麻豆视频

A small group gathered last week at the Yorkton Regional High School to listen to Sophie Labelle talk about her experiences.

Labelle is a author, cartoonist, and public speaker. She also happens to be and is best known for her Assigned Male. Assigned Male addresses issues of and growing up transgender.

Labelle, who has been touring across the United States and Canada for several months, said getting out and talking about her work and experiences started with a Facebook post where she said if someone wanted her to make a presentation 鈥渟end me a message and I鈥檒l make it happen.鈥�

Labelle said she actually began drawing comics in school, stories focused on one of her brother鈥檚 teachers.

鈥淚鈥檝e been drawing comics since I was seven,鈥� she said, adding her brothers had started the Comic Club, and that had her get interested.

The comic on her brother鈥檚 teacher 鈥渂ecame my main social tool 鈥� it kind of protected me,鈥� she said, adding even school bullies in some way respected that she was doing the comic.

鈥淐omics have always been part of my life,鈥� she added.

At one point Labelle said she had considered being a teacher, but her art and storytelling won out.

鈥淢y parents still don鈥檛 understand what I do,鈥� she said, then joking she was 鈥渂orn in a teacher鈥檚 body,鈥� but has transitioned to draw comics. 鈥溾�� Eventually I decided to quit school just to draw comics鈥� full time.

鈥淲hat I wanted to do was tell stories, not to be an artist per se.鈥�

Initially Labelle said she was creating work, but not sharing it.

As a result "my art didn鈥檛 evolve at all,鈥� she said, adding she realizes now it was because she was not getting feedback to force growth.

It was when she began posting her work online, and feedback began, that she became better at her craft.

While today Labelle does computer generate the final art, it is the end of a process for her.

鈥淧aper is still a very big part of my process,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 plan the strip on paper.鈥�

Labelle said she also needs to be in a particular frame of mind to create.

鈥淭o get creative I need to get in the zone,鈥� she said. 鈥溾�� Once you get into the zone you don鈥檛 know when you鈥檙e going to get out of it.鈥�

Calling it an 鈥渋ntense process鈥� Labelle said she typically goes to a coffee shop where she 鈥渟tares into the void for a couple of hours 鈥� eventually the void stares back,鈥� and she can start creating.

While Assigned Male does focus on transgender issues, Labelle said the material is not about her own experiences, or at least not directly.

鈥淣one of my comics are autobiographical. They don鈥檛 talk about my direct transition,鈥� she said.

The cartoons while being educational achieve that element by being 鈥渧ery sarcastic鈥� at times, with 鈥渂ad jokes or terrible puns鈥� all part of Labelle鈥檚 approach.

Still the comic has 鈥渢rans and queer people as the target audience,鈥� said Labelle. 鈥淚鈥檓 transgender and my characters are transgender.鈥�