Your comic sounds awesome! I'll definitely check it out. Judit is actually fully Haitian (their cousin, Frankie/The MC is Indo-Haitian) and they're very much based on my Haitian friend, who is also an artist. My friend is helping me write the comic, so they're able to provide lots of information as a Haitian-Canadian immigrant - it's also the reason for me setting it in Toronto!
There's not as strong of a reason that Frankie is Indo-Haitian specifically, but I wanted to incorporate him being mixed as a psychological disconnect from the rest of his family - His Haitian aunt, uncle and cousin. I'm mixed (German/Chinese) and I often feel a disconnect from both sides of my family, seemingly caught between two cultures. It's something I want to explore in my comic, and have been thinking a lot about while writing this story, as it deals heavily with Chinese culture, religions, and characters.
Are there any other racial minorities that live in Haiti? Frankie has no connection to his birth parents as they both died when he was young, so it doesn't have much effect on the story - but I figured I would make him Blasian as it's very much an asian-centric story. Yuming is fully Chinese, Judit is fully Haitian, and Xinyi is Chinese/Ojibwe mixed.
And that's very interesting about June! This story actually takes place in June, funnily enough. It would be something I should definitely weave into the story, as like myself, the entire main cast is queer & trans. Judit and Frankie have a difficult home life, but I want to make it clear that this is due to trauma their parents faced surrounding colonialism.
For example - Judit's mother is a nurse, and their father was a successful doctor in Haiti, but his education wasn't recognized when he migrated. He now works as a personal service worker at a retirement home, and pushes Judit to go to the states and study to become a nurse, so they can be as successful as he was in their past life. Judit wants to follow their passion as an artist instead, and gets into a fight with their parents, telling their father that he's "just a personal service worker anyways".
Judit is non-binary, but keeps their gender identity hidden from their parents, as they have many traditional beliefs about gender. During the fight, they insult their father's income as well, bringing up that their mother makes far more than him as a nurse. Holding onto his masculinity, their father upholds his authority, saying he's "still the man of the house." Judit accidentally lets slip that if the two of them are so dependent on their future, maybe they should be the man of the house instead - leaving their parents in momentary confusion. They start panicking, realizing they said too much, desperate to stay closeted for their own safety. When their parents start asking more questions, increasingly growing angrier, Judit runs away from home, and calls their best friend, Xinyi.
In the park, Judit starts crying, and when Xinyi gets there, they vent about their home life. It used to be much more physically abusive, but over the years it died down. The parents still deny that the abuse ever happened, and their children find it best not to mention it in fear of it starting again. After things get particularly emotional, Xinyi offers to kiss Judit, and the two of them begin their relationship. The final page of the chapter is Judit slowly facing the reality that if their parents are ever to find out they kissed a girl, the abuse could start again.
That's the only scene I've written with the parents, but I've been trying to brainstorm ideas for what to do with them next. My Haitian friend suggested that they should have been more rebellious growing up, but after so many around them died, they became strict to ensure the safety of their children. I think they would see Xinyi as a threat to Judit, so Xinyi is very careful around them. Judit is actually locked inside the temple during the first half of the story, but Xinyi still remains on the surface, so she would have the opportunity to interact with them. Xinyi is also a trans woman, and Judit's parents know this - though I'm conflicted on how to write their reactions to this. I want to create an engaging narrative that highlights the struggles of queer children of immigrants, but I don't want to portray any one culture as close minded, or say that every immigrant parent is abusive or homo/transphobic.
I do have one other Haitian character in the story, who is both queer and a villain. He's both a priest and a cult leader, as well as Judit and Frankie's uncle. Judit has a personal connection with him, as he's responsible for lots of the religious trauma in their life. He's present in the temple and reignites some of the trauma that Judit has with their parents.
I actually haven't put a lot of thought into how being Haitian and a religious figure would have an affect on this character (René) - I think it might have to do with the fact that I make pretty much every character queer, lol. But homophobia still definitely exists in my story, and so does internalized homophobia. Judit's parents are pretty much the only straight characters I have as of now.
I assume that René would hide his attraction from his family, but I'm wondering if he'd be more accepting of his own feelings. He's deeply in love with one of the other cultists, so perhaps that cultist brought him to accept himself. I could even have that play into the main story. Realistically, he might have internalized homophobia that out-powers that, but I actually already have a character who struggles with that - René also has had feelings for this character in the past (I have so many old gay men in my story lol, it's like a love-pentagon between the five of them and I'm so obsessed).
The other character, Evvie, is actually the God that René worships, soul bound to a human he was possessing (René's childhood friend). I could definitely utilize both of their relationships to their respective queerness in a dynamic of a God/Worshipper. Evvie is far deeper in his internalized homophobia, being from a time where it was completely outlawed. Him being gay is definitely a big part of his story, so perhaps I could make it a big part of René's, as well.
René is a relatively new character (I actually only came up with a solid idea for him today) so if you have any suggestions for how to write him, Judit, Frankie, Xinyi, or the parents - let me know! I also don't see a lot of stories with both a Black MC and a Black main villain, much less ones that are Haitian. If you have any stories you can recommend with accurate depictions of Carribean immigrants, or can provide any more guidance on how to write them - please do! I want to tell stories that are dramatic but also accurate to religions, races, queer identities, etc. Seems like they're all going to collide in my story so it's best to be mindful...
Also! While writing this I took a peek at what your currently have posted of your comic! Super interesting & can I just say you have a BEAUTIFUL art style! I love the backgrounds especially. Super great work, and thank you for all your help!
