I just really like books.

If TV shows end, studios close, bands fall from the charts to prove that the vulnerable are not there to be used and discarded and not believed.

I absolutely ADORED Queens of Geek! It’s so cute and geeky and diverse and just…swoon worthy 😉

Today we’re joined by Nilah Magruder. Nilah is a brilliant visual artist and writer who I met at Capricon. She moderated a great panel that I was on about friendships in SFF and I was ecstatic to find out she was a fellow ace creator. Nilah’s work is absolutely gorgeous and I’m so excited to check out her new projects. Her upcoming graphic novel, M.F.K., looks particularly intriguing. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

By day, I’m a storyboard artist in the animation industry. In my free time, I make comics and children’s books. My most recent projects are HOW TO FIND A FOX, a picture book about exploring the outdoors and perseverance, and M.F.K., originally a fantasy webcomic that will be hitting bookstores in graphic novel form in September.

What inspires you?

Life! Stories! Observing the world, its nature, its people, its politics is a huge inspiration. I also get inspiration from other people’s art.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I saw the pencil tests for The Lion King for the first time when I was twelve (I’m old, and The Lion King was still under production at this point) and from that moment I wanted to work in animation. I’d loved drawing from a young age, but I don’t think I ever considered it a serious profession. I had no concept of how to become an animator; it was more a pipe dream than anything. So at first I was interested in pursuing music, writing, or something more practical like accounting. It wasn’t until I was applying to colleges that I found out you could study animation, and it rekindled my interest.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

Nothing unique or consistent like that. My work is kind of all over the place, actually, because I’m always trying new things. If there’s anything, I guess I draw a lot of girls.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Work on the fundamentals. Explore styles and influences. Be a sponge. Work hard, but don’t work yourself sick. Your health and life are important. Take breaks, stretch, exercise, eat well, sleep, enjoy the world around you, and learn to say “no” when you need to.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I am asexual and aromantic.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

I guess ace erasure is what I encounter most commonly. Most people don’t seem to have a concept of what asexuality is, so there’s very little representation in animation and comics. I’m trying to be more open about my own sexuality, but in the meantime, I include asexual characters in my work. The main characters of M.F.K. are asexual. In my own canon, asexuality is always present.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

I’ve been hearing the “asexuals are just straight people who wish they were queer” rhetoric a lot lately. And also the idea that it’s the same thing as celibacy, like it’s a choice. It’s sad, and also annoying to have your identity and feelings treated as invalid… something that I’d think more people would relate to, honestly.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Asexuality is a fairly new term, but asexuals have always existed; we just used different language in the past. So don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t belong in the queer community. We’ve always been here.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

I’m on Twitter (nilaffle) and Tumblr as nilaffle, and Instagram as nilaffles. My website is nilahmagruder.com. You can find M.F.K. at mfkcomic.com.

red: how was your first kiss? what do you love about yourself? when’s the last time you warmed your hands in front of a fire? would you rather watch a sunrise or sunset? what’s the best thing about summer?

orange: what makes you feel warm inside? what’s your favorite halloween tradition? what’s the last thing you learned? when’s the last time you felt obsessed? what’s your favorite article of clothing?

yellow: if you could have any view from your bedroom window what would you choose? what’s your favorite thing to do on a sunny day? what do you consider lucky? what made you smile today? what makes you happy?

green: what’s your favorite thing to do outside? do you like camping? what would you spend $1,000 on? what’s your job, or what do you want to do as your job? what’s your favorite article of clothing?

blue: what do you do when you’re sad? what are some things you do when you can’t sleep? what was the best (non-romantic) night you’ve had? what kind of covers do you have on your bed? who is the last person you told a secret to?

Get excited for the Ninth Annual New York Rainbow Book Fair! The largest LGBT book fair in the United States will take place this year on April 29 at John Jay College, with featured guests including Riki Wilchins, Nathaniel Frank, Cholula Lemon, and more. Register now at www.RainbowBookFair.org! 

[image description: the covers of the books listed below with the text “Annotated List of Bi PoC Books”]

How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate (May 2017—Bisexual and Chinese main character, bisexual and Chinese author)

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee (Bi author of color)

Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz

About a Girl (Metamorphoses, #3) by Sarah McCarry

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert (August 2017, author of color)

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (September 2017, author of color)

Vanished by E.E. Cooper

Out of Order by Casey Lawrence

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

37 Things I Love (in No Particular Order) by Kekla Magoon (No label used, author of color)

Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas, #1) by Zoraida Córdova (author of color)

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (One of the six POV characters is black and bisexual)

Books Featuring Bi Characters of Color

From this twitter thread. Thanks to Dahlia Adler of @lgbtqreads​ for a lot of these!

radio silence by alice oseman

top ten books i read in 2016

You Know Me Well by David Levithan & Nina LaCour

Radio Silence 

wooo my patreon has been live for 6 weeks!!!! for those of you who dont know, i give personalized and general advice on writing diversely and make posts on checking yourself for ableism, anti-lgbtq, racism etc. there. since i stopped educating on my blog due to harassment, this is the place to go!

Allyship: Don’t Wait for Someone to Speak Up. You’re the Someone.

Allyship: On Cherry-Picking Which Lives You Think Are Worth Protecting

Allyship: Sensationalism on Social Media - On Asking OMG WHO

Allyship: You Need to See Color - “Colorblind” to Race

Allyship: What Happens When You Attack a Marginalized Person

Book Talk: Leigh Bardugo and Cultural Appropriation + Resources

Early Access: Finding Offensive Slurs in YA Books - Our Plan of Action to Make Authors Stop Using Them.

Early Access: How to Recognize Ableism in Books: The Sufferer, Magical Disabilites, and Cures

Early Access: On POC Speaking Outside their Lane: Sabaa Tahir and Carve The Mark

Early Access: On White Authors Who Write About Slavery

Critical Reading: Are All White People Bad and Racist?

Critical Reading: Can I Ask for the Name of the Book If Somebody Just Mentions Problematicness and No Details?

Critical Reading: I’m not marginalized and want to critique a book about a marginalization

Critical Reading: What to Do When Your Favorite Books Turns out Problematic, me and A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU.

Critical Writing: Do I Need Sensitivity Readers For Disability Rep When I’m Disabled?

Critical Writing: I Can’t Afford Sensitivity Readers. What now?

Critical Writing: Non-Ownvoices - Take the Slurs out of Your Books!! 

Critical Writing: When Do I Hire Sensitivity Readers?

Critical Writing: Writing LGBT as a cis straight person 

january

read in 2017 → queens of geek by jen wilde (releases march 14)

“But how could you possibly know you’re bi? Have you ever been with a girl?” “How did you know you were straight before you were with a girl, Reese?”