You might best know Trung Le Nguyen asTrungles , their societal medium pseudonym for postinggorgeous , charming artistry — but now the artist is making their graphical novel debut with the likewise entrance The Magic Fish — and io9 has a sneak peek inside .
The Magic Fish , published by Penguin Random House , follows a young Vietnamese male child named Tien , who ’s struggling to fit in after his kinsfolk emigrated to the West . Still stress to learn English and fit in at schooltime , Tien also finds himself unable to be open with his parents about his sexuality . That is , untilthe fantastical fairy tale worldshe bonds over with his female parent provides a windowpane to both escape his hardship and squeeze his true self as he navigate those feelings .
Let Witch Duels and Potential Romance Whisk You off in This Gorgeous Witchlight Preview

Princess Alera arrives at the ball in young Tien’s story.Illustration: Trung Le Nguyen (Penguin Random House
“ The Magic Fish was originally conceived as a few unlike projects . I was concerned in explore the style a fairy tale could change depend on where it ’s found , and I especially wanted to take a stuffy look at Tam Cám , a Vietnamese story that has a lot of similarities to Cinderella , ” Nguyen say in a statement provide over email to io9 . “ I eventually found that I had a special involvement in fairy stories about transition , about characters impress into a new biography and leaving an old one behind . I ’m so nervous and mad about my first graphic novel ! I did n’t suppose it was something I ’d ever be capable to do . It ’s such a new process to me that I really do n’t even do it how to manage my expected value around it . I hope The Magic Fish strikes a chord with someone out there ! ”
As well as share a tale about fellowship and the magnate stories have to connect us , The Magic Fish founder Nguyen a chance to evidence a queer story about immigrant in a clock time when these narratives are still both incredibly important , but also thankfully normalized , with their own work the latest ina foresightful lineof LGBTQ - themed fable for YA readers .
“ I feel fantastically fortunate that I have the freedom of not doing anything groundbreaking in my new graphic novel , ” Nguyen notice of the al-Qur’an ’s diverse storytelling . “ There have already been so many wonderful comics by and about people of colouring , immigrants , and queer the great unwashed . Over a decennium ago now , Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie utter about the risk of a single story , that a dearth of taradiddle creates stereotypes . For people creating study from the margins who are breaking ground , there seems to be this unfair extra encumbrance foisted upon them to be an authorization on experiences beyond the scope of their personal experience . ”

Image: Trung Le Nguyen (Penguin Random House
“ They ’re gestate to represent broad swaths of hoi polloi like them , and to edify the world about themselves , ” they continue . “ They have to explain themselves . Now that ground has been break down before me , I am grateful to be able to just tell my queer , immigrant stories . I can make volume that justify a lector ’s empathy instead of just their curiosity . And once the burden of train a readership is lifted , I can have fun . I can indulge in faery narrative , stories that never feel the motive to excuse themselves . ”
Check out a passage from The wizardly Pisces the Fishes that sees Tien do just that — encompass the phantasy of a princess saltation with her reliable dear at a magical ball , as he tries to reconcile his own privy impression for a boy in his family at schooling — in this exclusive selection .
The wizardly Fish is n’t just Nguyen trample new basis in their graphic novel entry , but also incorporating more longform digital artistic production into their repertoire . “ I started out draw the al-Qur’an traditionally , which was my comfort geographical zone . I substantiate about a third of the way through the book that my traditional process was better pitch toward short comics . It turns out draught , cleanup , scanning , and then formatting every single page really adds up after a twosome hundred of them , ” Nguyen said of the process . “ I ask to figure out how to well set my outgrowth to fulfill my deadline . My editor were implausibly patient with me , but I still felt some guilt that my traditional process was so slow . ”

“ I was always super unfamiliar with draw digitally ! I ’m still very new to it . I never went to art school , and did n’t get a tablet until long after I ’d already graduated from college . I had to teach myself how to use Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint from the earth up . Thankfully , there are so many artists who ’ve made incredibly thorough tutorial all over the internet these sidereal day . It actually felt really doable to cobble together some new acquirement by hunting and amass dissimilar art tutorial online . I wanted people to know that this book was a work in progress the entire means through , and I hope including that helps dissipate any roadblock of quality or perfectionism a novel cartoonist or comic creative person might have . In comic , it does n’t matter so much that it ’s done perfectly so long as it gets done ! ”
The witching Pisces hits shelves tomorrow , October 13 .
Apropos of Nothing , Check Out These Fantasy Novels by LGBT Creators

For more , verify you ’re surveil us on our Instagram @io9dotcom .
Graphic novelIndiesLGBT+
Daily Newsletter
Get the unspoilt technical school , science , and refinement news in your inbox daily .
news show from the future , give up to your present tense .
You May Also Like

























![]()