BLog reviews recent boys love, yaoi and LGBTQ+ English translation manga.
Tagawa, a young office worker stuck late finishing reports, is titillated to discover his coworker, Shibata, has a secret. This secret takes the form of elaborately tied rope-work tenderly wrapped around his torso beneath his shirt and tie. Shibari, “to tie decoratively”, was popularized in the West based on elaborate Japanese bondage and BDSM techniques. Tagawa soon discovers the unique uses of good rope-work.
This delectable, porny short story comes from the mind of orcamode, published by NYC-based THE YAM FAM, purveyors of queer comics, fanbooks and zines. I came across a copy of orcamode’s Hidden Beneath on the shelf of Toronto’s own hometown comic hub The Beguiling Books & Art, and instantly knew I had to speak to the artist.
MJ: Hello! Can you introduce yourself to any readers?
orcamode: Hi! I’m orcamode. I draw original erotic BL comics as well as fan comics, and I enjoy indulgent and sometimes dark themes, both in the work I read and in what I create.
Your art’s gorgeous! I’d describe it as sort of a mix of anime and Western comic book styles. How’d you get your start drawing?
Thank you! I started reading comics when I was in 4th grade, and the first time I ever drew a comic with panels was in 5th grade in a lined notebook. All I consumed for a long time was manga, since I was living in Taiwan and that was what was most available to me. I didn’t really read western comics until much later, but I think I can attribute my more hybrid art style to having been online a lot since middle school and seeing art styles from all over the world. From middle to high school, I also had a great drawing teacher who often took us out for life drawing and challenged us to draw from various genres.
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some of your work retweeted through (porny) fandom anime Twitter, but “Hidden Beneath” was definitely the first time I saw your work formally! How did you first become interested in shibari? What got you into drawing it?
I don’t remember exactly when I first became interested in shibari. My interest in it increased in recent years, but I think I’ve always been drawn to the idea and look of shibari. I like puzzles, I like packing things into boxes and luggages, I like figuring out how things fit together, so I think shibari pushes similar buttons in my brain. I like visualizing and figuring out how the knots work and how they retain tension, all while looking beautiful. When I ink traditionally, I also tend to draw fairly thin lines, which happens to work well for drawing shibari and is very satisfying to me.
What’s your favourite thing about working on BL or porny art and comics?
I love comics because it’s made up of suggestions. Each panel teases a small part of a larger scene, and the scene is completed through a collaboration of what the artist puts down and what the reader interprets. This aspect of comics is why I love it as a medium in general, but I also think comics are a great medium for porn especially. Sex and our feelings about sex are very personal, and there’s so much room to explore ourselves in the gutters between every panel, both as an artist, and as a reader, and I think that’s what makes comics so addictive.
My favorite part about working on BL and porn is allowing myself to be indulgent. Sometimes I find myself hitting a wall while writing. I’ll overthink a scene and write myself into a corner. Then I’ll mutter something like “I wish I could just do THIS instead”. That’s when I stop and think, “Well why the hell can’t I?” Every time, if I replace a scene that’s boring me with something I would want to see if I were the one reading, something straight from my id, I’m always happier with the result. I love how freeing that moment feels.
Are you watching or reading anything these days that’s inspiring you? Any suggestions?
I’ve recently really fallen in love with Niyama’s works. I particularly like “Boku no Omawari-san” and “Mujaki na Wanko to Nekokaburi”. Both are available on Renta! Their English titles are “My Dearest Cop” and “An Innocent Puppy Meets a Two-Faced Cat” respectively. I highly recommend checking it out! I’ve also been immensely enjoying Jack Stanovsky & J.R. Doyle’s original fiction, “Ritual Bluff”, which you can read on AO3. Absolutely excellent.
Here’s a little list of several more of my favorite manga and comics that I revisit from my shelf regularly, just for fun:
- Letters for Lucardo by Otava Heikkilä
- Pornographer by Marukido Maki
- Jackass! by Scarlet Beriko
- Dear, MY GOD by Asada Nemui
- MADK by Suzuri Ryo
- Hen-Ai by Harada
- Poji by Harada
- Yes, Roya by Emilee Denich
Are you working on anything new fans can be excited for? Any new projects?
I’m working on a new short BL comic called Liquid Labyrinth! It’s currently in the early script stages, but I’ll be starting work on it very soon, and I hope to have it printed later this year. It’ll take place within the set of an immersive theatrical play (think Sleep No More) and follows the protagonist’s ~encounter~ with a mysterious cast member.
Anything else you’d like to say?
To everyone who reads my comics, thank you so much! I have been treated very well and I feel very lucky. May you all chase your bliss and continue to love things unabashedly and with great passion! You make the world a kinder place.
You can discover more of orcamode’s work on their Pillowfort page, or if you want your own copy of Hidden Beneath you can buy one on THE YAM FAM’s website.
MJ Lyons Writes 