JD Glass is a first-generation Latina author, an artist, a musician, and a recipient of the Stonewall Honor from the American Library Association as well as a Lambda Literary Award. JD lives on Staten Island in New York City with their partner, Kris Dresen and their two dogs.

Kris Dresen is an accomplished comics artist who has been recognized with Eisner and Ignatz Award nominations, and a Xeric Grant for her emotionally rich, evocative, and visceral work. Kris’s work has been included in the Lambda Literary Award-winning anthology No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics. And she also works as a book designer and an art director.

I had the opportunity to interview JD and Kris, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourselves?

I’m JD Glass and I’m definitely part of several fandoms! As a result, I’m an author, musician, and a visual artist because I apparently don’t like to sleep.—JD

I’m Kris Dresen – an artist, illustrator and book designer. I’ve been writing and drawing comics since the early 1990’s. I also used to illustrate greeting cards so maybe I’ve wished you a happy birthday. Oh, yeah, and I’m married to JD Glass. – Kris

What can you tell us about your book, Punk Like Me? What was the original inspiration for it? 

The original inspiration was the novel—and that was inspired by the horrors of high school! But on a more serious note, I wanted to write the book I needed, because I knew others would need to see themselves reflected, to know this too is survivable. —JD 

I just illustrated JD’s wonderful book, but I took visual inspiration from the Ramones and the drawing hand of Roger McCloskey in Make Way for Ducklings. -Kris

As creatives, what drew you to the art of storytelling, especially graphic novels/comics?

I’ve always been a storyteller—it’s innate for me in a fundamental way, and I’ve been a comics fan since my mother let me look at hers before I could even read.—JD

I don’t remember a time not reading comics. I loved reading the Sunday funnies and read the comics pages every day up until the late 2010’s. I loved Bloom County, Calvin & Hobbes, Doonesbury, Cul-du-Sac…so many great strips. I started reading comic books pretty early, too. Spider-Man, X-Men, Dennis the Menace and Archie digests. I started drawing when I was three years old. My earliest drawings had word balloons. I gravitated towards comics because it was easier to draw something than write about it. As I was falling out of love with comics in the late 1980’s/early 1990’s I stumbled across Kyle Baker’s The Cowboy Show and was blown away. That book was my introduction to graphic novel and I knew that’s what I wanted to create.- Kris

What are some of your favorite elements of writing/illustrating? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or difficult? 

The most satisfying thing is every complete section, and sometimes being in the full flow. And for me I also love the editing part because I get to see the whole thing in a different way and appreciate different facets. The most frustrating sometimes is that I can’t just touch my finger to the screen and the ideas just come out fully formed! So I guess really those days or even moments when it’s not so much about achieving flow, but rather having flow interrupted—I hate when that happens. —JD

Hitting that zone where the work just flows out of you, where what hits the paper looks exactly the way you see it in your head – that’s worth chasing. The frustration of just trying to start working on something, always a struggle. – Kris

As a creative, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general?

We don’t have enough room or time to list them all! But some still-living influences are artists like Kris Dresen, Yayoi Kusama, Hayao Miyazaki, author Katharine Kerr, Susan Cooper, Wendy & Richard Pini, the Hernandez Bros., Gerhard Richter, Star Wars, Garbage, U2, God Is An Astronaut—JD

Hank Ketchum, Edward Hopper, Paula Scher, Shaun Tan, Alan Dean Foster, Ruth Reichel, Peter Gabriel, Sleep Token, U2, Pentel mechanical pencils. – Kris

Aside from your work, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?

I love being able to connect to folks, and hope that my work brings insight and joy. I am always really honestly humbled when folks tell me they enjoy it.—JD

I am a former cat person. I’m all about my small dogs now. – Kris

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

How many guitars do I have? And the answer is 17 if you include 2 basses.—JD

How do you pronounce your last name? DREH-zen. – Kris

What advice might you have to give for aspiring storytellers out there?

Just do it! Tell the story! But also take the time to master basics, like spelling and grammar, because that actually makes you both a better and faster writer.—JD

Learn from other artists but do not copy other artists. Incorporate what you like and adapt it but do not lift wholesale. Find your own voice and style. Give yourself time to learn and grow. Hard work and patience always pays off. – Kris

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

Sometimes it feels like what am I NOT working on? I’m working on a new novel, Kris & I are outlining our next collaborative graphic novel, and I’m working on audio/podcast and animation projects, as well as getting ready to shoot another pair of short films. I’m also hoping to hop into the studio and polish up a song or two.—JD

I have a new project with my Max & Lily characters called Max and Lily Aren’t Married that I hope to get on its feet soon. There’s another graphic novel with JD. I also have a weird concept for a memoir of sorts on my plate. So, yeah, I have a few things going on. – Kris

Finally, what books/authors would you recommend to the readers of GeeksOUT? 

The entire Daggerspell series by Katharine Kerr, The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper, any and all Love and Rockets by the Hernandez Brothers, The Last Time We Spoke by Jesse Mechanic, Camelot 3000, A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle—JD

Alison Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out For, The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green by Eric Orner, Why I Hate Saturn by Kyle Baker, the Pizza & Taco books by Stephen Shaskan, In the End We All Die by Tobias Aeschbacher, Dune by Frank Herbert. – Kris