jesncin

[jesncin]

Don't Call Me Superboy!

Drew this mostly for reference but also to prove that under the right conditions, Conner could definitely rock both the classic and modern black shirt look :3c

[jesncin]

hey! i saw you mention jason momoa aquaman as anoth hawaiian character in dc (love LOVE your taonui and nanaue comic by the way its beautiful!) and i wanted to mention that (ironically) jason momoa plays aquaman as having māori heritage and speaking te reo bc his dad is played by his hero temuera morrison. i hope this doesn’t come off as disrespectful, i just thought it was something cool and wanted to let you know !

source for proof: https://www.bet.com/article/7n336j/aquaman-s-jason-momoa-has-never-watched-entourage

hi there! (thank you for the complement! I'm glad you enjoyed my comic!) and totally fine. Yes, I think that's an instance of monolithic casting/writing which is to be expected when they weren't super committed to culturally informing the narrative. It's neat info (and I love that Momoa was specific with where he pulled it from), I just wanted to focus on Momoa's identity specifically for my version :)

[jesncin]

Not only did we wrap up that 5 page Taonui/Nanaue comic, but we finished up Epiphany (for DC Pride Fanzine) as well (like 2 months early haha)! All that's left is to finish up Remembrance in time for Pride month, and hopefully squeeze in a Lunar Boy comic essay celebrating the anniversary of its release in May! Every now and then doodling away at Don't Call Me Superboy updates too :>

Wait am I still busy,,,despite my accomplishments,,,

[jesncin]

So in lots of the comics and media there is either a major connection or no connection between Nanaue and the DC Atlantis. What are your thoughts on this?

As a side note, what are your thoughts on DC Atlantis? One of Superman's first girlfriends in the comics was a mermaid named Lori Lemaris, and lots of comics associate her with Atlantis.

I have no thoughts on DC Atlantis and Nanaue's relationship currently. I mean it makes sense that DC grouped Lori and Nanaue into Atlantis' worldbuilding, they're aquatic and all that.

My vague remix idea for Arthur and Atlantis was for Mera to take more of the lead as the queen of Atlantis but leaves for land to train Arthur (while her twin takes care of the kingdom in her stead). My version of Arthur follows Jason Momoa's casting, not so much in personality but in him being native Hawaiian and Atlantian mixed diaspora. I think it was a huge missed opportunity narratively to not go into that cultural angst. But hey, Nanaue's native roots are explored in my version, so that fits right at home with Hawaiian!Arthur. In my mind, Atlantians are more monster fish looking and intersect with Polynesian mythology. I just don't have the brain capacity to figure that stuff out or read Aquaman comics rn, my brain's max fixated enough as is lol.

[jesncin]

I forgor to sign my declaration of being willing to fight Ma'al over Nanaue

Simpfodumping board anon

Ma'al upon learning of your betrayal:

[jesncin]

ohhh my god the taonui mun and nanaue comic was absolutely incredible. I'd only really been exposed to the king shark through the flash tv show (and it's a cw show, accuracy was out of the question) and the second hand knowledge that he's dated John Constantine that I've picked up through fandom. Same understanding of tana moon, pretty much only through fandom text posts.

but oh my god your work is an absolutely incredible re-imagination of the characters, and being able to read through your thought process that tied understanding both the source material as written in combination with contextualising it with who it was written by and when, genuinely motivated me to go and read comics more than anything else online has. your work is absolutely amazing holy shit.

Aww thank you! I'm so flattered that people genuinely enjoy reading the homework I attach to the fan comics, because they've been very helpful for me to journal my process. So much goes into every decision I make and I'm getting into the habit of sharing that instead of *just* letting the work speak for itself. Because it lets people have newfound appreciation for the work!

I'm also doubly flattered that despite me constantly bad mouthing 90's Superboy as a horribly bad run, people still want to seek it out to contextualize what I do in my AU?? That is so wild. I wish you a safe [content warning for all the unrecognized horrors that is 90's Superboy] read, because it's definitely a solo run I take many breaks from haha. Or if you're just seeking out comics in general, good for you!

I'll continue my quest to progress my Don't Call Me Superboy (Conner as a clone on the run across America) au arc, because after that Conner moves to National City. And once he's there, Superboy gets to have awesome mundane teenage superhero adventures. Which in turn means I get to expand on Taonui! All the feedback has been so encouraging, I can't thank everyone enough for giving this version of Tana Moon and King Shark a chance <3

[jesncin]

I was born something— what could I be?

[jesncin]

This is the war, it's over, we lived the worst days of our life, rather the worst years of our lives, it passed after a year and 4 months, we tasted the bitterness of life and humiliation, we lost our home and all the memories of our lives and after it passed we are still living in a dilapidated tent that does not protect from the heat or the cold, and after it passed we are still living the worst days of our lives, it is true that the bombing stopped, but the high prices did not stop as it was before, it is the same after. This is an appeal to all of you, to those who have merciful hearts and to those who can help build our home and help us live like the rest of the countries of the world. We are still suffering, we are still suffering, we are still suffering, stand by me

[jesncin]

ohhh my god the taonui mun and nanaue comic was absolutely incredible. I'd only really been exposed to the king shark through the flash tv show (and it's a cw show, accuracy was out of the question) and the second hand knowledge that he's dated John Constantine that I've picked up through fandom. Same understanding of tana moon, pretty much only through fandom text posts.

but oh my god your work is an absolutely incredible re-imagination of the characters, and being able to read through your thought process that tied understanding both the source material as written in combination with contextualising it with who it was written by and when, genuinely motivated me to go and read comics more than anything else online has. your work is absolutely amazing holy shit.

Aww thank you! I'm so flattered that people genuinely enjoy reading the homework I attach to the fan comics, because they've been very helpful for me to journal my process. So much goes into every decision I make and I'm getting into the habit of sharing that instead of *just* letting the work speak for itself. Because it lets people have newfound appreciation for the work!

I'm also doubly flattered that despite me constantly bad mouthing 90's Superboy as a horribly bad run, people still want to seek it out to contextualize what I do in my AU?? That is so wild. I wish you a safe [content warning for all the unrecognized horrors that is 90's Superboy] read, because it's definitely a solo run I take many breaks from haha. Or if you're just seeking out comics in general, good for you!

I'll continue my quest to progress my Don't Call Me Superboy (Conner as a clone on the run across America) au arc, because after that Conner moves to National City. And once he's there, Superboy gets to have awesome mundane teenage superhero adventures. Which in turn means I get to expand on Taonui! All the feedback has been so encouraging, I can't thank everyone enough for giving this version of Tana Moon and King Shark a chance <3

[jesncin]

i know my fancomics look like I put so much work into them (and they are a lot of work) just to post these industry-level "sketchy" comics online for free as a hobby seems like a lot but,,,,,this is genuinely how I have self indulgent fun I'm built this way

this is my elaborate lego city building hobby this is my whimsy

[jesncin]

Hi,

I'm not a Pacific Islander so I can't talk about the accuracy, but so far I've been enjoying your most recent comics a lot.

I have a question. As far as I know no one really knows Tana Moon, or if they do, they don't talk about her. And while the issues with King Shark aren't always subtle, it has been forgotten about.

So, I guess my question is, how do you recognize these stories as ones needing expanding on? Even if they aren't specifically part of the culture you grew up in?

To clarify I'm not saying that it is impossible to connect to a culture other than your own, as there are parallels there in life experience. But it is definitely harder to recognize when those life experiences aren't exactly the same. For example, I relate to Superman because of his cultural disconnect, but I didn't relate to him for a long time because I never really thought about it in those terms before, even though I knew he'd been separated from his home planet as a baby and didn't remember it.

Anyway, yeah, that's basically my question.

Hi! This is a very interesting question (and thank you so much for enjoying my comics)! Any character is honestly up for grabs when it comes to re-imagination. My comic prof always said "there's no such thing as a bad story, just a good story that's not finished yet", and that's my mindset whenever I'm tackling characters that make people go "but why that one though?". I love niche characters because of the freedom I get in expanding a character with limited iterations, and wondering what is it I can bring out of them that DC hasn't yet.

My answer is essentially somewhere in your "to clarify" part of your ask: where yes it's definitely not impossible to connect to characters who have different cultural experiences than your own, but also the second part about "I didn't relate to Superman for a long time because I didn't see him as someone culturally disconnected even when that's a part of his lore" (pardon my paraphrasing).

For the first half, it's pretty obvious on my blog that I have strong biases for twin characters, diaspora narratives (immigrant experience is my catnip), and queer stories. While I'm not Native Hawaiian, I relate by proxy to experiences surrounding cultural genocide, assimilation, and colonization + gentrification through tourism as an Indonesian. Along with a love for qpoc culture both modern and pre-colonial, it's not that hard for me personally to connect to characters like Nanaue and Tana Moon/Taonui Mun.

But human experiences are vast and there's bound to be things I can't relate to or understand fully. That's where the second half comes in. I too never saw Superman as an immigrant or diaspora. It wasn't until Gene Yang -with his own life experiences and opinions- made Smashes the Klan that I saw Superman differently and couldn't see him any other way again. My aim is to bring about that feeling for others in my AU.

It helps to supplement your own knowledge with other people's perspectives. I'm sure you've heard the whole research spiel before! But I don't think enough people talk about how much empathy you develop from it. I finally committed to consistently learn ASL for Ma'al (building upon what I've already learned from Deaf people and their history), and that in turn informed my criticism of Noah Ikumelo's portrayal in Hellblazer. While working on Don't Call Me Superboy, I'm reading "From A Native Daughter" by Haunani-Kay Trask to inform my take on Tana/Taonui. "Cultural people have to become political… Our culture can’t just be ornamental and recreational." are words from her that are never going to leave me now haha.

I consider it a necessity in media criticism to not just bring in your own unique perspective to inform your reading, but to supplement it with the knowledge of others to expand your worldview. The best thing about art is its ability to broaden your empathy for people from real and non-existing backgrounds. But empathy is a skill that requires work and challenging your own preconceived notions.

That's how I "recognize these stories as ones needing expanding on". It's another reason why I love niche characters, people don't give them a chance or see little point in them but there's always a story to tell. Creativity's only limit is what you believe is the limit.

[jesncin]

I hate how much that comic and your design made my love for Nanaue grow, Ma'al, I'm willing to fight you

Ma'al upon learning he has another rival:

[jesncin]

Taonui Mun and the King Shark.

A re-imagining of two Hawaiian characters from Superboy's original run. I did as much research as I could, but I know I'm not going to have the authenticity to cover their story like a Native Hawaiian artist would be able to. Nonetheless, I hope I could give these characters more dignity then they're often treated to under DC.

[jesncin]

It's Right to Read Day, celebrating libraries, highlighting the relentless attacks against them, and encouraging folks to take at least one action to defend them! The American Library Association's data on the most banned books from 2024 is now out; after 3 years in the top spot GENDER QUEER came in at second on the list with George M Johnson's beautiful queer memoir ALL BOYS AREN'T BLUE at number one. If you haven't read it yet, please go pick up this book.

Unfortunately, instead of dying down, we are now seeing the book ban movement morph into an effort to defund and destroy ALL public libraries and ALL public education, as exemplified by the Trump Administration aiming to dismantle the Department of Education and placing all employees of the Institute of Museum and Library Services on administrative leave. The IMLS is an independent federal agency that provides grants to libraries and museums across the country. According to the American Library Association, the IMLS provides “the majority of federal library funds.” The IMLS says it awarded $266 million in grants and research funding to cultural institutions last year. This money goes to help staff, fund maintenance, and create new programs. If you are curious how the termination of this grant funding will effect the state of California, here is a press release from the California State Library. Please call your state governor and representatives asking them to demand support for the IMLS!

I also wanted to share some resources to help you talk about book bans/book challenges if the topic comes up in conversation. There are a set of really common bad faith arguments which book banners make, and I helped write up a set of responses for Authors Against Book Bans (much of this was also written and compiled by superstar author and AABB leader Maggie Tokuda-Hall). Below the responses to bad faith arguments are a list of resources you can contribute to, especially if you live in a blue state and don't have a current legislative battle over books and libraries in your own backyard.

What to Say When They Say What They Always Say: an Authors Against Book Bans resource

I haven’t read this book but I don’t think it’s appropriate for children! 

Please read the full book before you judge it. Passages are often presented without context. 

So you want kids to have access to porn?

No. And if that is a concern of yours as a parent, install browser filters such as Google SafeSearch on your children’s devices to keep them from accessing the wealth of pornography available to them on the internet. It’s already illegal to bring pornography into schools. There are robust safeguards– from laws, to industry standards in publishing and librarianship and education– to safeguard our children from obscene materials, as determined by the Miller Test. 

What about parents’ rights?

Parents already have robust rights in their children’s education. When that means limiting access to certain books parents can do so; nearly all schools have policies to this effect. But what about all the parents who WANT their kids to have access to books? Their children should not be limited by what another parent in the community decides for their own family. And what if a parent wants to limit their child’s access to something that child would benefit from? What about the child’s rights? Children are people, not possessions of their parents.

If my taxes fund the schools and libraries, I should have a say in how they’re used.

Schools and libraries serve entire communities, not just those who agree with you. Libraries and schools have professional educators and librarians with PhDs who are trained to curate collections that serve diverse populations, not just one viewpoint.

LGBTQ+ books confuse kids or make them gay/trans. They push an agenda.

LGBTQ+ representation is not an “agenda”—it’s simply a reflection of real people’s lives. If books featuring LGBTQ+ characters are “pushing an agenda,” then books featuring straight relationships or cisgender characters are as well. Reading about something does not automatically change a person’s identity, just as reading about astronauts does not turn every child into an astronaut. Reading about LGBTQ+ characters can both help kids understand themselves and build empathy and understanding towards others.

I live California. Why should I care about book bans if they’re not happening here?

We are fortunate to live in a state where book banning on the basis of discrimination has been outlawed through AB1825, which passed in 2024. However, California has still seen numerous book challenges in cities like Huntington Beach, Burbank, Lodi, and Chico—some of which continue efforts to overturn these protections. While bans are worse in red states, they still happen in blue states. Book bans are about control—not protecting children. The people banning books today will censor other forms of speech tomorrow. The right to read is a fundamental civil liberty, and we should protect it accordingly.

How Can I Help from a Blue State? For the biggest bang for your buck, we recommend  that you donate to the grassroots organizations making a difference in the places where the bans are happening all the time. All the ACLU chapters listed here are currently involved in lawsuits against book banners. 

We suggest:

Florida Freedom to Read Project: https://www.fftrp.org/donate 

Texas Freedom to Read Project: https://www.txftrp.org/donate 

Honesty for Ohio Education: https://www.honestyforohioeducation.org/donate.html 

Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization (DAYLO) in South Carolina: https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/donate-today-to-pat-conroy-literary-center/ 

Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT): https://www.studentsengaged.org/donate 

San Francisco’s Books Not Bans!: https://givebutter.com/booksnotbans 

Coeur D’Alene Public Library in Idaho: https://cdalibrary.org/donate/ 

Let Utah Read: https://www.fundlibraries.org/letutahread

Tennessee ACLU: https://www.aclu-tn.org/en/donate 

South Carolina ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/support-aclu-south-carolina 

Southern California ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/support-aclu-socal 

Iowa ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/support-aclu-iowa 

Fight for the First helps start grassroots groups all across the country: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fightforthefirst 

EveryLibrary (is a national org, but they financially support many of the groups listed here, as well as AABB): https://www.everylibrary.org/donate 

You can also call your state reps to express your commitment to protecting the freedom to read. Protections in blue states are just as contagious as bans in red states. The more of us who have them, the more states will follow suit. Use the 5Calls app do this, or find your rep here: https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/ 

And of course- if you are an author, editor, illustrator, cartoonist, translator, anthology editor, self-published author, please join Authors Against Book Bans! We could use the help! If you want to help recruit to AABB, feel free to print and pass out my recruitment zine at any literary event you attend <3

[jesncin]

🚑🚑🚨🚨🚨

please help me on children 😭😢

Hello, my name is Mahmoud from Gaza. I have four children... Since October 7th, everything has been destroyed. Our house was bombed and my children, Rital and Lian, were injured. She is sick with nerves and needs treatment. Also, my wife was injured in the spine and needs treatment abroad...

I want you to donate and help my children or share this post with others.. Thank you very much for your support and generosity towards us....

🙏🍉🍉🇵🇸🇵🇸

[jesncin]

then and now,,,

[jesncin]

That Nanaue comic… I am going to be recovering for weeks!!! Absolutely spectacular.

Thank you! It was very cathartic to get that King Shark/Tana Moon comic out there, but especially after some fantastic fandom discussion on Tana Moon recently. There's so little in the way of Pacific Islander representation in DC comics, so the few we do have we should treat with care. Not discard and treat as disposable! That's our queer demigod now.