Abstract
Connector is a 37-page graphic novella that features two disabled and neurodivergent transgender men finding community and friendship in each other. The main character, Jude, has been struggling to find jobs he can actually work. After finding a listing for an in-house arcade cabinet repairman, Jude decides to go to the interview without his cane. He's hired but nervous about whether or not he can actually keep this new job, and his new coworker Asher instantly starting to chat him up doesn't help his anxiety. Jude reluctantly agrees to hang out outside of work hours, and much to his horror, he actually kind of enjoys it. The two start to connect, and Jude starts to process his own feelings about isolation, friendship, and human connection.
Neither Jude nor Asher are direct self-inserts, but they both reflect different aspects of my lived experience as a disabled and neurodivergent trans man. Intersectional representation is something hugely important to me, and I want to contribute authentic, genuine representation about and by disabled trans people to the growing media landscape. If I can give even one person the positive warm-fuzzies from seeing someone like themselves reflected in the stories they consume, I'll have accomplished my goal.
Artist Statement
Kai has been drawing funky little anime people since he learned how to walk. Ever since sitting in front of a big beige box and discovering Microsoft Paint, Kai has been passionate about drawing colorful, stylized characters that find happiness in each other. His bubbly and expressive digital work has appeared in private commissions, art fairs, and print and sticker merch shops. After years of marginalization, Kai uses the joy in finding community as the driving force behind his loving, empowering works. Based in Portland, Oregon, Kai is currently studying illustration and game design at Pacific Northwest College of Art.