newsfeed

Creator Highlights are featured posts where we interview comic artists and novelists within the Tapas community. aiyeim is the creator of Kids Being Kids, a brand new series exclusive to Tapas. We thought it would be a little bit fun to get to know aiyeim a little bit more and explore what does into bringing the story to life!

Tell us a little bit about yourself, where you’re from, and what got you interested in art?

Hi, I’m aiyeim (yes, lowercase a), and I’m an artist from a tiny country called the Philippines. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by art. In fact, I learned how to draw first before I even learned how to properly write my name. I don’t really remember much from my childhood days besides drawing on walls and places where I shouldn’t draw. I remember watching One Piece and Card Captor Sakura (they were dubbed in Tagalog), and those two shows got me interested in drawing “anime” styles.

How did the idea for Kids Being Kids come about and where did you draw inspiration from for this series?

First of all, the main characters from KBK were just OCs I’d randomly draw when I was bored. I’ve seen artists create a backstory for their characters and I thought that was cool. I actually like writing short stories so I gave each of my OCs a backstory. Then one day, I started doing short strips until it went longer than short strips lol. I take a lot of inspiration from a lot of things, but mostly from real life. Some of the situations that my characters were in, I’ve experienced myself.

Could you share which artists or works you draw inspiration from?

Soooo... I have a lot of artists I look up to. I don’t think I can just mention all of them BUT, the first one that’s on my mind right now is @ursuladecay. I adore their art AND skills in writing such compelling characters. I could definitely say that they were one of the artists that influenced me into creating a comic myself.

You can check out their work here: https://ursuladecayart.tumblr.com/

Can you describe your process, from idea to finished work? What does the average day look like for you?

Aw man, my writing process is A MESS.

I’d always go like this:

Writing -> Drawing the comic -> Dialogue -> End(?)...NOPE -> Goes back to previous panels and CHANGES ALMOST EVERYTHING

I think it’s because I don’t easily get satisfied with my work so I always change some things even though it’s supposed to be “finished.”

Other than webcomics, do you experiment in other art mediums?

Well, I’ve always started with traditional. Although nowadays, I use digital more often. I still draw with paper though. I still fill my sketchbooks and I still love watercolor ~

Do you find working with fanart and working with original concepts very different? Are there things that are similar and have you come across any difficulties?

Hmmm… Yep! Fanart already has an existing...well EVERYTHING, you just take that and you re-interpret it. While original concepts start from scratch. There are some difficulties with both. For example, I feel like fanart can be limiting. When I draw a fanart of a person or a fictional character, I feel the need for it to stay true to the real thing. Like it needs to have this certain something that makes people wanna say, “oh that’s Louise Belcher from Bob’s Burgers!”

Who’s your favorite character in Kids Being Kids? What can readers expect from this character as the story unfolds?

My favorite is Odette, I can relate to her the most because I’ve also been bullied for how I look (I love drawing her as well!) Well, my readers can expect her development as a character. Anything besides that might be a little too spoiler-y.

Who’s the most challenging character to draw?

Milo TT_TT

You present three different stories in Kids Being Kids, was there one that you felt was more challenging to write for?

Milo’s story. I didn’t think I’d face difficulties writing his story, but I’m pretty sure I’m happy with what I came up for him.

The stories that are present in Kids Being Kids, they're heart-wrenching and real. Is there a message that you want readers to leave with when they read the comic?

I don't particularly have an important message to tell them, but I do wish that they'd think of the characters as someone they know. Someone they can be friends with.

In three words, please describe KBK.

Just gay, stupid kids. There.

Are there any comics or artists on Tapas that you keep an eye on?

I have been following a lot (some premium and non-premium comics), I've been reading Long Exposure and Happiness Theory! I'm currently keeping an eye out for Suicide Prevention, and Villains as well~

If readers wanted to follow you on social media, what accounts should they follow?

Hmmm, I have instagram (@aiyeim), twitter (@aiyeim_here), and tumblr (@aiyeim)!

This or That:

Cereal or Milk first?

Like any other normal people! (milk first)

Pineapple on pizza, yeah or nah?

YEEEEEEH, it's actually my fave so I still don't get the hate

Ovaltine or Milo?

Milo, miss me with that ovaltine plz

Friends to Lovers or Enemies to Lovers?

Friends to Lovers huehuehue

Slow burn romance or a fast-paced romance?

Slow burn please! especially if it's executed well!

Fluff or Angst?

Angst D':

----

Kids Being Kids updates every Tuesday exclusively on Tapas! You can read the first 6 episodes of this amazing series here!

Stay tuned for more Creator Highlights. See you next time!