This post was written by guest contributor Sean Z.

Be advised this interview has spoilers for the graphic novel. Also, be sure to check out our review of the book here.

Jake Hyde doesn’t swim, yet he’s drawn to water and to his school’s swim team captain Kenny. DC’s latest graphic novel, You Brought Me the Ocean, tells the origin story of Aqualad, where he grapples with who he is, both as someone with superpowers and as a gay man.

While queer representation is slowly improving in our media, gay men, particularly in children’s media, remain painfully underrepresented. So when I heard DC was working on an origin story for one of their gay heroes, I was thrilled and was delighted to interview the author and artist of the book.

Alex Sánchez has written eight novels. The first was Rainbow Boys, which was a love triangle between three high school senior boys. Simon & Schuster then asked for a sequel, which led to Rainbow High. And then they made it a trilogy with Rainbow Road. You Brought Me the Ocean is Sánchez’s first graphic novel.

Julie Maroh is a multidisciplinary artist, a queer and feminist activist, and a nomad witch. Their work as a storyteller spans many different formats: comic books, illustrations, art installations, pamphlets, spells, talismans, and tarot.

Sean/Roarbots: Could you both talk about how you became involved in You Brought Me the Ocean?

Sánchez: One of DC’s characters is Aqualad, and like so many comic book characters, they go through these different versions and iterations over the decades. On a recent incarnation, he identified as gay. But the existing story didn’t really go into his sexuality; he was just sort of gay.

DC began rolling out a line of middle grade- and high school-targeted graphic novels, reaching out to audiences that don’t normally read comics. They wanted the stories to focus more on real life teen issues, whether it is bullying or romance, or other coming-of-age themes.

For Aqualad, they wanted someone to write something that would be about this character dealing with his sexuality. They started asking around who might be good for that, and somehow, I got identified as the go-to guy to write gay teen fiction. So they asked me to make a pitch for the story, and that’s how that came about.

Maroh: Sara Miller, an editor at DC, contacted me to submit a pitch for the project. I read the script and was hooked immediately.

Roarbots: How did you come up with the initial concept for Aqualad and the town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico?

Sánchez: DC wanted to emphasize more on the real-life teen issues rather than the superhero aspects, so they said, “Don’t worry about knowing too much about the character.” They gave me the freedom to really make this my own story, my own character. But nevertheless, I did a little bit of research into Aqualad, and I started seeing bits and pieces that I thought I’d like to use in the story.

In a previous version, Aqualad is the son of Black Manta, who is the villain – one of the Aquaman villains – and I liked that aspect, so I wanted to keep that. In one of the versions, his adoptive parents had whisked him away to New Mexico to get him as far away from water as possible. I thought that was a cool idea, so I wanted to use that.

But I thought, in that version, he was in Silver City, and the story I was coming up with, it was a lot about being true to who you are. So, I thought, why not set it in the town of Truth or Consequences instead? As I started working on this story, that really resonated with all those themes of telling the truth and being honest – and being true to who you are – so that’s how that came about.

Roarbots: Now, while You Brought Me the Ocean is a standalone title, it does exist within the larger DC canon. How was it different creating in an established comics world versus working on stories where you are building up everything from scratch?

Sánchez: DC gave me a lot of freedom in that respect.

In terms of the character, I was able to give him the personality I thought would work best for the story and make for a compelling, emotionally engaging character. So because DC gave me so much freedom, I didn’t really feel constrained.

It was very much like the process I usually arrive at: creating characters where they have aspects of me and aspects of other people I’ve known. Then my imagination pulls that all together. And it’s the same process for those around Aqualad, like his mom. It’s [the question of] what sort of character would best work in the story, what should her personality be? Then with his best friend, Maria, and the boy he crushes on, Kenny, the process was letting each of them emerge through the writing.

Maroh: Actually, the project didn’t seem so different from my previous work, Blue Is the Warmest Color, since both stories explore the lives of teenagers and how falling in love and discovering your sexual preference creates a tsunami in your life.

Most of my books question what I would call the “no man’s land” between intimate life and social expectations, so I felt I was in charted territory with this new project. I think my past work is why DC contacted me in the first place.

Roarbots: Alex, since this is your first graphic novel, how was the experience different than writing for novels?

Sánchez: Wow. One of the big differences when designing this character was working with an artist, because Julie got to really create their idea of who this character was. Usually when I write a character, even though I’ll have some idea what they look like — if are they short, tall, brown hair, blonde hair, that sort of thing — no matter how much I describe it, my mind or the reader’s mind sort of fills in exactly what they think the character looks like.

With Julie’s amazing artwork, there were a couple of moments of adjustment to, “Well, that’s not exactly how I saw the character, but you know what? I like that. Yeah, I really like that.” That was a big difference.

One thing I loved about Julie’s drawings, though, was they’re not the typical sort of cartoon characters. Their talent just makes the characters so real.

DC was wonderful — they gave me and other writers who hadn’t work on graphic novels training sessions. I had written some movie scripts before, so I had some experience with a script format, but writing a story that way and then going from the synopsis they eventually bought to working with the editor and breaking down the synopsis into a series of panels, that was new. And to put the scene directions and character emotions, put those as descriptors into a panel and then have dialogue lines…

That whole process was different. Usually, when I write a novel, I will have written an entire manuscript, which I present to the publisher. In this case, I was writing that script as the artist was doing the artwork and then checking in to see how a specific scene was going to work. [I had questions like,] what happens if there were changes in the script and then we have to go back to the artwork? It was so exciting just to be learning all that methodology.

Roarbots: Julie, one of the things I loved about the book was your use of color, especially for the town. Compared to the bright colors of so many superhero comics, the world of Truth or Consequences used softer colors, often to great effect. How did you develop the visual design for the comic?

Maroh: Thank you! There were two reasons for the design decisions. First, it felt necessary from a narrative perspective to create a contrast between the environment in which Jake grew up and the entrance of water and love in his life, which are intertwined here. The story gets “bluer” page after page.

Secondly, for a sophisticated feel, we went with a limited color palette, so I focused on only three tones for the warm atmosphere and three others for the aquatic one.

Roarbots: Alex, as someone who’s written acclaimed queer works in the past, what were some of the key things you wanted to do with You Brought Me the Ocean?

Sánchez: Well, one of the things that was so exciting to me was the idea. I’ve always written love stories in all of my books, even if that’s not the central story. I love romances, and I love showing queer young people falling in love. Those are the stories I wish I’d had when I was growing up and was feeling so guilty and ashamed and afraid of the feelings I was having.

Often, when we’re growing up, how we start to realize that we’re gay or lesbian is because of the crushes we’re having. So to be able to depict that on the page… As I’ve heard from young people, it’s so empowering for them and gives them so much hope that one day there’ll be someone they love and who loves them.

What was exciting for me was the idea of showing a DC teen superhero falling in love with another boy. In this case, a normie boy – someone who is not a superhero – and exploring how that would work. And then to combine his beginning to understand his sexuality and his attraction to other boys with, at the same time, discovering his superpowers.

I was excited for the metaphor – his gay sexuality as a metaphor for superpowers and his superpowers as a metaphor for his sexuality. Because in the larger sense, I think what was so true for all of us growing up LGBT is that, when we accept ourselves, then it unleashes who we are. In that sense, our superpower is being us, being unique in who we are, because there’s only one of us.

Roarbots: There’s a great line in La Cage aux Folles: “Life’s not worth a damn until you can shout out loud, ‘I am what I am.'”

Sánchez: That’s it, exactly. Exactly.

Roarbots: What in your mind is good queer representation in a work of media?

Maroh: Okay, how many pages can I fill to answer this important question?

In my opinion, the distinction starts with the representation of the intersectionality of the spectrum. There is not ONE queer experience. As a storyteller or chronicler, the challenge is to see the uniqueness of each story and to give the opportunity to every reader who belongs in the rainbow spectrum to recognize a part of themselves when they read your work.

This is not to say that anyone who identifies outside of the rainbow shouldn’t be able to relate, regardless of whatever separates us! There is more and more tension about non-LGBTQIA+ people telling our stories. This is a complex argument.

Moreover, queer artists and activists need visibility; they constantly struggle to break the glass ceiling of systemic oppression. But that said, I personally believe you don’t need to have experienced something in your life to be able to make a vibrant and meaningful tale about it and to shake people’s lives to the core.

Because it all starts with empathy. Empathy remains one of the biggest tools a storyteller should have. And when we don’t do the extra work, it shows.

Sánchez: I think it’s a slippery question, because what I think is good queer representation may not be someone else’s. As a writer, I really don’t think of it in those terms.

What I think of is how can I create an honest, true, compelling character that’s not a stereotype. What that means is to create a well-rounded character. The character should have both strengths and flaws, as we do as real human beings.

Sometimes people will get upset about, “Why is a gay male character presented as effeminate, or why is a lesbian character presented as overly masculine?” For me, it’s like, that’s real life. There are some more effeminate gay men and some more masculine lesbian women.

But what’s important is that it’s not all of who they are. Characters should be presented in their wholeness, as any character would be. They’re presented with different aspects and dimensions. So, for me, I don’t think in terms of, “This is a gay character so he’s got to be presented this certain way.”

Instead, I think of how can I make him a complex enough character so he’s not “the gay character” but rather a guy who — in this case — has his mom telling him to stay away from water. He’s the guy with the overprotective mom and who likes to go hiking. There are these different aspects to him, and his sexuality is just one component of that.

So, having said all that, I think that would be it. Good representation of an LGBT character is one in which their sexuality or their gender identity is not all of who they are – and perhaps not even the main thing of who they are.

Roarbots: Alex, does Jake’s story draw on your own experiences? If so, and if you are comfortable, would you mind talking about them?

Sánchez: That’s a good question. My mom was not as overprotective as Jake’s mom is in the story, but she could at times be kind of smothering, so that part of Jake’s story could have been based of my own experience.

Also, his shyness and uncertainty… that is the way I would describe Jake’s thoughts about his own sexuality. I had that same uncertainty. Although I knew I was attracted to other boys growing up, I was not sure that that’s who I was, because I also had feelings toward girls.

I think for Jake, even though he may not feel a sexual attraction to Maria, he’s definitely so emotionally close to her that I think that closeness is part of what causes his own uncertainty about his sexuality.

Roarbots: Both Jake and Kenny have to deal with homophobic individuals in their small town. Both are harassed and at one point, the classmates attempt to assault them. One even shouts, “Kill the queers.” I was surprised when I read that, because so many YA works that have queer characters avoid discussing harassment or won’t be explicit about it in the same way. How did you determine to engage with the issues of homophobia in this town?

Sánchez: Probably the biggest reward of writing YA literature in this day and age is hearing from young people. And, despite all the progress we have made in terms of LGBT visibility and acceptance, so many young people still have to deal with homophobia and bullying on a daily basis in their schools. I wanted to be true to that. At the same time, as a writer, it creates this antagonistic force within the story.

When I read YA literature where there isn’t homophobia, I want to ask, “Really? Okay. Where is this?” As I said, I think it is still the pervasive reality. I do hear from some young people that they are out and don’t get bullied, but the reality is that in the larger world, it’s still there; the homophobia is still there.

Roarbots: What are you hoping readers take away from that depiction of homophobia in You Brought Me the Ocean?

Sánchez: In terms of portraying it in the book, I think what’s important is that, as it is in all of my books, yes, homophobia exists. And in that sense, LGBT people are victimized, but they don’t have to be victims. They can stand up and fight, they can resist, and they can find allies.

Our straight allies are important in all of that, like Ms. Archer was in the book. I hear that from teachers and librarians, where so often, they are allies. I hear so often from straight students — mostly girls, but also some boys — that they stand up for their LGBT friends and relatives.

It’s important that we both show homophobia and show LGBT teens and straight allies standing up to it.

Roarbots: You Brought Me the Ocean has a diverse cast, including lead characters who are queer people of color. When depicting groups that you are not personally a member of, how did you ensure the character was respectfully depicted? For instance, do you, or does DC, use sensitivity readers?

Sánchez: Yes, DC does use sensitivity readers, and I’m very grateful for that.

But it’s also me being sensitive and aware of what my experiences are and understanding how I can reach out to other people to check my experiences. In this case, because the book focuses so much on the issue of gay sexuality, I feel really comfortable and confident in that. In terms of depicting race, ethnicity, and disability issues, we did have sensitivity readers for that.

At the same time, I think it goes back to what I said earlier about respectful depictions. We need to look at people as more than just “That’s the Chinese American family” or “That’s the person who uses a wheelchair” or “That’s the African American.” We need to look at more of their humanity. What are their common human characteristics, and how can we really focus on that?

If the story, for example, was going to primarily focus on Kenny being Chinese American, I probably would have said, “I’m going to need a lot more help with that, and I may not be the right person for it.” But since the focus was queer issues, I feel comfortable both writing a wide representation and at the same time focusing on the human aspects that are the most important thing in terms of writing.

Maroh: I touched on this a little when I was answering your question about what makes good queer depictions — throughout our process, this question came up several times, and indeed, DC has sensitivity readers they work with.

Neither Alex nor I have lived the exact experience of Jake and Kenny. But I believe that Alex, being a gay person of color, can understand from personal experience the intersectional concerns of such teenagers. In the United States, more than 80 percent of the victims of anti-LGBTQIA+ crimes are people of color. Black trans women are particularly in danger. Intersectionality is real, and we take this issue seriously in our book. I hope our work will help anyone whose lives are at stake.

Roarbots: One last question: What are you most excited about for the book?

Sánchez: YA and middle-grade graphic novels are such a booming media right now, in part because the works create a bridge for young readers between text and their screens. It adds this visual component to stories. So, what I’m excited about is having this queer teen story coming from this iconic publisher, DC.

I’m hoping that, in the same way that Rainbow Boys in 2001 opened so many doors for this relative boom in LGBT YA literature, this will open a lot of doors for other writers and other queer stories in graphic novel form. It’s certainly not where we’d like it to be yet, but we’ve come a long way since Rainbow Boys came out.

I’m also so excited to have been able to work with Julie; that was such a gift. Watching how they came up with this amazing artwork, it took me back to when I was a boy when I loved drawing. Seeing their work has got me back into drawing, so I’m grateful, so grateful to them for the amazing artwork and also for inspiring me.

In fact, I’ve been working on a memoir, and I’m doing my own illustrations for it. That’s been so much fun. My hope is to do more graphic novels, I’ve enjoyed the process and I’d love to do more.

You Brought Me the Ocean is available now from DC Comics wherever books are sold.

(This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Sánchez was interviewed via phone and Maroh via email; Roarbots has merged these separate interviews for readability.)