Well, thank you very much for the rec and the encouragement. I really hope you like what we’ll be coming out with — and hope to see you commenting again here soon.

I agree that the art on this site has a more “european” look to it — although the more I read manga, the less I tend to think there is any one manga/yaoi/shonen/etc. style, even in terms of stylistic choices like super-deformation, etc. (Take a look at Seduce Me After The Show for example or even the works of Jiro Taniguchi which some might say also has a “European” feel.) I love the look of a lot of traditional Japanese art in manga and anime, but ultimately, for me, what attracts me to manga is the type of storytelling vs. any particular art style. I’m not sure that you’d say my style of storytelling is manga-style or not, but it’s certainly been very strongly influenced by all the manga I’ve read. And it is my desire to pay homage to all the Japanese creators whose work has given me so much pleasure.

And as for whether my comic is a “gay comic” or “real yaoi” — well, that’s a question that seems to interest a lot of people. But not me, so much. For me, a “gay comic” means a comic written exclusively or primarily for gay male readers. I certainly hope gay men enjoy my comics — and sure, I’m writing for other gay guys as well as straight women — but I am primarily writing for a yaoi-loving audience. Folks who are looking for something like what Class Comics (NSFW ) publishes are going to be disappointed by what we are putting out — my hope, though, is that if you like books like Future Lovers or Little Butterfly or dream about slashing Wolf’s Rain , you’re going to like what we have to offer. Publishing is all about letting the audience who is most likely to enjoy your work know that it’s out there. I think that’s the yaoi-loving audience. We’ll see.

Oh, and I see that Beyond Twilight by Ichiko Ima is available for pre-order on Amazon and I’ve put in my order. Yep, love me the supernatural. Thanks for the rec!

Thank you very much! I will let the artist know that you liked her work!

(And I’m not sure if you’ve already done this, but if you’re interested in seeing these pages in color — with words even! — we’re sending out this comic as a free PDF download to subscribers of the Yaoi 911 News and Downloads mailing list. You can sign up for that on our Free Comics page.)

Thanks again for commenting!

Alex

In no ways did you offend me, nicknames, and I very much appreciate the props! (It sounds like you already downloaded the complete, colored and lettered version of this comic, but just in case you haven’t, be sure to get that link by filling out the form at the Free Comic page!)

And yeah, I am trying to create yaoi stories that are a little different — that focus on the kinds of worlds and characters I’ve always wanted to read about. I do have a soft spot for “pretty High School BL” — as one commenter called it — but placing my romances in an action context — particularly with fantasy or sci-fi genre elements, just adds to the fun for me…

I’m actually very happy that there are men out there that write yaoi comics. I mean, who better to get the idea from than a man himself.

Thank you. Man, woman, three-headed alien — as individuals with our own unique life experiences, I think we all have something new to contribute to romantic stories.

For me, I think the biggest factor is how in love you are… with love. Some of the best male-male romances are written by women — and I’m not talking yaoi here, I’m talking explicit gay fiction meant for a gay male audience. And hey, want to know what my favorite romance comic of all time is? It’s True Story, Swear to God by Tom Beland — a full-on heterosexual romance! But it’s so sweet, so well written. with such warmth and humor, it doesn’t matter that it’s a straight guy’s experience written by a very straight guy — what matters to me is the love.

So, while I wouldn’t say that men are any “better” at yaoi ideas than women — (and I know that’s not what you meant, just making a point here ) — I’d like to think that I have something unique to offer, something that will appeal to cool yaoi fans like yourself.

If you’d like to support this work, please tell all your friends about us and the comics we’re creating — obscurity is our biggest challenge. And please keep coming back and checking in — I always love to hear from cool people like yourself.

Thanks for letting me know what you thought of our work!

Alex

I agree with pawapawapo we do live in a very sexist world. I mean if u love what you’re doing, who cares what other people think. (I said that because i know a few guys that are ashamed to be gay, which i don’t get at all.) I’m really happy that i got to read this comic, its very original. Most of the time the main characters are child hood friends or they met in elementary school and have known eachother since, but this it totally diferent and i love it. I’m actually very happy that there are men out there that write yaoi comics. I mean, who better to get the idea from than a man himself. (I’m sorry if i offended you!)