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Celebrating Women's History Month (ft. Creator Q&A)
Mar 29, 2019
As Women’s History Month comes to an end, we wanted to take this time to celebrate all the women in our platform. Whether you’re a reader, creator, or both you all have contributed to Tapas by helping shape the awesome and diverse community we have today.
To help celebrate, we asked a few fan-favorite female artists and authors to share about their series, thoughts on strong female characters, and much more!
Here’s what Patabot, creator of BFGFS, Amapora + Saza, creators of Lost and Found, and Maham Fatemi creator of Prince of Silk and Thorn all had to say.
1. Can you tell us a little bit about your series and your inspirations behind them?
MAHAM FATEMI: I don’t remember the exact inspiration behind Prince of Silk and Thorn, but I remember I wanted to write something about royalty and a dark prince. And after a little brainstorming, I came up with the story. For the main character role for Maeva, I didn’t want to go with a ‘typical’ main character either. I didn’t want someone kindhearted, sweet, and ready to melt the prince’s heart...No, I wanted someone spoiled, bratty, haughty, and fierce. She’s not perfect, but she’s not pretending to be a lovestruck maiden at every corner. Thus, Prince of Silk and Thorn was created!
AMAPORA: The idea for Lost and Found came to me years before we teamed up with Tapas. Most of my inspiration comes from music and visual stimulation. The ideal conditions for my creativity are usually subway or car rides with headphones.
SAZA: My favorite and most challenging part of creating these characters is being able to project accurately their feelings through their facial expressions and physical language so that the readers can really understand how they feel and maybe create a connection to them.
MAHAM FATEMI: My favorite part of writing characters is not the individual character themselves, but how they react around the other characters. Writing interactions between different characters is so much fun! For example, in my other series Zhulong: Ice and Fire when Huian (the self-absorbed and arrogant main character) butts head with Chenglei (the indifferent and cold male main character), I live for those moments!
PATABOT: I’ll always have a soft spot for crybaby Usagi/ Sailor Moon. She felt like one of the few girl characters growing up that was allowed to just be a complete mess and I needed that hahaha.
SAZA: My favorite female character would be Mulan cause she's smart and brave.
4. What would you say are some of your favorite series made by other female creators on Tapas?
AMAPORA: So I guess it’s pretty obvious now that I live for both Fantasy and Romance stories. Queen of Gods has both. The art is fantastic and the story keeps me on the edge of my seat. The main character, Emilia, is absolutely my favorite. God, she’s frustrating, but in a good way. Because I understand where she comes from, what she lived through and what she must do to survive. And these kind of characters are the best.
PATABOT: My thoughts immediately go to Sarah Scribbles and Pigeon Gazette hahaha. Megan’s Doodle for Food has also gone dog crazy and if you hate dogs then I don’t think I can trust you.
5. Lastly, what advice would you give to other creators who are starting out?
AMAPORA: Have fun while you are at it, to be honest. Do it because it sends your blood pumping and not because you want to go somewhere with what you are creating.
SAZA: As an illustrator, I'd say that if you are good at drawing but not so good at creating stories, go ahead and work with somebody who does (like I do with Amapora). So you can concentrate solely on your illustrations.
MAHAM FATEMI: One thing I’ve learned from having other acquaintances that are writers is that writers are VERY self-deprecating. Sometimes we think our work is great, but then we HATE it and see it as the worst thing ever. Other times, we’re writing and everything on the page looks like garbage. Just remember to breathe, relax, and keep pushing yourself.
PATABOT: There’s a giant void that’s waiting to be filled and it’s an exciting time to be a female creator: find your own voice, write the story that only you can write, and just have fun with it. Just do it and do it for you!
A special thank you to the talented Patabot, Amapora, Saza, and Maham Fatemi for chatting with us and being part of this celebration. And thank you all for tuning in!
