By Michele Karlsberg–
Michele Karlsberg: Bay Area resident MariNaomi (they/them) is the award-winning banned-book author and illustrator of nine graphic books, including the Eisner-nominated Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories. Their work has appeared in The New Yorker “Daily Shouts,” The Washington Post, LA Times, The Rumpus, Kazoo Magazine, and more, and has been displayed in venues such as the Smithsonian, the de Young Museum, the Cartoon Art Museum, the Asian Art Museum, and the Japanese American National Museum. MariNaomi is the founder and keeper of the Cartoonists of Color, Queer Cartoonists, and Disabled Cartoonists databases. Recently, I sat with MariNaomi to discuss her new graphic novel: I Thought You Loved Me (Fieldmouse Press, May 2023)
Michele Karlsberg: Tell me about your new LGBTQ+ comic/graphic novel and memoir.
MariNaomi: I Thought You Loved Me is a memoir about a long-term friendship that went wrong. My friend ghosted me when we were in our twenties. When I hadn’t gotten over it by the time I was in my forties, I thought it was time to write about it. Focusing on and explaining my experience was an attempt to exorcise my ghost, but then it turned into something else.
Michele Karlsberg: Why did you choose to share this with the public versus working it out on your own?
MariNaomi: I have a therapist now, and I joke with her that if I’d started therapy earlier, I would’ve never written this book! But I wonder. I’ve talked about this experience a lot over the years, partly because it’s something that has shaped me, and still continues to do so. And partly because I think it’s an unusual but relatable experience. Lots of people have stories about close relationships mysteriously dissolving, or not getting over old broken friendships. I believe that reading about this could help those people process their own feelings. There’s also a voyeuristic element to it, because the mystery behind our separation turned out to be a lot more scandalous than I had thought they would be.
Also, it’s important that there be more books about friendship out there! This is my second graphic memoir specifically about long-term friendships, and I hope I inspire others to make their own. I want to read them! Friendships are an important part of life that feels under-examined in literature and the media.
Michele Karlsberg: Why did you choose to use collage, prose, and comics?
MariNaomi: I’ve always been drawn to collage and photography. When I started getting comfortable with creating art digitally (not long before I began making this book), collage became a lot more accessible. Like a lot of mid-career cartoonists, I have hand pain that makes analog collage a limited hobby. So now is the time!
In addition, I’m always looking for new ways to tell a story, as I get bored reusing the same methods and mediums again and again. That’s one reason graphic narrative is so appealing to me. There’s always something new to try, so it never gets stale! Of course, when you deviate from the norm, it’s a lot harder to sell a book, but I don’t mind some hardships if it makes it easier for others down the line. That’s my intention, at least.
For more information on MariNaomi and her work: https://marinaomi.com
Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management specializes in publicity for the LGBTQ+ community. This year, Karlsberg celebrates 34 years of successful marketing campaigns. For more information: https://www.michelekarlsberg.com
Words
Published on May 4, 2023
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