CBB: TJ and Amal is a buddy comic strip. We’ve seen a few of those, even in the super hero genre. But I’ve never seen one like yours. What inspired you to create this feature?
E.K. Weaver: There wasn’t a single, specific inspiration. I’ve always adored films and TV shows where the character relationships and character development are the defining factors. I love comics and animation that use silence and body language to convey as much information as dialogue. On top of that, I’m a big fan of the “strangers thrust together by chance gradually form close bonds” setup (e.g. Firefly, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo)… so I guess I’m just making the kind of story I’d want to read.
CBB: When reading TJ and Amal, I really found myself liking the story and the very realistic feel. One thing that did bug me in a way was the yaoi label applied to it. It felt like it wasn’t written for me even though I enjoyed it a lot. Like I was not the targeted demographic group supposed to read it. How do you feel about such labels and how they influence what people will say about comics or even how they recommend them?
E.K. Weaver: Genre labels can be both convenient and frustrating. If you’re primarily interested in sci-fi, for example, it’s handy to have that label to gravitate towards. But for works that span genres, or don’t adhere to genre conventions, labels can be reductive and even detrimental. TJ and Amal isn’t aimed at any particular genre or demographic. I hope it’ll attract readers who enjoy fun dialogue and interesting characters, but beyond that… nope, that’s all I care about. I honestly don’t have a solid label for it, myself.
I used to get pretty down when someone would label TJ and Amal “yaoi”, since that label carries a connotation of shallowness and meaninglessness, but… I don’t know, fretting about it, trying to fight it seems like a waste of energy. People will call it what they want, and if the story is strong enough, it’ll break past those labels.
Posts
Colin you fuckup
Guys, I'm sorry I didn't track these two foul men down and break their fingers before this happened.
This one's on me.
Hey lay off Colin, man.
He didn't ask to such a fucku-- success-challenged individual.
wasn't there going to be nips at some point did I miss out on the nips
the nips slipped you by
If I don't see some cartoon nips soon...!
http://www.ambarb.com/
http://fourfears.com/
http://www.comicbookbin.com/Interview_TJ_Amal_Creator001.html