Meet T.m. Hands | Graphic Novelist

We had the good fortune of connecting with T.m. Hands and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi T.M., where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m from Northern California. Aka NorCal, aka the Bay Area. I am a graphic novelist. Ever since I was little I loved comic books. I was diagnosed dyslectic in elementary school and had a hard time learning how to read early in life. My oldest brother Shawn was was a bit of a comic nerd. He was responsible for picking me up from preschool while our mom was still at work. My earliest memories are of him riding my mom’s bike, carrying me on the middle bar to the local comic book shop and buying me Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic books.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Because of my friend in middle school I became a huge fan of anime and Manga. I started writing my first comic book Crystal Kitty when I was 13. I published my first Manga Angel Protected many years later when I was 27. My goal was to create a black magical girl series, with a story based in America. I just couldn’t relate completely with Japanese culture, but wanted to see characters like Usagi represented in the USA. Not just for brown faces, but for all American youth to relate to. My style is a mix of American comic and Japanese Manga. It took me many years to develop my own style unique to me, but it wasn’t easy. It was very discouraging at time, because while I was inspired by Japanese Mangaka; like Naoko Takeuchi and Kenichi Sonoda. I didn’t want people to see my work as a copy of their styles. I also had to face a lot of criticism from people telling me that I could not become a mangaka because I am African American, and because I draw my main characters with black features they were ugly. Now I look back and think “who cares?!” I love creating manga and telling stories and I hope my readers love my creations just as much as I do.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I don’t know if I’m the greatest host, but if I was asked to take a friend on a tour of my home town we would have to start with wine tasting. I’m grew up in a small city called Livermore. It’s a wine town and they have the most amazing vineyards and wine tasting tours. After that we would have to visit my favorite comic book store in the whole world “Fantasy book and Games”. Greatest comic book collection in town and my childhood stomping grounds. Thank hit the downtown first street for some night time fun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When I was 13 i had to attend summer school. I meet the coolest girl, whose name I wish I could remember. She became my friend instantly and introduced me to the comic book version of Sailor Moon. She let me barrow her copy of Sailor Moon number 1. I still have the copy she gave me today. It was definitely the first comic book that launched my interest in creating my own comic books, because the story showed me that girls can be cute superheroes too.

Instagram: @tmhandsartist