EP 229: In Limbo’s (quarantined) teen trauma
“Knowing it's rooted in a truth makes the story hit harder. You linger in the frames and you’re left with it” — “the graphic form really gives it a unique power.”
Have you ever wondered what its like to be an Asian teenage artist coming of age in the suburbs of the big city, with an unpredictable and often unbearable mother, while also saddled with a sense of regret and ennui? IN LIMBO is the debut graphic memoir by Deb JJ Lee. In this graphic novel Deb is a young Korean American teenager, trapped in a inescapable feeling of otherness.
For a while, Deb’s English wasn’t perfect. Her teachers can’t pronounce her Korean name. Her face and her eyes―especially her eyes―feel wrong. Things only get harder once high school starts - shifting sands of arts and academics, escalating tensions at home, friendships made and frayed, and mental health struggles that are all too real to anyone who's ever felt like an outsider. With stunning art and a tale that feels like you're slipping in and out of an all too familiar dream, this is a story that you can't leave easily. IN LIMBO is moving work of mental health, gender identity, and growing up. For many of us who have often felt like outsiders, this story is painfully familiar, and brings forth a lot of empathy for those around us invisibly struggling.
Raman and longtime frieMMd of the pod Ryan Joe discuss this breakthrough work on Quarantined Comics. Since we occasionally read stories that reveal a minority truth for our majority ears, it feels appropriate to share on Modern Minorities. Also, so Sharon + Raman can take a much needed summer break as we rest, recuperate, and plot the future of the pod. Be sure to pickup a copy of IN LIMBO, wherever you get your favorite books.
LEARN MORE
COMIC: In Limbo (Deb JJ Lee) - goodreads.com/en/book/show/60316964
Creator: instagram.com/jdebbiel
POD: Quarantined Comics - qtdcomics.com