#blakecarter

My friend, stranded_cosmos2 on insta, did a commission for me of my characters from MoonPhase!

My characters, Blake and Marcus, from my upcoming debut novel MoonPhase! Drawn by msnjar_ on insta and tik tok!

MoonPhase is my upcoming neurodivergent LGBT+ superhero novel. It’s about an autistic trans boy named Blake Carter as he navigates life as a mentally ill teenager by day… and a vigilante named MoonPhase by night. At the same time, his crush Marcus Kumar is also keeping a few secrets. He’s the superhero Flame, and his mission? To arrest MoonPhase.

Yeah this was a self indulgent commission I bought from my friend bupidoodles on insta.

MoonPhase’s costume is very much inspired by Nightwing’s, specifically the slash of color across the collarbone. So I felt like these two deserved a drawing with each other doing a little team-up.

When making Blake’s costume, I wanted something that resembled the evening sky right as stars start to appear. Dark, with a few purple hues. I also wanted to incorporate his trans identity, so I made two lavender top surgery decals right under his chest.

I chose to make Blake Carter trans because I wanted to create a hero that had the representation that I needed when I was younger. As a trans man in the south, I know how isolating it can be. I lived my life in the closet, forced to live a lie. The only solace I had was the queer books I hid in my room.

Trans characters, like Yadriel from Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, taught me that I wasn't alone. That my feelings? They were valid. I was taught that there were people out there in the world that would accept me.

A commission that I got for my upcoming book "MoonPhase" of Blake Carter and Marcus Kumar. I'd tag the account, but my friend deleted their blog and socials.

Blake Carter and Marcus Kumar, my beloveds. From the upcoming novel debut "MoonPhase"