6.Behind The Scenes
Character Bios: Prisoner X/New Mutants edition
Any creator will tell you that there is so much stuff that goes into making a book that ends up never making the page. This is technically true, though of course all that research and outlining and such heavily informing character/story/plot, but still, there’s A Lot of things that end up lost on hard drives.
One of the things I wanted to do with this space was put up some “behind the scenes” stuff from my comics work, for three reasons.
We (my collaborators and I) did the work, and it always feels a little like a cheat that no one gets to see it
I want people to see the differences between the stuff that ends up on the page vs the stuff we use to make it, because I think it’s cool
I love process stuff, and I assume other people who find their way to this little newsletter do too
I thought I would start off slow/easy, with posting some character bios from some of my licensed work.
This post is a bit of a cheat, as I am not going to really discuss the whys and what changed. But I figured I could do that in a later post, once I really have time to figure out how I want to talk about them.
Why am I even posting them if I don’t have the time/energy right now to get into the nitty gritty? Because I get a lot of questions about details and my brief twitter threads aren’t really answering them! But I promise to get into it more later!
So, where to start?
Well, I think rephrasing some of what I said in that Twitter Thread about the queer and trans characters I have been able to creator for licensed properties is a good start!
The long and short of that thread is that, as a Afro-Puerto Rican queer person, I spent decades of my life searching for myself in the world of stories. Whether it was TV (my first love), movies, books, comics...I might see pieces of myself there, but never the whole, and never *enough* to satisfy that need to see my existence validated in the world.
The refrain of “well if you want it so bad, make it” is one that BIPOC and Queer (and QUEER BIPOC) people get told to endlessly. And we do, and often when we do, the support is not there. It is extremely exhausting and infuriating, but that’s how the world works, right? Maybe, but that sucks.
I have been fortunate enough to be given space and a platform within publishers that have incredibly wide (world-wide even) reach, and asked to tell stories that I find important. Representation doesn’t bake bread, true, but seeing even glimpses of myself in media absolutely (literally) saved my life.
While I highly doubt that I have that kind of power, if there is even a chance to helping another person feel seen, I feel it is important to take it. Even if it just to prove that Black people, Latine people, queer and trans people, can do this work – can be writers and creatives.
Before I get into the characters themselves, it is incredibly important to say that none of this (character creation in comics) happens without the artists involved. I see so many things attributed to the writer alone, especially in terms of character and story development, and that is just plain wrong (ethically and literally).
Artists don’t only design a look, they’re full co-parents from idea through execution. So, stop that shit.
Okay! Onto the characters!
The first “X-Men” book I worked on was a mini-series called Prisoner X (which can still be found in both digital and physical formats if anyone wanted to read it). It was a tie-in series to the Age Of X-Man event back before the (current) Krakoan Era. It was both an Alternate Universe, and also in canon.
It is a prison book set in a utopia, and I was partnered with the incredible Germán Peralta (checkout his Instagram and his original art store) and tasked to build our bottle story from the ground up.
We thought that grouping mutants (both established and newly created) by “power set” would be a shorthand that readers would be able to understand (and something we could then use to mess with their expectations).
Many of the original characters we created have since shown up in the current New Mutants run that Rod Reis (check out his Instagram and original art store) and I are working on! (If you wanna read, here’s links to the digital and physical.)
Below you’ll find the original designs and (only mildly updated) bios for the original characters we created for the event!
(Thing evolved even in the dev process, and characters have since changed some in terms of personality. Also, not all of these characters are queer, but I’ll indicate who is!)
L to R: Jamie Rogers, Rosie Rodriguez, Cam Long, Hector Pullman
Jamie Rogers: (16, male, ace)
The definition of sunshine, Jamie always has a joke and a smile for his friends. But his laughter hides that he has seen a lot for someone so young. He grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere USA, where his mutation manifested early. His parents kept him locked up, convinced there would be a way to cure him but too ashamed to let the neighbors see. He escaped and ran away from home when he was twelve, and managed to pass in the human world by shaving his whole body, living with friends for years, before seeing news of the X-Men and the promise of Genosha on TV and making his way there.
Rosie Rodriguez: (22, female)
Rosie grew up in Mexico City, where she helped her father with his auto repair shop. After graduating school, she was given the chance to attend university in California, and it was there that her mutation manifested. She’s mostly serious, but not mean, and very thoughtful. She likes puzzles and fixing things, though the size of her hands have made smaller work more difficult for her.
(Her best friend/mentee is JULIA form the Psychics group – Rosie thinks of her like a little sister.)
Cam Long: (19, non-binary, queer)
Cam’s parents divorced when they were a baby, and Cam spent most of their early childhood in China with their father, before going to live with their mother in Ireland during elementary school after their father’s death. They are reserved, very academically intelligent, athletic, and a little cruel. They are very judgmental, as well.
(Their girlfriend is AURA CHARLES from the Flyers group. She is the only person who can get Cam not to be a jerk.)
Hector Pullman: (15, male, gay)
Hector is the youngest of 5 siblings (one of which is also a mutant). He is on the autism spectrum, artistically inclined (mostly painting, but also photography), and generally upbeat and enthusiastic. Growing up, he wanted to become a comic book artist (his artistic hero was Dave McKean), and he even after his mutation manifested, he was trying to figure out ways to make it happen without people finding out he was a mutant. He is a class clown type, but he tends to use himself as the butt of the joke (a defense mechanism he learned early).
L to R: Gabrielle Diwa & Michael Diwa (twins), Markos Argyros, Jason Jackson, Aura Charles
IMPORTANT COLOR NOTE – the Diwa twins should have BLACK (not at all purple or non-standard for human) hair! If we still want to incorporate the purple, maybe their wings or eyes (or even their tattoos) can be purple?
Gabrielle Diwa/Galura:
(19, female, lesbian) Think Leonardo from the Ninja Turtles. Elle was born first and takes her duties as older sister very seriously, and that responsibility shaped her whole outlook on life. She is not quick to anger, but she IS slow to trust. The more calculating of the twins. She would make a great military leader, if not for her obvious mutant affiliation.
Powers (besides flight): Elle can channel wind gusts (using her winds) and cause mini tornadoes.
Michael Diwa:
(19, male, bisexual) Quick to laugh and to anger, but also quick to forgive. He has always had his big sister to shield him, and thus has been afforded the luxury of being a little more light hearted. He is naturally curious and inquisitive, would have made a great elementary science teacher if he hadn’t manifested such obvious mutant features.
Powers (besides flight): Mike can shoot energy beams from his hands.
Markos Argyros:
(17, male) Before his mutation, Markos was a sickly, studious child, very detached from others. He enjoyed stories about monsters and misunderstood men, preferred his books to playing outside. After his abilities and changes manifested, he became healthier and happier, proud in a way that he looked like his favorite characters. He DOES enjoy physical activity now, though still prefers watching and talking about movies and books.
(His best friend is JACOB WILLIAMS, from the Kinetics group.)
Powers (besides flight): mild telepathy (more like he is empathic).
Jason Jackson: (28, male)
Grumpy man, with a chip on his shoulder. Kind of a stereotypical jock. Always very small (height wise) compared to his peers, Jason concentrated on getting super physically strong in order to prove himself. As a result, he is very aggressive and competitive, and known as the muscle wherever he is.
Powers (besides flight): a powerful sonic scream!
Aura Charles: (20, female, queer)
Her parents owned a restaurant in New Orleans, and she learned to cook and work hard from an early age. When her mutation kicked in, she was actually seen as beautiful and a gift by her parents, who called her their angel. The neighbors were not as accepting, and for her safety, the family moved across the lake. Dutiful and kind.
(Her partner is CAM LONG from the Ferals group – they even each other out.)
Powers (besides flight): she also can produce and throw psionic orbs of energy.
L to R: Joshua Engelhard, Monica, Jacob Williams, Christopher O’Leary, Megan Ogawa
ROD, IMPORTANT COLOR NOTE: Ogawa should have completely BLACK (not at all blue or non-standard for humans) hair! If you still want to incorporate the blue, let’s give her maybe blue on her skin (can be markings, or blue can be the “color” of her powers, so her hands and forehead can be blue)!
Joshua Engelhard: (20, male)
The only child of a relatively liberal family, Josh grew up believing in the goodness of man and the kindness of strangers. It was quite a shock to him, then, when his mutation manifested and they tried to kill him. He ran into the woods near his home, and spent the next few months living off the grid and sparking rumors of the Jersey Devil being back. He is a kind person by nature, but no longer trusting. He doesn’t smile much anymore.
Powers: he can manipulate molecules to make them excited or still, essentially making fire and ice, but he has to be touching the object. He can do it to the air, but that is dangerous to him and everything around him. He is also very strong, his horns are like ivory, and his tail is prehensile.
Monica: (18, non-binary)
Monica is from Eugene, Oregon. Their mother worked at the university, and their father sold cars. They had a relatively normal childhood, until their mother died when they were a pre-teen. The trauma of the experience caused their mutant manifestation. Their father kicked them out of the house within hours of it happening, and they were forced to live on the street. They are very shy and gentle, and love to dance.
(Their girlfriend is LIANA from the PSYCHICS group.)
Powers: Monica’s arms become super stretchy and hard (think like super hard rubber), and they can charge their arms with electricity. SO basically, their arms become electrified whips!
Jacob Williams/Brutha Nature: (17, trans boy)
Jacob ran away from home long before his mutant powers manifested. He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but made his way up north to Chicago by the time he was 14. There he found his long lost (lesbian) aunt, who took him in. He’s a very serious kid, who never really had close friends until his aunt took him in and his powers manifested Around the same time). Since then he has attempted to be less aggro all the time.
(His best friend is MARKOS ARGYROS, from the Flyers group.)
Powers: He can control the shape, density, and harness of plants. He can animate plants as well, and can “connect” with them in a way that allows him to experience what they experience, and communicate the way they do. He can make armor out of tree bark that is harder than steel, or cleave a tree with a light touch (he wouldn’t though, he likes plants).
Christopher O’Leary: (19, male, bisexual)
In and out of juvie from an early age, Chris is the picture of a problem child. Aggressive, rude, and angry.
Powers: He is pyro-kinetic, using his own energy for fuel (so he has to eat A Lot).
Megan Ogawa/Kappa: (20, female, bisexual)
Born and raised in Hawaii, Meg grew up in the water. When her powers manifested, her parents were delighted – it just proved to them that she was a blessing, sent from above. Pretty happy-go-lucky most of the time, she is slow to anger but when she does, she is like the raging flood and she holds a grudge. (There is nothing as soft as water, yet who withstand the raging flood?)
Powers: She can manipulate water and other fluids to do her bidding, in the same way that Pyro can control fire. She draws the water/fluids from things around (including the air in humid places), and can completely dehydrate something if she wants.
L to R: Alec Walsh, Leo Eng, Liana, Julia, Alice Campbell
Alec Walsh: (58, male)
Alec seems very serious at first, but his humor comes through (dry and sharp) pretty quickly. A father whose children do not want to see him, he takes in a lot of strays. He’s good with his hands (a builder, carpentry and electronics both) and decent in the kitchen.
Powers: Empathic and telekinetic.
Leonara (Leo) Eng: (23, trans woman)
Leo is fully a genius, and so very baffled by people. She has trouble connecting with people, despite being telepathic, and spends a lot of time trying to find common ground. She loves games and uses them to socialize in a safe and controlled way. She likes go laugh, but her sense of humor often goes over people’s heads. She's a bit of a nervous person, but actively tries to overcome that.
Powers: Telepathic and telekinetic.
Liana: (19, female)
Lovable and slightly absentminded, Liana is an artist at heart. She grew up in Florida, where she was always the life of the party before she manifested. She managed to get a tattoo gun and make a tidy bit of money. This came in handy because when her powers manifested, she had to beat it out of town. She’s a bit of a foodie, though she is not the best in the kitchen.
Powers: telekinetic and can shoot bolts of energy from her eyes!
Julia: (17, female)
The darling apple of her parents eye, even though she had two sisters, Julia grew up getting everything she wanted. Her nature is kind and gentle, though, so all that meant was that she had more things to share. When she manifested her powers, she was afraid her parents wouldn’t love her anymore and ran away from home. Rosie found her and took her in.
(Her best friend and mentor is ROSIE RODRIGUEZ from the Ferals group.)
Powers: she shoots psionic blasts from her big arm, which also can act as a psionic shield. That arm is also VERY strong, with skin tougher than alligator hide.
Alice Campbell: (20, non-binary)
Alice wanted nothing more than to be a world famous actor when they grew up. They have an encyclopedic knowledge of movies and are a bit of a chameleon in terms of personality.
Powers: telekinetic and able to project glamours over themselves.
I expect that I’ll be doing a CHILDREN OF THE ATOM character post soon, and that will have more in-depth process stuff. But until then…
Lots of cool stuff is happening this week, but I wanted to give a huge shout out to Tini Howard, who was just announced as the new writer for Catwoman!
I wanted to show love to Stephanie Williams, whose first comic series Nubia & The Amazons drops next week! She’s one to watch, she’ll be taking over comics soon!
Also, have y’all picked up ODE TO KEISHA from Black Josei Press yet?
The rest of TQS: Leah Williams and Tini Howard both have Substacks!
I also have a website where you can find more info on my work and some comic industry resources!
THANKS SO MUCH!
It’s rough out there, so I hope everyone is finding ways to be kind to themselves.