3 Questions With… Asia Miller
I assume many of you read this newsletter because you want to discover new creators and fantastic comics. Allow me to also recommend going to comic conventions. Particularly the smaller comics-focused shows. That’s where I discover a lot of great new work I wouldn’t have otherwise.
This is exactly how I came across Asia Miller. It was at Comics Art L.A. They chatted about their book that wasn’t out just yet. Lindsey Cheng Dates A White Boy!!! Yes, that’s right 3 exclamation points!
I followed them on Instagram and lucky for me the trailer for their new book came across my feed. I could try to convince you how great I think the book is but I think the trailer does a much better job of conveying the tone and setting up the story. So you should just watch that instead.
Anyway, it’s awesome. Watch the trailer, then go read the book!
Why comics? (What compels you to create in this medium?)
I think there’s something inherently intimate about comics. It occupies a middle way between guiding readers through visuals while also giving them space to interpret the text in their own internal voice. I also went to school for animation, where I learned all about the pipeline and directed some shorts of my own. I look back on it fondly, but oh my gosh it’s so much work!! I think it’s easier with comics to flesh out an idea and execute it all on your own. You can finish something and put it into the world before you have that extra time to doubt yourself.
What is it that you want people to take away from your work?
I would hope that people would come away from my work feeling human. The world is not black and white. Being human is messy and uncertain and I hope to explore the nuances of that in all my stuff, regardless of age range. I also like to make people laugh.
What was the book/comic that you fell in love with when you were a kid/teen?
A huge inspiration for me was Tokyo Mew Mew by Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida. I collected the omnibuses when I was in elementary school, and I would trace the drawings from the pages and brag to everyone that I had drawn it myself. There was something about the whole premise that really clicked for my 9-year-old brain: the endangered animal activism, the cat girls, the androgynous alien characters. I was also so obsessed with the little bonus comic strips illustrating Ikumi’s personal experiences as a mangaka, it seemed like a dream job!
You can find Asia and their work online at:
