The last time I spoke to an artist Katelyn Dushe mentioned that she was working on an autobiographical comic about culture-shock expats. About being Asian and then coming to America, and what it’s like to be a kid from China who’s thrown into an American public elementary school and doesn’t know how to speak English or how to make friends.
Well, Du and I talked about it a few weeks ago, and there’s no doubt that this comic now exists in the real world. It’s called “JIALIN’S WORLD” and showcases some of the artist’s most iconic styles. I chatted with Du about the creation of this new autobiographical comic. You can read our brief interview below and check out these preview pages.
Christian Angel: “Jialin’s World” is a very cute story. To me, this feels more like a children’s book. What inspired you to write about finding friendship?
Caitlin from: The idea for this story started very organically. I was chatting with my boyfriend and the topic turned to some bizarre stories from my childhood. I took things very seriously as a kid. The actions I committed to included “jumping from the second floor of a building to prove my courage” and “questioning the existence of God because I didn’t see him on the plane.” My very supportive boyfriend laughed at me and told me he would love to read a comic about this, about me as a kid.
This led me to create “Home Forest”, a version of me (but not me). I chose the four-panel format because I read a lot of newspaper comics. I am particularly inspired by Calvin and Hobbes. It’s silly but introspective, and I love that I can understand each comic strip even without the previous context.
Angelis: They say every artist starts by writing about what you know. As someone who primarily speaks Chinese and has to blend in, can you tell us about your experience going to school here?
of: My adjustment to the United States was much more difficult than Jia Lin’s, especially because I didn’t learn English by eating chicken nuggets. I lived in the United States for a year when I was eight. A large part of Jia Lin’s world should revolve around Jia Lin’s confusion about God. But after writing more about the character, I decided to remove the episode – and Jialin didn’t question it, but came up with her own explanation.
Learning a new language is difficult. I remember being able to understand, but not communicate. It’s isolating. Even as a now fluent English speaker, I still make mistakes when explaining idioms. Non-English speakers please be patient, this is difficult!
Angelis: Indeed. Did your mother encourage you to read comics when you were a kid? Where did your first comic or artistic influences come from?
of: She didn’t! Neither of my parents understood comics. My dad also asked me the order in which I read my previous comics.
The comic strips you mentioned that Jia Lin’s mother read to her to “pass the time” were adapted from real life. But that’s just because I only choose to read comics. I even refused to read “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” at one point because there were too many words. For young Caitlin, comics were great = less words, more pictures. (Imagine my surprise when I started reading Persepolis and Maus in middle school.)
Other than that, my first comic influences came from the popular Chinese cartoon Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, the comic book Death, and the very poor comic adaptation of a Chinese newspaper comic strip. It’s also worth mentioning that Nate Powell’s “Eat Me” inspired me to become a real cartoonist.
Angelis: This is the second comic I’ve read from you about a daughter and her mother figure. First it was Feihai, now it’s Jialin’s world. Do you have something to say about a topic? Maybe some kind of news?
of: This is actually the fourth comic zine I’ve completed that includes an important mother figure. Growing up, she and I didn’t have a great relationship. For a while I held a deep resentment towards her, feeling that she was controlling, neglectful, and emotionally unstable. When I became clinically depressed in high school, our relationship soured.
But lately I’ve gotten to know her. She was, and still is, a busy woman taking care of her career, her parents’ well-being, family finances, and her children while still striving to achieve more. So in this comic, I tried to portray her like that. She is always on her phone, but she tries to make time for Jialin. She doesn’t give the best advice, but she’s trying her best.
ANGELES: What tools or techniques do you use to create color in your art? You’ve got a very vibrant splash page.
of: Thank you! I’m very proud of that. I inked with a dip pen and colored with Procreate. I ran into a problem, the color was too dark. So I tried leaving white areas on the page as highlights. This really works! Color is relative, so blocking out the white areas and filling in more solid black will make the color pop more.
Angelis: Finally, what are the next steps for your creative projects or plans for completion?
of: I’m working on a new comic! It’s a science fiction/dystopian comic based on an alternate reality where the Earth runs out of fossil fuels. The two protagonists are on a mission to find alternative energy, but discover a darker secret… Their choice is to live out their dreams in a society they hate, or to give it all up and start over.
I’m in the very early stages! I’m almost done writing and starting on the first dummy. But I will keep you updated via my Instagram @phantalism.
Hope you can see me at some shows soon!
