On Wednesday, July 19th, 2023, The Beat caught up with Kayden Phoenix at her sales space at San Diego Comic-Con. Phoenix is the author of the A La Brava graphic novel sequence, a couple of crew of American Latina and Mexican superheroes, and now she’s launched The Majestics, a graphic novel sequence a couple of crew of Native and Latina princesses.
We requested all concerning the genesis of the brand new sequence, the way forward for A La Brava and The Majestics (and the way they may be associated), and naturally, all concerning the princesses’ pets!
This interview has been edited for readability and size.
REBECCA OLIVER KAPLAN: You’ve already accomplished section considered one of your superhero universe, A La Brava. What was the genesis of The Majestics, your princess universe?
KAYDEN PHOENIX: For all ages. Superheroes are just a little bit older, due to the social injustices, so the content material isn’t as “all ages.” So I mentioned, “Okay, here’s princesses.”
I grew up with tons of princesses as a result of Disney is wonderful. But all through the princess sequence for Disney, there must be a prince to save lots of the lady. And I mentioned, “No. My mom saved herself, I saved myself, my friends saved themselves.”
For that purpose, I made a princess journey, which we don’t get to have, the place they only go have enjoyable with their pet mascot. That’s the rationale: it ought to be for all ages. Comics ought to be for obtainable everyone, truthfully.
KAPLAN: Mexica has her pet ocelot, Elote. Are all of them going to have pets?
PHOENIX: They all have their little mascot. Novi is an area princess, and she or he has just a little area horse, and that’s her good friend that she travels with. Alora is my witch princess, and she or he has this little rabbit with wings.
KAPLAN: Is there a purpose you selected to start out with Mexica?
PHOENIX: I actually like Mexica, truthfully. She’s the one which’s really from a time interval; everybody else is sooner or later or only a made-up world. She’s from Mesoamerica, so it’s a nod to my ancestors.
KAPLAN: Do you propose the entire universe?
PHOENIX: I do, completely. With the superheroes and with the princesses. Because they get to know one another. In the sixth e book, they meet at Princess Academia, in order that they should be completely different sufficient of their appears and the personalities, in order that they bounce off one another rather well.
KAPLAN: What’s that course of like for you and your collaborators?
PHOENIX: It’s enjoyable. I take pleasure in it, and I hope they take pleasure in it, too. They all know one another, they’re all Latino artists, and so they all refer one another. So they do know learn how to bump one another and say, “Hey, I need this page,” or “Hey, you didn’t do this,” or whatnot. They work rather well collectively, and so they’re simply actually nice individuals to work collectively.
KAPLAN: Why is it essential to you to create a crew of Native and Latina Princesses?
PHOENIX: It’s essential as a result of we don’t have illustration. We all the time have the very light-skinned, “fair-skinned” as they name it, princesses. That’s not reflective of the world.
Why can’t you develop up considering you’re a princess? Why can’t you develop up considering you possibly can go on an journey? As females, we don’t even get that itself. You know, we keep at dwelling and we’re a princess and we’re stored, we’re all stored.
So they’re all completely different pores and skin colours and there’s a variety of it, however Latina and simply marginalized individuals usually, we’re completely different pores and skin colours. We do exist.
And then on the superhero facet, they’re all American Latinas (apart from Jalisco, my Mexican, in fact). And that’s as a result of who will get employed? Who will get seen? It’s the identical factor: we don’t. If you consider a Latina director, they’re typically from Mexico. But we now have American Latinas as effectively, we simply don’t get seen; we don’t get employed. Which is unlucky. Why wouldn’t we?
KAPLAN: I’m curious in case you have a plan to proceed any of the tales and develop upon these universes sooner or later
PHOENIX: In the long run, there will probably be quantity two of the superheroes in addition to quantity two of the princesses. The princesses and the superheroes are going to crossover. And then Phase 3 is the Latino superheroes – that’s being made proper now, in order that they’ll be out subsequent 12 months. And then Phase 4, which has nothing to do with these, a brand new sequence is popping out – that’s extra motion and thriller, and extra grownup content material.
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