Fresh from the press: "Black Wade" boarded the bookstores! The wild pirate story is the first gay comic book of the duo Franze and Andärle. Especially for our customers they made a watercolor drawing, which we'd like to raffle. Moreover the two artists tell us everything worth to know about their sexy pirate story and speak about the way the work.

If you want to get hold of this high quality drawing on noble hand made paper (see below), just read the interview and answer our question. All right answers will be considered for the raffle. Send your answer to presse@brunogmuender.com until 30.09.2009, subject heading: BLACK WADE RAFFLE.

Right or wrong: Working on a comic, Franze and Andärle start with the drawings and write the text in the end.

So far you mainly worked as illustrators for youth novels and comics. What gave you the idea of creating an explicitly gay comic?

Franze: "Black Wade" was actually born out of a joke. We said to ourselves that it's a bit boring to always draw princesses and fairies. So why not set hands on some handsome guys!? So I draw a first sketch of an awesome man and Andärle coloured it in just for fun. We liked it and so we gave it a second try. This was all new and exciting to us and we said to ourselves: Let's make a whole project out of this! We thought of a good story... and then we just started it!

Why did you decided to draw a pirate story?

Andärle: We were always fascinated by pirates! A ship filled with hard and strong men! What could be a better setting for a gay story? Our main character was thought to be very wild, free and instinctive, with an insatiable greed and lust. Makes a good pirate captain, doesn't it? That's how Black Wade was born. The second main character was supposed to be a good counterpart, loyal and bound to strict social rules. Therefore the British marine was the perfect background for Lieutenant Jack.
It was quite clear that if the story was supposed to be realistic, the relationship between Wade and Jack could not be shown as "easy going". A dreaded pirate - no matter how free he is - can not simply fall in love with a lieutenant. Of course he too is bound to a certain kind of social role and liability. So it was bare sex on the one hand and on the other hand both men's feelings, which emerge slowly. That situation left enough room for the story to develop and grow bit by bit.

Your drawings are incredibly fine in the details? How do you work on them?

Franze: Well, every comic starts of course with the story we'd like to tell. Just like Black Wade. We let our fantasy run wild and then we sit down and start writing the text. Then I draw some rough sketches for every page and we talk about it and see whether it works the way we planned it. If so, I start with the fine-drawings and hand them to Andärle, who works on the colors. We both set great value on the details, since they create the atmosphere and make the whole scene authentic. And to be honest: Being real gay men, we simply love embroidery and lacey and stuff.

We don't want to tell too much, but in the ending one of the characters swears to take revenge - even if he'd have to sail across the entire world. Does that mean we can hope for a sequel of "Black Wade"? Or do you already have ideas for other projects?

Andärle: Oh, let's say we are just like our pirate: We are curios about the future and open for any challenges. But just like Black Wade we have no idea where the wind might take us to tomorrow...

posted in Interviews, Features, Comic & Art on 20.08.2009