The Geeks OUT Podcast: Promising Young Witch

The Geeks OUT Podcast

Opinions, reviews, incisive discussions of queer geek ideas in pop culture, and the particularly cutting brand of shade that you can only get from a couple of queer geeks all in highly digestible weekly doses.

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Jon Herzog, as they discuss the newly announced Comic-Con coming to San Diego Thanksgiving weekend, the new red band trailer for The Suicide Squad, and celebrate the new writer announced for the Zatanna movie, Emerald Fennell as our Strong Female Character of the Week. 

.

BIG OPENING

KEVIN:  San Diego Comic-Con announces a Thanksgiving Comic-Con Special Edition
JON: Disney moves Black Widow and will stream it and Cruella on Disney+, Pixar’s Luca to skip theaters and stream exclusively on Disney+

.

DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: The Craft: Legacy, Invincible, The Irregulars, Genera+ion, Alien
JON: Veronica Mars Rewatch + Books, Falcon + Winter Soldier, Drag Race UK, Steve Orlando Martian Manhunter run

.

STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

Writer/Director of Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell to write Zatanna

.

THIS WEEK IN QUEER

DC releasing a 2-issue Superman & The Authority featuring 3 queer members written by Grant Morrison

.

CLIP OF THE WEEK

New red band trailer for The Suicide Squad

.

THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

• A new different Transformers movie is being developed
• WB exec states there is no future DC Snyderverse
• Pierce Brosnan joins Black Adam as Dr. Fate
• Keanu Reeves comic BRZRKR to become a Netflix movie & anime series
• New trailer for Stowaway

.

TV

• New special celebrating 50 years of Sesame Street to introduce new black family
• CW orders Wellington Paranormal, spinoff of movie What We Do in the Shadows
• New trailer for the final season of Supergirl
• Wallis Day joins the cast of Batwoman as new Kate Kane
• New trailer for The Nevers
• New trailer for Made for Love
• New trailer for THEM
• Disney developing a Hawkeye spinoff around Echo

.

COMIC BOOKS

• DC announces Milestone comics coming out in print in June
• Marvel breaks with Diamond for new partnership with Penguin Random House

.

SHILF

• KEVIN: Omni-Man
• JON: Sebastian Stan 

The Geeks OUT Podcast: Hellfire Gala Toots & Boots

https://geeksoutpodcast.libsyn.com/geeks-out-podcast-hellfire-gala-toots-boots

In this extended episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Bobby Hankinson, as they discuss all the hawt lewks Russell Dauterman designed for Marvel’s Hellfire Gala, check out the new trailer for Cruella, and celebrate the new queer Captain America being introduced by Christopher Cantwell, Josh Trujillo, Jan Bazaldua, and Dale Eaglesham in This Week in Queer.

.

BIG OPENING

KEVIN:  Marvel unleashes Hellfire Gala fashions
BOBBY: New vocal cast announced for Rugrats reboot

.

DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Minari, Servant, Watchmen, Blown Away
BOBBY: Justice League: Snyder Cut, Falcon & Winter Soldier, The Muppet Show, Fortnite

.

STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

New trailer for Birdgirl

.

THIS WEEK IN QUEER

Marvel introduces a new queer Captain America from queer creative team

.

CLIP OF THE WEEK

New teaser for Cruella

.

THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

• The 2021 Oscar nominations announced
• New trailer for Arlo the Alligator Boy
• The Venom sequel has been pushed to September

.

TV

• Ryan Murphy confirms the name of season 10 of American Horror Story
• New trailer for Cruel Summer
• First look at Eclipso in season 2 of Stargirl
• Syfy renews Resident Alien for season 2
• Peacock orders mystery series Poker Face
• New trailer for Rutherford Falls
• New trailer for The Irregulars
• New teaser for the revival of Behind the Music
• First poster released for Loki
• Sneak peek at season 2 of Tuca & Bertie

.

COMIC BOOKS

• Marvel announces Gamma Flight series featuring trans lead from trans writer

.

SHILF

• KEVIN: Daddy Falcon
• BOBBY: Daddy Affleck 

Interview with KaiJu

Jen Xu and K. Rhodes, also known as KaiJu, are a couple of comic artists working together to create projects close to their hearts. They are SVA graduates and debuted with Chromatic Press in 2014 with The Ring of Saturn. Their next work, Mahou Josei Chimaka, won a DINKy award in March of 2016. Their short comic Inhabitant of Another Planet, was also nominated for a DINKy the following year. The two-headed monster is currently working on their webcomic, Novae, and their middle-grade graphic novel duology HAVEN and the Fallen Giants. I had the chance to interview KaiJu, which you can read below.

What does the title, Novae, mean? What drew you to this word, and did the story evolve from the title or vice versa?

KaiJu: When we were first starting to write Novae, we didn’t have a particular title in mind. We were calling it the very wordy “The Necromancer and the Astronomer’s Apprentice” for the longest time before deciding on Novae. 

Novae means a nova within a binary star system. It’s a phenomenon where one star becomes bright due to an explosion of energy taken from another star. We thought it was a fitting title for our story—as it revolves around two characters that become “locked in each other’s orbit”, and bring brightness into each other’s lives.

Your name, KaiJu, is both a play on Japanese mythology and your names, correct? How did KaiJu come to be and how would you describe your collaboration process together?

KaiJu: Yes! Though the word kaiju is more associated with the Japanese film phenomenon nowadays than mythology. The word carries the meaning of strange beasts, sometimes used to describe dinosaurs in the early 1900s.  We were trying to combine our names into something coherent and we kept landing on KaiJu. It just seemed like a cute idea. We like to think of ourselves as a two headed creature that creates worlds, instead of destroying them.

As far as how our collaboration process goes. We write the script together. We each take on the persona of different characters in the dialogue. It’s a really fun way to write since we never know how the characters might react to each other during the drafting process. We also each storyboard different pages, and pencil our own set of characters. Kate does backgrounds and color, while Jen inks. We get a lot of help from our assistant color flatters as well. It’s very much a collaborative project from start to finish.

In a field like historical fiction, which has been noted for its absence of people of color (as well as LGBTQ+ characters in an era where queer language hasn’t evolved the way it has today), how did you develop the diversity as seen in Novae? What resources did you consult for historical/cultural accuracy?

KaiJu: We borrowed quite a lot of books from the library when we were first writing the script for Novae, and it’s prequel Inhabitant of Another Planet. A particularly useful title was In the land of the Christians, which is a collection of Arabic travel writings from the 17th century. However, the information on people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals was very limited from what we could gather. We try to be as accurate as we can, but in the end the character’s experience is very reliant on their individual circumstances. 

As you mentioned, queer language had not evolved the way it has today, so it’s hard to make a direct linguistic correlation between a persons identity and our modern terminology. But of course, LGBTQ+ folks still existed and felt the same way many individuals do today.

Novae leans towards alternative history, so we don’t intend for it to be a perfectly accurate representation of historical figures or events. Though, we do try to incorporate some historical events in a way that suits the narrative of Novae.

We hope that Novae reflects the diversity that has always been present in history. In truth the lack of diversity in historical fiction is an inaccurate representation limited by narrow perspectives. Though ultimately, the idea of “accuracy” should not limit representation. No one should feel like they have to justify the inclusion of LGBTQ+ and POC characters.

Within the comic, one of the main characters is revealed as mute and shown to communicate nonverbally using a combination of Tactile fingerspelling and sign language. What kind of research do you implement in creating a character with this type of disability in this time period?

Jen: For Sulvain’s character, I looked up articles about non-verbal individuals and how they communicated with their loved ones before established sign language. I found that personalized sign language, writing and fingerspelling were a common way to communicate during the 17th century. For Sulvain’s sign language I watched a lot of Instructional videos on ASL and other world sign languages. Then I mixed and matched to make something representative of Sulvain’s experience. I plan on finding an ASL adviser as Sulvain uses more sign language.

What are some of your favorite elements of webcomics/graphic novel medium? What craft elements/techniques stand out to you the most?

Jen: I love how the visual elements of webcomics/graphic novels convey emotions and freeze moments. It’s different from film and other forms of visual media, that it allows the readers to absorb these moments in their own time. For example, a contemplative scene in a film plays for five seconds— and the scene changes. But with comics, I can choose to dwell on a panel, on a page, or on a scene for as long as I like and really experience the content at my own pace. 

I think comics give you the ability to inhibit space and the minds of the characters, allowing emotions to brew.

Kate: I love the drama that can be conveyed in comics. I also love that the nature of the medium, the ability to create without a big budget, allows you to pursue big ideas with a smaller audience. I love to see the unbridled creativity that comes purely from an individual’s brain.

Techniques that really stand out to me are paneling and framing, and the ability to draw an emotion out of a reader through expressions. I love it when I can immediately feel something just by looking at a few panels. 

Are there any other stories (whether already published or upcoming) fans of Novae could check out from you? 

KaiJu: Yes! We have the prequel for Novae called Inhabitant of Another Planet as well as some other short stories you can find on the Novae website’s about page

As far as upcoming work, we have a middle-grade graphic novel called HAVEN and the Fallen Giants slated to come out with Viking Children’s in 2022. It’s a silk road inspired fantasy adventure with a good mix of fun world building and confronting important social issues. 

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/comics would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

KaiJu: Oh gosh, we read quite a lot of LGBTQ+ comics that are really great but we’ll highlight just a few here.

We really love the energy in Sammy Montoya’s comics. Sammy does a lot of shorter comics and they’re very addicting. They’re great at pulling the reader in right away and making the characters and conflict very engaging.

You can find some of Sammy’s comics here

Cunning Fire by Kaz Rowe is a great example of a LGTBQ+ webcomic that focuses both on character relationships, as well a complex urban fantasy plot. Kaz uses a lot of great cinematic techniques that are really fun to read. You’ll definitely find yourself rooting for the characters.

Castle Swimmer by Wendy Lain Martin has great world building, characters and spot on humor. If you’re not reading it already you have to check it out.

Tiger Tiger by Petra Erika Nordlund is a super creative and intriguing fantasy comic set on the high seas. Every visual detail in Petra’s comic is a delight.

If you’re looking for a really sweet comic with a healthy relationship that also features a partially nonverbal character, you should definitely check out #Muted by kandismon. 

You can read it here

My Broken Mariko by Waka Hirako is a incredibly well done and heartbreaking manga that just came out recently. I’m not sure if this one is considered LGBTQ+ but I think it can certainly be read that way. It’s worth checking out just to marvel at the emotional power of Hirako’s work. 

There are many more we would love to talk about but these are the ones we’re currently reading.

The Geeks OUT Podcast: Marvel vs. DC – The Pride-Off

The Geeks OUT Podcast

Opinions, reviews, incisive discussions of queer geek ideas in pop culture, and the particularly cutting brand of shade that you can only get from a couple of queer geeks all in highly digestible weekly doses.

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Eric Green, as they discuss the final trailer for the massively built up “Snyder Cut” of Justice League, DC’s big campaign announced for Wonder Woman’s 80th anniversary, and celebrate all the queer artists and writers announced as part of DC Pride in This Week in Queer.

.

BIG OPENING

KEVIN:  Netflix is testing out a new crackdown on password sharing
ERIC: Bob Iger and Bob Chapek chair Disney’s Diversity Councils

.

DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Promising Young Woman, Moxie!, Genera+ion, Resident Alien, Super Mario 3D World
ERIC: X-Men (as always), All My Relations, Extremity, Raya and the Last Dragon, Lego VIDIYO

.

STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

DC announces “Believe in Wonder” campaign for Wonder Woman’s 80th anniversary

.

THIS WEEK IN QUEER

DC announces new DC Pride anthology and variant covers 

.

CLIP OF THE WEEK

Final trailer for Justice League: The Snyder Cut

.

THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

• HBO Max confirms that Batgirl and Zatanna movies still in development
• Pepe Le Pew removed from Space Jam 2
• New trailer for Vanquish
• New trailer for The Unholy
• Movie theaters in Los Angeles can reopen at 25%

.

TV

• The History Channel is releasing a docu-series celebrating 55 years of Star Trek
• Peacock developing series based on George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards
• Netflix cancels/expands Special season 2 to 30min
• Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit being developed into a musical
• Michelle Gomez joins season 3 of Doom Patrol
• HBO Max adapting comic Slam! into animated series
• New trailer for book 4 of Infinity Train
• Cast reveal for The Powerpuff Girl live-action pilot
• New trailer for the Kung Fu reboot
• New teaser for Amazon Prime’s Them from Lena Waithe
• First look at Starz’s Heels
• Ducktales living on as a podcast, This Duckberg Life
• New trailer for Falcon & The Winter Soldier

.

COMIC BOOKS

• New The Nice House on the Lake horror comic coming from James Tynion IV
• Marvel announces Marvel Voices: Pride #1 plus

.

SHILF

• KEVIN: Jason Momoa
• ERIC: Henry Cavill

Interview With Emery Lee

Emery Lee is a kid-lit author, artist, and YouTuber hailing from a mixed-racial background. After graduating with a degree in creative writing, e’s gone on to author novels, short stories, and webcomics. When away from reading and writing, you’ll most likely find em engaged in art or snuggling cute dogs. Find em online at emeryleebooks.com. I had the chance to interview Emery, which you can read below.

How would you describe yourself to people who haven’t met you yet?

I’m an author who writes stories about marginalized kids having fun, falling in love, and discovering themselves. I always shoot to do things a little unconventionally and bring something new to the table that I desperately needed as a teen but have yet to really find. 

What are three facts that you would want people to know in particular?

I’m a YA author, an anime nerd, and a huge fan of boba tea.

How did you come to realize you wanted to be an author? 

I never actually planned to be an author. I started writing when I was really young just for fun and to satisfy my chaotic imagination and all the things I felt weren’t resolved in the media I was consuming. I used to carry notebooks around and scribble whole books in them, and when I was maybe ten or eleven, I started sharing them with friends and classmates, and it just became a universally accepted truth that I was the class author and would go on to write a million books one day.

Where did the idea for Meet Cute come from? Was anything about it inspired by real life?

It was inspired by a road trip I went on with my best friend! In Colorado, she had what we called a “near meet cute” and I turned to her and said, “if this were a book, you’d be marrying that guy right now”, and it just struck me that it would be such a fun idea to write about a character who just took every real-life run in like that and wrote happily ever afters to them.

In your book, you discuss neo-pronouns and other examples of gender inclusive language we don’t often see enough of yet in fiction? Would you care to discuss that?

So I use neo-pronouns (e/em/eir) and a common issue I run into is people just straight up telling me they didn’t realize they were pronouns at all. Just asking people to use they/them is really difficult for some people, so introducing these words that people think are brand new or made up (all words are made up, and most neo-pronouns have been around for 30+ years) just really trips them up. I wanted to put a book out into the world through a major publisher that just treated these things as normal. I wanted to help show teens that you can question your identity and change your labels and cycle through as many as you want, and the only limits are the limits you have on your own language. But it was really important for me to emphasize in the book that normalizing these things should start early, and that ultimately, it’s not hard to pick up gender inclusive language and changing your identifiers doesn’t have to be hard or miserable. It can actually be really fun and freeing.

Title aside, you seem to be a big fan of romance tropes. What are some of your favorites, and which ones can we expect from the book?

My all time favorite trope is enemies to lovers, but I love most romance tropes, as long as they’re used well—childhood friends to lovers, only one bed, fake relationships, marriage of convenience, etc. MEET CUTE DIARY obviously calls on meet cutes and fake dating as major plot elements, but I also throw in some hate to love, mutual pining, friends to lovers, and forced proximity.

Hypothetically speaking, if the characters of your books or you yourself could interact with characters from any other fictional universe, where would they be from? 

I’m gonna say the characters from Becky Albertalli’s Simonverse because I feel like Noah would really have a great time making friends with so many great queer characters!

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet or wish you were asked?

“Which boba tea flavor would each of your characters be?” or “Who would win in a fight? Your main character fighting Katsuki Bakugou in which both of them have a quirk? Or if neither of them have a quirk?”

What are some trivia facts about the characters in Meet Cute that you would love to share with our readers? As a self-professed anime/manga fan, what are some of your favorite examples?

oah’s an anime fan, his favorites being My Hero Academia and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Devin hates sprinkles and really love the scent of lavender. Becca has a Yorkie named Noodles. Drew’s favorite show is Rick & Morty.

As a debut author, what advice can you give to aspiring writers, both in terms of creativity and promotion?

I think writing and promotion can often feel at odds with each other. Sometimes it feels like the more you look to sell yourself, the harder it is to write or the more you focus on writing what feels right, the less marketable you become. Ultimately, I think the key is learning when to turn off the noise. It’s good to learn from other people and incorporate what they do well into what you do, but learning how to take a step back when things become too much and go back to that place where you can just be you and just write what you love and not have to think about it too much is a vital skill to surviving publishing, and I think it’s a good one to start learning early.

Are there any new projects you are working on right now and are at liberty to speak about?

I’m currently working on a short story that’ll appear in the ALL SIGNS POINT TO YES Anthology edited by Candice Montgomery, Cara Davis-Araux, and Adrianne Russell. My story’s all about a reclusive brujo who has to help the school jock get over a bad breakup only to realize he’s developing feelings for him, and that comes out in 2022. I’m also working on several other novels, but those can’t be revealed just yet.

Finally, what are some LGBTQ+ books or authors you would recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

I highly recommend anything by Ryan La Sala, Phil Stamper, Kacen Callender, Claribel Ortega, Adam Silvera, Becky Albertalli, and Aiden Thomas. I also really loved FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILES FROM THE SUN by Jonny Garza Villa which releases this June!

The Geeks OUT Podcast: Raya Gotta Be About Asians

The Geeks OUT Podcast

Opinions, reviews, incisive discussions of queer geek ideas in pop culture, and the particularly cutting brand of shade that you can only get from a couple of queer geeks all in highly digestible weekly doses.

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Kate Moran, as they discuss Disney’s newest movie, Raya and the Last Dragon, debate whether more inclusion in Hogwarts Legacy washes away J.K.’s TERF past/present, and celebrate Alan Scott, the Green Lantern, coming out in a new story from James Tynion IV in This Week In Queer. 

.

BIG OPENING

KEVIN:  San Diego Comic Con is canceled for virtual event and a smaller IRL one in November
KATE: Upcoming Hogwarts Legacy gives the option to play as transgender character

.

DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Coming 2 America, Debri, For All Mankind, The Real World Homecoming, Wiccan & Hulkling, DC’s Infinite Frontier
KATE: Sims 4 Kits disappoints again, Wandavision Finale, Raya, Super Mario in Animal Crossing

.

STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

Watch Raya & the Last Dragon on March 12th for less than premiere access & support a non-profit

.

THIS WEEK IN QUEER

The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott comes out

.

CLIP OF THE WEEK

New teaser for HBO Max series Made for Love

.

THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

• New trailer for the documentary Operation Varsity Blues
• New study shows Netflix is better at inclusion than traditional studios
• New trailer for Thunder Force
• New trailer for Voyagers
• New look at Space Jam 2

.

TV

• New trailer for AppleTV+ series Calls
• Fox renews The Simpsons for two more seasons bringing them to 750 episodes
• Fox’s Animation Domination extends to Monday
• The CW renews Superman & Lois after airing one episode
• CBS orders a pilot based on Sarah Cooper’s book
• New trailer for South Park’s vaccination special
• First look & reintroduction to The Proud Family
• Sony secures showrunner for new Silk series
• The Golden Globes address their lack of diversity during broadcast
• Starz is working on a Party Down revival

.

VIDEO GAMES

• New Switch system coming in time for the holidays
• Act 1 of Hamilton was recreated on Animal Crossing

.

SHILF

• KEVIN: Vision
• KATE: Agatha

Interview With Molly Ostertag

Molly Ostertag is an Igntaz and Prism Award winning graphic novelist and author of the Witch Boy series from Scholastic. She also writes and designs for TV animation. She lives in Los Angeles with her wife and pets, where her hobbies include cooking, camping, and thinking about hobbits. I had the chance to interview her, which you can read below.

When or how did you first realize you wanted to create and draw cartoons and comics for a living?

I started out wanting to write novels, because I was the kind of kid who read everything I could get my hands on and spent most of my childhood acting out stories I made up. But I loved to draw (like every kid does, honestly) and got enough encouragement that I just never stopped drawing. In high school a friend introduced me to Neil Gaiman’s SANDMAN series, and I realized comics didn’t have to be about superheroes – they could be a way to merge my love of storytelling and of drawing. I feel really lucky that I entered the industry during a huge boom in kids’ comics (thanks, Raina Telgemeier and Dav Pilkey!) and that I could make an actual career out of drawing graphic novels!

What were some of the first stories that inspired you as an artist growing up and what stories inspire you now or continue to inspire you today?

There were a ton of (mostly young adult) novels that really shaped me as a storyteller – authors like Tamora Pierce, Diana Wynne Jones, Diane Duane, Susanna Clarke, and Ursula K. Le Guin were huge for me. More recently, I’ve been enjoying Tasmyn Muir, N.K. Jemisin, Octavia Butler, Jeff Vandermeer, and Madeline Miller. I’ve also been doing a sort-of embarrassing deep dive into my preteen love of Lord of the Rings, and finding a lot of new inspiration and interest in that classic story (did you know that it’s like, SUPER gay?). 

Previously, you had paneled for an event at Flame Con, a queer comic con sponsored by Geeks OUT, on “Telling All-Ages Queer Stories.” Can you talk about your work and personal motivation creating inclusive stories for young queer kids, like Witch Boy?

It’s really important to me! I came out at the ripe old age of 24 (I’m kidding! But it felt old at the time). I grew up in a liberal environment, but the 90s and early 00s were still deeply lacking in gay representation in film and books. Gay men were usually a joke, lesbians existed entirely for the male gaze, and any other identity was barely mentioned. I just didn’t know it was a real option for myself. Each piece of work I make for kids that features queer themes is a way to push back against that – to show young people that there’s a huge world of queerness out there, and to show how exciting and wonderful it is to be yourself. ‘Being yourself’ and ‘listening to your heart’ are very over-used morals in children’s media, but when you put them in the context of queer stories they gain new power.

Relating to such, as a writer for Dana Terrance’s hit show, The Owl House, you had the opportunity to write some pretty major episodes, including “Enchanting Grom Night” and “Wing It like Witches.” What was that experience like, writing canonical LGBTQ+ representation on Disney into existence?

It was very exciting! I had worked for Disney TVA in various capacities and had always tried to push for better queer representation (‘better’ here meaning ‘literally anything’), but this was my first job as a writer. Dana had a vision for these characters and when I expressed how much I love writing romance, she assigned me the Grom Night script. It’s been heartening to see Disney realize that there’s no reason a story featuring a same-sex crush shouldn’t be on their network. That’s thanks to a lot of hard work from people behind the scenes, as well as all the other shows that made strides in this area (Steven Universe, Adventure Time, She-Ra, Korra – we build on what came before). 

By the time I was writing the episode, the process went really smoothly. It was a dream to get to tell the story of a nerve-wracking high school crush (in the context of battling an ancient fear demon) and the reaction to that episode and to Wing It Like Witches was awesome.

Your partner, Noelle Stevenson, also a former panelist at Flame Con, is a creative influence in comics in her/his/their own right. How did you two first meet and would you say your creativity as artists sometimes bounce off each other?

The one time we tabled together at Flame Con (2018, I think?) was SO fun, because we initially met at conventions and so they’ll always have a special place in our relationship. We knew each other from cons, and Tumblr, and from both being in art school and making webcomics at the time. It wasn’t until I moved across the country that we started actually dating (after a lot of coming out drama, some of which Noelle wrote about in their gorgeous memoir The Fire Never Goes Out) and now we’re married and very happy! 

It’s truly amazing to be with someone so brilliant and creative. I feel like I’m always scrambling to keep up with Noelle’s giant brain (in a good way; I hope the feeling is mutual) and we bounce ideas off each other constantly. There’s some of me in She-Ra, and some of Noelle in the Witch Boy series, but being in constant conversation means that our voices have been able to diverge and grow and be strengthened by one another. Noelle is incredible with characters and humor; I’m good at world building and story structure; and we’ve both learned a lot from each other in the last five years. I feel lucky every day.

Hypothetically speaking, if the characters of your books or you yourself could interact with characters from any other fictional universe, where would they be from?

I talk about this incessantly, but I would LOVE to travel to Middle-Earth and hang out with some hobbits. Hopefully in this scenario I would also be a hobbit, or else the height difference would be a problem when they inevitably invited me over for elevenses, followed by luncheon.

As a creator, what are some tips you can give to people regarding how to break into the industries (comic books/animation) you occupy? What advice would you give for those who are struggling with inspiration or figuring out how to keep going?

For me, becoming a good artist is about pursuing the stories and art you love. It’s about honing in on what makes your voice unique, feeding your interests, and learning the craft of how best to communicate your story to others – whether that means studying writing, or story structure, or drawing, or anything other form of art. 

Being a good artist with a distinct voice is important to break into these industries, but I always have to note that systemic privilege plays a big, frustrating role. The world of comics and animation are slowly getting better at bringing in underrepresented voices, but there are many issues. 

Generally, here are some practices that have helped me most in my career: forming connections with my peers, elevating and celebrating their successes, and sharing information with them. Being vocal about what jobs I want, and being ready to leave when I outgrew them. And finally: consistently making work I’m passionate about and sharing it, even when it isn’t perfect, and even when I have to self-publish and self-distribute. 

Are there any projects you are working on at the moment and are at liberty to speak about?

I’m really excited about my upcoming graphic novel, THE GIRL FROM THE SEA (Scholastic, June 2021). Morgan, a 15-year-old lesbian who lives in Nova Scotia, has a plan to stay closeted until she can go to college; that is, until she meets Keltie, a selkie girl from the sea with some secrets of her own. It’s a very personal story – it explores the transformative power of queer love, and the fear of coming out and being known, in a way that’s really close to my heart. From the setting, to the fashion, to the sweet romance scenes, it was an absolute joy to draw and I hope people enjoy it!

Finally, what are some LGBTQ+ books or authors you would recommend to the readers of Geeks Out?

Here are some books I’ve loved recently!

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller – an aching retelling of the romance between Patrocles and Achilles.

The Locked Tomb Trilogy by Tasmyn Muir – truly insane, extremely fun books about dirtbag lesbian necromancers in space.

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell and Mariko Tamaki – a gorgeous graphic novel about high school love and heartbreak.

My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness by Kabi Nagata – a searing, vulnerable graphic memoir about sexuality and mental health.


Header Photo Credit: Noelle Stevenson, 2020

The Geeks OUT Podcast: Call Me By the Shape of Your Water

The Geeks OUT Podcast

Opinions, reviews, incisive discussions of queer geek ideas in pop culture, and the particularly cutting brand of shade that you can only get from a couple of queer geeks all in highly digestible weekly doses.

In the return of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Aaron Porchia, as they discuss all the new shows coming to Paramount+, the new trailer for Disney/Pixar’s Luca, and celebrate a nostalgic BTS look at Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman as our Strong Female Character of the Week. 

.

SINCE WE’VE BEEN GONE

Charisma Carpenter speaks out about Joss Whedon – New trailer for Snyder Cut Justice League – Gina Carano fired from The Mandalorian & future Star Wars shows – New Constantine will be diverse – Tim Burton directing Wednesday Addams series – New trailer for Invincible

.

BIG OPENING

KEVIN:  Paramount+ makes a bunch of announcements (Twilight Zone reboot canceled, Drag Race All-Stars, Rugrats and Frasier revivals, Halo series & classic movies being adapted to series)
AARON: Ta-Nehisi Coates is developing Superman reboot with J.J. Abrams

.

DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Antebellum, Possessor, The Equalizer, Batwoman, Superman & Lois, The Cruising Diaries
AARON: Charmed, Agents of SHIELD, I Care A Lot,  WandaVision

.

STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

Flashback to BTS of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman

.

THIS WEEK IN QUEER

Hasbro reintroduces a gender neutral Potato Head

.

CLIP OF THE WEEK

New teaser for Luca

.

THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

• WB announces creative team for Blue Beetle movie
• We’re getting first latinx Supergirl in The Flash 
• Sony announces official title for Spider-Man: No Way Home
• New trailer for Mortal Kombat reboot
• New trailer for Cruella
• New teaser for Army of the Dead
• March 5, NYC movie theaters will reopen

.

TV

• Hulu announces Animaniacs is getting a season 3
• New trailer for season 2 of Solar Opposites
• New teaser for Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K
• Season 2 of Love, Victor coming in June, to be more “adult”
• New teaser for Falcon and the Winter Soldier
• New trailer for The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers
• Disney+ announces dates for Loki, Star Wars: Bad Batch, Monsters at Work, Rescue Rangers, and a bunch of other shows
• First look at Blackfire in season 3 of Titans
• Peacock orders Frogger game show
• Nickelodeon announces new Avatar studios
• New teaser for Jupiter’s Legacy
• New teaser for The Irregulars
• Netflix renews Fate: The Winx Saga
• Shudder renews Creepshow and orders a black horror anthology series

.

COMIC BOOKS

• The Big Two (WB/DC and Disney/Marvel) make statement denouncing anti-asian racism
• Marvel announces Reptil series from designer of Flame Con Flamies, Terry Blas

.

SHILF

• KEVIN: Agent May
• AARON: Agent Coulson