Queer Design Club

My name is Cal, I'm an illustrator and cartoonist (and a hobbyist cartographer!) from Toronto who focuses on editorial art, and comics/illustration for TTRPGs with bold colours and graphic linework! I also love a good murder mystery!

An editorial piece about 'coffin houses', the term used for single-unit apartments in Hong Kong that were a result of the housing crisis.

A piece done for a zine about queer experiences. This is a piece about my experience of duality and identity with bigenderism and how that intersects with my background, which is made up of two opposing cultures.

An excerpt from a murder-mystery/comedy graphic novel called "Passive Perception," set in a fantasy gala. This is the final page of Chapter 1 where the victim is revealed and the "mystery" part begins — each chapter is a different person's perspective of the night's events, and the reader is invited to solve the murder alongside the head investigator as he hears everyone's accounts.

How does being queer inform your work?

My work is character-focused and explores how their designs reflect their perception of themselves. Queerness is so interlaced with self-expression through hair, fashion, manner, and relationships, I see it as a lens and a sandbox for character development and design. I find it gives a new perspective on a character's experience with themselves, regardless of genre or setting.

What are your favorite pieces of queer visual culture?

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe is one of my favourite comics ever. It was one of the first comics I've ever read that highlights a queer experience, and really drove me into the genre of graphic memoirs.

Which other queer people inspire you?

There are too many to name individually, but a lot of my peers are queer illustrators as well! I'm always blown away by how unique and unreserved their artwork is, and how their experiences with gender and sexuality reflect on their characters and narrative artwork.