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Creator Highlights are featured posts where we interview comic artists and novelists within the Tapas community. In honor of Pride Month, we reached out to some LGBT+ creators to share their experiences on creating works featuring a community that is often left out of mainstream media. For this session, we talk with Catuallie, the creator of Help Wanted, Kurzz, the creator of Honey and Venom, and Jem Yoshioka, the creator of Circuits and Veins.

Please introduce yourselves!

Catuallie: Hello!! My name is Payton and I live in Minnesota with my wife (Kurzz!) and our cat son Mulder! I joined Tapas around September 2017 when I first started posting Help Wanted, and then it was relaunched in November 2017 as a premium comic!

Kurzz: Hey there! I'm Kurzz, and I live in Minnesota with my wife (Catuallie)! I am a lesbian comic artist, and I write/draw Honey and Venom! I joined Tapas about 2 years ago to read comics, but I didn't start posting my own until last year. My comic is about lesbians in ancient Rome, and present day California!

Jem: I'm Jem Yoshioka, I'm a comics artist. I live in Wellington, New Zealand. I'm mixed Japanese and New Zealander, and I'm Bi. Hello! I joined Tapas a while after I started Circuits and Veins because I was interested in more people getting to see it. The response has been super lovely, and I really appreciate everyone who's taken the time to read it, especially people who have stuck around as subscribers!

Why do you draw comics/write?

Catuallie: I’ve always loved telling stories! I love telling stories about unconventional romance, with a bit of mystery and the supernatural thrown in; all of the comics that I work on contain all of those aspects. I also love stories that have large casts because I love thinking about all the different ways people handle situations! I started making comics because I have a lot of stories to tell, and drawing is my best possible means to share what I create.

Kurzz: I have an academic background in history and Classics, and my main interest has always been in the daily lives of common and marginalized peoples. Why do all period pieces and media based in historical settings gotta be tragedies and dramas, not to mention focused on the elite? LGBT+ people have existed forever, and our stories can be happy and funny, too! I've always wanted to see stories about regular girls flirting over a kylix of wine rather than another melodramatic re-telling of The Iliad...

Jem: I draw comics because I love telling visual stories. Comics are, for me, the most efficient way to share the kinds of stories I want to tell as one person. On no budget and without a crew to make my vision come true I can bring my story into the world. 

I draw as well as write because to me the two are interlinked. A piece of writing is only as strong as the finished page, and so much can be said without using words. A change in expression, a look, a close up of an object. All of these small touches give depth that writing alone couldn't.

The honest answer is I write comics because I don't know how to stop!

What kinds of challenges have you overcome as an artist?

Catuallie: One of my largest challenges was bringing about a lesbian comic that showed the world what our private lives can look like. They're awkward, funny, difficult, sometimes even stupid. My challenge was making a story that readers on the outside could understand. I wanted to create characters that were fun and likable. Often these kinds of comics are made by straight people who want to make LGBT their personal Misery Porn (and in many cases, literal porn) but that's not fair. LGBT folks deserve to read content created for them, by them, and about them!

Kurzz: My biggest challenge has probably been just to give myself a break, and draw what makes me happy! I have struggled a lot with my identity and learning that it's ok to be a woman who loves women. Moving from drawing self-punishing men-focused stories and characters, to indulgent, happy, wlw-focused works has helped my feel happy and proud as a lesbian, and a better artist too!!

Jem: Well, the biggest one ever was re-learning to draw. I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome between 19 and 25, which took everything from me. Re-learning how to draw, write, and make comics played a huge role in my recovery. I defined so much of who I was by my drawing output, to have it taken away really made me re-think what was important, who I was and how I could sustainably get back into drawing. I'm 31 now, so this is all in the distant past.

These days the biggest challenge is fitting in time to work on updates in between a really busy full time job! I'm actually not sure how I'm managing it.

What LGBT+ comics on Tapas should people be reading right now?

Catuallie:

DPD: Arcane Affairs by Saltysalmonella — a great mystery comic with cool magic, awesome characters, and amazing artwork! If you’re looking for a fun (and…scary) story where romance isn’t the main focus but has gay protagonists, this comic is for you!

Love spells by Ryan and Sage — an adorable comic about a witch and a lady knight who fall in love. Beautifully drawn and written, and you’ll especially love this story if you’re into JRPGs!

Double Blind by Robosharks — ANOTHER great mystery/horror comic! (you can tell what I like to read lol) Great artwork and dialogue, and SUCH an intriguing plot! It’s also a comedy, with some truly funny moments!

Finding Home  by Hari — A comic about two friends who fall in love while traveling together! I love this comic because the situations and relationship feel so real, and it handles serious situations well. The art (especially those backgrounds….) is absolutely stunning!  

Kurzz:

Puu by Nabigal-Nayagam Haider Ali — Jameel Mansour moves into a new flat with a strange roommate Saboor Halwani, who has an obsession for flowers. Slowly, the two men find out they're not only perfect as roommates... (story takes place in Tamil Nadu, India)

This comic is one of my absolute #1 favs. Perfect balance of hilarious and heartfelt moments, a lovable, adorable cast of characters, and colorful amazing art. The original poetry by the author (Nabi) throughout the comic is beautiful. Truly a multi-media masterpiece!

Gutless by Rose Bousamra — A queer fantasy adventure set in a magical manifestation of North America, featuring a non-binary knight of mysterious origins, a witch princess, and the last mermaid in the world.

I'm absolutely in love with Rose's artwork, and her webcomic is totally not one to miss!! The characters are so charming and sweet, and the magical NA setting is so lush and colorful it makes me want to crawl right into the panels and take a nap in the forest.

Heirs of the Veil by Phin Kaldinski and Jassy Klier — After a long journey, the young witch Victoria arrived in Port Arbores, the city on the edge of the abyss. Can the city's secret protector, the Strayer, help her find her missing mother?

Such lovely art by this pair!!! Stunning backgrounds and coloring, and a wonderfully interesting story that I am so excited to see where it takes us! Such a vibrant setting and warm, lovable characters, too. I also adore the character interactions, especially between Cortez and Ernst! It's lovely to see such domestic, caring relationship between them!

Jem: I love Rock & Riot and Project Nought by Chelsey Furedi!

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Thank you Catuallie, Kurzz, and Jem for taking the time to share your stories and recommendations!

This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Pride Month Creator Highlight. Click here for Part 2 with Kales and Neila!