LC: Was it important for you to make the story accessible in every way, versus something that was more queer or adult?
JW: You know, I wanted to make a book that I could read at 13 or 14. It was always the intention, I think. I didn’t really know that much at that age other than what cartoons I liked and what fantasy books I loved.
LC: When you were a teenager, were there any properties that felt accessible to you?
JW: I was really into anime and manga, which I discovered in middle school and high school. I had a friend who was Japanese who had a lot of that stuff. That was before you could find it at the library or in bookstores, haha. It’s actually how I got into comics in general. The thing that was the most influential to me was Revolutionary Girl Utena. I think you can see some overlapping themes in my stuff. It was the first thing I ever read that was queer and unabashedly feminine. I’d never read comics like that before. That was very influential to me.
LC: As someone who also got into comics through manga, I don’t think there was anywhere near the representation you see in that medium as far as the genres of stories you could experience.
JW: There was so much more aimed at teenage girls! I felt completely ignored by American publishers.
LC: I wanted to ask a little about the relationship Sebastian has with his parents. Was that something you drew from real life experiences or just something you wanted Sebastian to go through?
JW: It was something I wanted to have in the book. My parents have always been supportitve of me, but I did ultimately want his parents to accept him despite where they start off. People can change and overlook those prejudices for someone they love.
LC: Is there a comic out that you would like to recommend? Perhaps something recent that might be overlooked?
JW: I really enjoyed Spinning. It reminded so much of how it was like to be a teenager. It felt very real.
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The Prince and the Dressmaker is available wherever graphic novels are sold near you!
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #4
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
Top 10 Comics of 2017
Review | ‘Dark Nights: Metal’ #1
It’s that time of year again when we have a day of reflection and I sort through everything I’ve read and make a top graphic novel list of sorts. This year was difficult in a tremendous amount of ways, but I found solace among the pages of this spectacular medium. Comics were DOPE AF this year. There were so many fantastic stories. There were so many in fact, that I had to make three separate lists for all the books I wanted to include.
Without further ado, let’s get to my top graphic novels of 2016, ranked in no particular order! My criteria were few:
- Released at some point in 2016
- Stand alone or collected a mini-series
- I thought about it a lot throughout the year
HEAD LOPPER
IMAGE COMICS
LEGEND OF WONDER WOMAN
DC COMICS
POISON IVY: CYCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH
DC COMICS
STEVEN UNIVERSE & CRYSTAL GEMS
BOOM! STUDIOS
UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL BEATS UP MARVEL UNIVERSE
MARVEL COMICS
MOONCOP
DRAWN & QUARTERLY
MOONSHOT
AH COMICS
X-MEN TP WORST X-MAN EVER
MARVEL COMICS
HUCK TP
IMAGE COMICS
In a quiet seaside town, a gas station clerk named Huck secretly uses his special gifts to do a good deed each day. When his story leaks, a media firestorm erupts, bringing him uninvited fame. As pieces of Huck’s past begin to resurface, it’s no longer clear who his friends are-or whose lives may be in danger. Mark Millar’s bright, sweet story about a man particularly good at finding is akin to laying in bed in the sunlight on a Sunday afternoon. A completely pure story among this year’s indie sci-fi dystopias.
PLUTONA TP
IMAGE COMICS
That rounds out my top 10! It was not an easy task and I’m already not looking forward to doing one of these for 2017. Did I miss one of your favorites? Let me know in a comment!
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #4
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
Top 10 Comics of 2017
It’s October, so things are just a little… darker. A little… spookier. A little more creative. And for a quick Artist Spotlight this busy NYCC week, we have just the person to talk to.
CJ Draden, known for his edgy glass paintings of superheroes and live light-box demonstrations has a new debut graphic novel this fall, The Wooden Heart: A Pinocchio Story and new project Atlas he’ll be bringing to this fall/winter convention circuit. We were able to briefly talk to him about his unique craft and a get a glimpse into the story behind his work.
Glass painting is such a unique medium, you certainly don’t hear of too many people doing that. What brought to you to this medium versus other mediums?
CJ: I was traditionally trained in the arts at Ringling College of Art and Design, there I was exposed to traditional media and ways of creating images. What turned me on to glass is somewhat of a philosophical answer. It’s a reflection of myself . There’s a notion of how artists create their work, viewers and artists alike talk about the “feeling” when they see an amazing piece of art or hear a beautiful piece of music. That’s pretty much it.
I wasn’t able to successfully communicate my vision of reality with standard ways of painting and drawing, traditional media. There was this major block from head to hand, everything felt forced. I went back to the drawing board and started building a brand new process and step-by-step kept implementing a technique that felt right. I can say that my journey of building and communicating through my art hasn’t been easy, but if you can visualize… you can manifest. Everything I do is purely based on instinct and not traditional training. I believe that’s the feeling people get when they view my work. Nothing technical, just instinct.
What is it like using this medium for multimedia projects such as for print work for your graphic novel? I’d imagine it’s a bit different.
CJ: I don’t feel art is a matter of trying to fit into a paradigm of projects. It’s more about doing what’s right for you. If it feels right, do it, if it doesn’t feel right, adjust your thought process to make it feel right or project perimeters to make it feel right. When I began writing and illustrating ‘The Wooden Heart,’ I struggled with this because the way I work doesn’t fit the status quo of comics in terms of panels and pages. I was highly critical of myself, and the work I was producing for the book. I had never made a comic or graphic novel before so I didn’t really know what I was doing except that I had a vision for the story and a drive to get it done.
After 4 years of working on it, I was ready to abandon the project. I didn’t feel like it was acceptable. Then I came to understand I needed to apply the same instinct I felt for discovering myself in my glass paintings into finishing ‘The Wooden Heart.’ It’s a major growing pain as an artist, developing the skills to execute to vision you have for creating images and creating stories, but you have to have a vision. If you don’t have a vision then you have no subconscious goal of knowing what you are personally doing that could be better. It’s something that can’t be explained, only felt. Therefore it doesn’t matter how I think my work is going to translate, I have zero control over how people are going to be affected by my work. I’m just a messenger bringing artifacts from a world that exists only to me and placing them in this reality for everyone to see.
Most people are only familiar with Pinocchio as a story from Disney and are unaware the original story is quite a bit more dark and disturbing. What drew you to Pinocchio for adaptation?
CJ: Like all artists, I have experienced my own dark times and struggles. There were probably three primary reasons why I like Pinocchio and decided to write ‘The Wooden Heart.’ The first was that I wanted to deal with my
problems in a way that wasn’t as self destructive as the problems I was struggling to overcome at the time. The second was that I never had a father, but I always loved reading stories about men that lost their mind to the notion that they could create a child to love them unconditionally. A father that wanted a son, like Dr. Frankenstein and Gepetto. The third, I generally don’t talk about. I’ll keep that as a personal story for now.
You’re somewhat of a performer too in a way with your live demonstrations. That’s pretty unique in the comic world. Do you consider yourself a performer?
CJ: Absolutely. I love painting live. I love blues music, and play blues guitar as a hobby. I’m too shy to perform as a musician onstage so I guess I get my shyness out as a performer through my live painting demonstrations at the Comic-Cons.
Can you tell us a little more about “Atlas”?
CJ: Well… there’s a lot to tell about Atlas. But I’ll just say this. I mentioned previously that part of the growing pains of an artist is vision execution. After everything I’ve learned from completing ‘The Wooden Heart’ I started building
projects that reflected the things in life I love to learn about – philosophy, anthropology and science. This project is just the next step in developing my narrative/artistic skills and goals.
Final question! What’s your dream comic? What characters or team would you love to illustrate?
CJ: Sandman. The Endless be my dream team. No pun intended, haha.
Thanks to CJ for letting us ask some questions. For those going to NYCC this week you can catch him at his both, Booth 519 at The Block to check out his work and live demo!
Have you seen any amazing unconventional artists at conventions or online that deserve a single out artist spotlight or feature? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us at @Sub_Cultured and at @maxlikescomics.
Max Eber
Staff Writer
@maxlikescomics
CONversations: Camilla d’Errico
Hispanic Heritage Month: Highlighting Comic Creators pt 3
Oh, The Moon by Charlyne Yi Review
Artist Spotlight: Matt Huynh and ‘The Boat’
Sub-Cultured #GoodBooks: Nobrow’s ‘The Spectators’ and ‘Fantasy Sports’
Artist Spotlight: The Art of Wang Shuhui (王叔晖)
Graphic novels and comics are a mainstay here at Sub-C, and we are always looking for the best, most interesting titles to read. Nobrow Press out of Shoreditch, London has, over the years, proved to be one of the best sources for compelling alternative titles and art in both their main line and children’s imprint, Flying Eye Books. We always are excited to see what new projects they have to offer each year and this year is no exception!
from Amazon.com
There are two fantastic new offerings this summer which are worth your time to check out, and have earned their spots on Sub-Cultured #Goodbooks list: The Spectators, from Victor Hussenot, and Fantasy Sports by Sam Bosma. Both are eye-catching in their own ways and perfect books for two different lovers of comics and illustration.
The Spectators is a bonafide graphic novel, the first English language publication for the French writer and artist Victor Hussenot, who already has three graphic novels to his name in French. The Spectators is, as clued by its name, is all about spectators: about observation, memory, perception and self reflection. Moody but colorful geometric artwork is paired with sparse introspective ruminations about personal recollection and city life.
from Amazon.com
While the text and book as a whole may not be for everyone due to its level of abstraction, familiar sentiments about human nature make this book relatable enough to keep it from being too obtuse for most introspective readers. You don’t have to be a city dweller either to understand or fully appreciate it, those same elements keep it afloat outside of city life just fine.
What really shines is Hussenot’s use of color. Stylized palettes of particularly blues and purples with shots of red and orange, or strong combinations of primary colors dominate. The striking combos flatter the soft watercolor or gauche artwork. Overall the entire piece is reflective on the transient nature of people and life, but it’s not without its whimsy. The narrator shifts from person to person and takes identities off like a pair of boots or unzips them entirely like a costume. The transference of character is compelling to follow and well worth a read. Great for a quiet night.
Fantasy Sports by Sam Bosma meanwhile, is a starkly different comic with a more friendly all-ages feel. Nobrow’s new edition of this fun fantasy-sports (no pun intended) romp is an expanded and hardbound version of a self 
published comic now spruced up in full color.
The one-shot opens with a young mage, Wiz, late to an appointment at the The United and Ancient Order of Mages with the Archmage, where she seeks out a reassignment on her current internship. Turns out her partner, the burly raider, Mug, is also seeking a reassignment. Both the young mage and the raider aren’t getting along. The Archmage puts her foot down on their squabble and sends them both back onto the field to keep working together and collect magical artifacts for the Order. Their new mission; to obtain the treasure of “He of The Giant Steps”. After scaling his temple pyramid, they score (literally) the boss key and face the undead mummy, who is waiting for them in a huge arena with an audience similarly undead thieves. He challenges them to a game of basketball: they have to win, otherwise they’ll stay there forever.
The strange marriage between sports manga and magic-dungeon-crawling-treasure-hunters form a fun theme for the series. The title’s #1 indicates a future for further adventures (and we hope so!). It’s important to note that Wiz, the lead, is not only a girl, but also a character of color. Both identities are sorely needed in the comic world (which is getting more and more diverse) and thus her presence is extremely welcomed.
Style wise Bosma has a pleasing, dynamic “post-anime invasion” aesthetic that combines heavy Studio Ghibli influence with western artists like Herge and Jean Giraud through a Bryan Lee O’Malley Scott Pilgrim lens. Energetic coloring is a main draw, it was fun to see the color theme shift from page to page. Visually, it looks like it would adapt well to animation too, and we think it would be more than home alongside Cartoon Network cartoons such as Steven Universe (which means a lot to us) or beside an online series like Bee And Puppycat. This first adventure is more than enough for a solid pilot too (Hey CN call Bosma! We think you probably want him). We can’t wait to see more of this one.
You can buy both of these books directly from Nobrow, or check Amazon for copies.
See you guys in August for more #Goodbooks!
Got any #goodbooks we should know about? Tweet your #goodbooks to us on our twitter; @sub-cultured or at my twitter, @maxlikescomics!
Max Eber
Staff Writer
max@sub-cultured.com
CONversations: Camilla d’Errico
Hispanic Heritage Month: Highlighting Comic Creators pt 3
Singled Out: Q & A With Artist CJ Draden
Oh, The Moon by Charlyne Yi Review
Artist Spotlight: Matt Huynh and ‘The Boat’
Artist Spotlight: The Art of Wang Shuhui (王叔晖)
Last week I talked about some cartoons that are breaking boundaries and providing kids with fun and yet progressive and intelligent cartoon series. I wanted to add one more to the list, and its a doozy; SheZow. The premise of the recently imported The Australian/Canadian cartoon on Hub about a boy that is granted the ability to turn into a superhero from his aunt’s magic ring, the twist is that his superhero form has the appearance of a girl. He can’t have the powers otherwise.
The show has already premiered in other countries and was just brought to the States June 3rd. The premise alone is daring and it’s already gathered criticism both constructive and damning from all sides. One Million Moms in particular condemns the cross-dressing for the sake of humor (no surprise). I think it’s too new to weigh in for sure but overall I feel this cartoon is another that is noteworthy since it treats the condition, that is powers comes from the female alter-ego so cavalierly. This kind of gender stuff hasn’t really been played with in Western cartoons much to my knowledge. So kudos SheZow.
Moving on, I wanted to shift some focus onto two things I think are worth your attention, this time in comics form:
EARTHWARD from Bryan Q. Miller and Marcio Takara is a graphic novel coming out for kids and teens that is set to launch sometime later this year.Starring a wonderfully diverse cast, the graphic novel series is meant to follow the “Mercury Six” as they solve a mystery concerning their missing parents.
Look at this cast. Can it get any better? It probably does.
From Bryan Q. Miller;
The MERCURY SIX, consisting of Eldest BEN and his hot-tempered sister, ALYSSA; SMACK, the hustler; CODY and TRIN, the learned, proper set of twins; and little DANIELLA, orphaned by a SPACE PIRATE assault, then taken in as one of Mercury’s own.are sent on a standard supply run, but return to find Mercury adrift, and their respective parents missing. The only clue as to what happened – a warning recorded by their trusty TEACHBOT:
“DON’T COME LOOKING FOR US.”
Wet your appetite? Sound sorta familiar? Well I ran an announcement for the then unfunded project back in January. I think this type of media is exactly what I personally am looking for and think we need more of for children, teens and adults alike. It is sophisticated and yet accessible. Bryan Q Miller get’s it;
Again from Bryan Q Miller:
The goal is to create a piece of Graphic fiction that can be enjoyed by both children AND adults, while pandering to neither – a line that is rarely ridden in the current climate.
That said, while trying to make this as all-ages as possible, there is still some danger and space violence (explosions, blasters, etc.) present that may be uncomfortable for a reader younger than age 7. “Earthward” definitely wanders into the “PG”-range of the media spectrum.
The secondary goal, of course, is to have this be the first in a yearly series of adventures for the Mercury Six.
This is EXACTLY the philosophy I am espousing. There is a place for gratuitous violence and adult, grown-up stories. But I feel there really is a need for this at the moment as well. Strong emphasis on family , adventure, and a generality that is neither dumb nor pandering. Everyone should look into this when I believe it becomes available sometime in September.A second comic I feel is amazing, and is pretty much the antithesis to all the complaints I have for the Disney Princess line. This so called antithesis? Princeless by Jeremy Whitley.
You tell them. DC Comics. Take note.
That’s Princess Adrienne. She’s, well, amazing:
oh
my
A little blurb.
Princeless is the story of Princess Adrienne, one princess who’s tired of waiting to be rescued. Join Adrienne and her guardian dragon, Sparky, as they begin their own quest in an all-ages action adventure designed specifically for those who are tired of waiting to be rescued… and who are ready to save themselves.
Starring a heroine of color, for that fact alone Princelsss is enough in a world where characters of color in Medevial and Rennaisance-society styled fantasy genre are often given the cold shoulder by writers when that just shouldn’t be. Additionally the writing is top notch, extremely genre savy, critical and almost fourth wall breaking in its satire and criticisms. It’s also extremely conscious of race and representation
God. Such Perfection.
While the spunky and brash and self-saving Adrienne is the lead; she is also only one of many sisters who well, are also princesses. Each sister is different and will be featured. The different types of girls and their different interests and personalities are amazing. Because it shows the different types of girl you can be if you want or that it’s okay to. Notably whilst Adrienne is tomboyish her younger sister is your more traditional hyper-feminine Snow White style princess. The comic argues it can fine to be either if you choose. The variety of characters, the genre savvy nature and overall critical eye to comics, it’s own genre, sexism and race issues are all things going for it but above all; it’s also fun.
What about you readers? What do you think being published right now is a must read for those who want good comics that anyone can read? The only thing DC Comics is putting out right now worth buying is Li’l Gotham which is more or less spectacular if only going off of Dustin Nguyen’s wonderful watercolor artwork.
Any suggestions? Put them in the comments!
Max Eber
Staff Writer/The Doctor
max@ihogeek.com
Twitter: @maxlikescomics
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #4
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
Top 10 Comics of 2017
Bryan Q Miller, author of Stephanie Brown’s wonderful two year Batgirl Vol. 3 stint and of Smallville (both TV and it’s new Digital First comic) fame has had it a bit rough the past year. His pitch alongside Gail Simone to get Stephanie Brown unbenched from the reboot’s as a member of an all new female group featuring other heroines like Bumblebee and Misfit were shot down repeatedly despite multiple revisions. Then after months of keeping it secret, followed by official announcement, public interviews and an extremely warm response from fans and press; Miller’s attempt to instate Stephanie as Smallville’s canon Nightwing for the digital comic series was suddenly behind the scenes dismissed by editorial and changed (generally in inking only) to that of Barbara Gordon. Bryan was meanwhile also removed from a Superman panel at a convention whilst the news broke. It was a move so petty and spiteful that even non-Stephanie Brown fans and Marvel fans alike, made comments on how the entire thing was truly a raw deal and incredibly unprofessional of DC and outright cruel to both Bryan and to Stephanie’s fans.
But it looks like Bryan has been revving up his engines in secret and has been venturing into the great unknown of “do it yourself”. He has teamed up with the extremely popular and upcoming artist Marcio Takara of Boom! Studios The Incredibles and DC Comic’s own Blue Beetle and a perpetual favorite on tumblr and have together launched a Kickstarter campaign for EARTHWARD, a in their own words; “A full color, 110-page graphic novel celebrating adventure, exploration and family. IN SPACE!”
Look at that cool ship. Sound too good to be true? Well, it is very much real; and it needs your support. Did I mention Takara’s art is gorgeous?
The plot is as advertised; a space family adventure for all ages. And I am floored by what they are attempting to do. From their Kickstarter:
The MERCURY SIX, consisting of Eldest BEN and his hot-tempered sister, ALYSSA; SMACK, the hustler; CODY and TRIN, the learned, proper set of twins; and little DANIELLA, orphaned by a SPACE PIRATE assault, then taken in as one of Mercury’s own.are sent on a standard supply run, but return to find Mercury adrift, and their respective parents missing. The only clue as to what happened – a warning recorded by their trusty TEACHBOT:
“DON’T COME LOOKING FOR US.”
The quest to piece their family back together will take them to the edge of known space and back, with the Armada, the Council and Space Pirates, all in hot pursuit. The one thing everyone wants, everyone needs, is the SECRET PROJECT the parents of the Mercury Six were working on:
THEIR PARENTS FOUND EARTH!
The need for an all ages, fun, heartfelt but smart comics for kids and teens (and adults alike) is very much needed. Graphic novels too. DC in particular hasn’t been doing any favors cancelling the relatively new Superman Family Adventures comic. EARTHWARD sounds like a breath of fresh air.
From Bryan Q Miller:
The goal is to create a piece of Graphic fiction that can be enjoyed by both children AND adults, while pandering to neither – a line that is rarely ridden in the current climate.
That said, while trying to make this as all-ages as possible, there is still some danger and space violence (explosions, blasters, etc.) present that may be uncomfortable for a reader younger than age 7. “Earthward” definitely wanders into the “PG”-range of the media spectrum.
The secondary goal, of course, is to have this be the first in a yearly series of adventures for the Mercury Six.
Bryan and Marcio wants to make these wonderful space adventures a yearly reality for young and old alike; will you be joining in to ensure lift-off?
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #4
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
