Gengoroh: Not so much fan mail, but lately a lot of people reach out to me on Twitter and Facebook.ĭo you get weird requests, like people inviting you to have sex or draw them? When I got my first job at the college, on my first day, they told me to shave my beard! This is quite a while back, though.ĭo you get a lot of fan mail from people? But a lot of men in Tokyo are not actually allowed to wear a beard to work.
Gengoroh: Yeah, I guess some men in Tokyo are growing beards. The gang bang scene from ‘Do You Remember the South Island’s P.O.W. For example, ‘Do You Remember the South Island’s P.O.W. Gengoroh: Hmm… I don’t have a favorite story, but I do have stories that I’m more confident about, like the longer books. The race doesn’t matter.ĭo you ever feel physically aroused by your own work? They could be Asian, they could be anything really. It’s not that they don’t exist… It’s not that I draw hairy men because there aren’t a lot of them - I depict them because I like them. Gengoroh: Yeah, maybe not so much with the largeness, but hairy is certainly rare. I also enjoy taking on the perspective of the slave who idealizes the perfect master.īears feature prominently in your work, but are there many Asian bears? My ex is Asian and he said it’s like impossible to find Asian bears. Gengoroh: As a writer, I am definitely the master, and I really enjoy writing because I want to be in the dom position when I’m composing stories. Is that indicative of you being a master rather than a slave in BDSM? When the main character faces a complete loss of hope. Gengoroh: The S&M-oriented stories, definitely. Certainly, if I’m writing in a historical setting, there might be difficulty in translating those nuances. Gengoroh: Well, as far as Japanese culture is concerned - because I don’t like much of modern reality - I never think that’s an issue in translating to another language, because my stories are never about modern Japanese culture anyway. Gengoroh: This is the first English translation, but I’ve been translated into Italian, French and Spanish already.Īre there certain things in Japanese culture and language that don’t translate? Is this book the first time that your work has been translated into English? So, he found Tagame’s address somehow, and came to his door, and was like, ‘I’m here to collect the book that I bought that wasn’t delivered.’ And then he was like, ‘Wait, is that a drawing of me on the wall?’. Tagame had just self-published a book, and the porn star bought a copy. He had a giant pin-up of him on the wall as inspiration for one of his stories. Tagame had sort of been watching this guy’s pornos, and he started to illustrate him. I was a big fan of the his work, and we followed each other, and eventually met.Īnne: I know how these two met, and it’s a really funny story. How long have you been with your partner? My partner, he’s done it in the past, so I’ve heard stories from him. I’m going to try and think of questions to embarrass you now. I wonder if she knows that we’re meant to be here. The rose shape when the anus releases tension.Īnne: This must be really interesting for the housekeeper. You’re talking about the shape of the anus after fist-fucking, right? Gengoroh: I saw the anal flower open up like a rose - you know, the rose shape? And I just thought, ‘What the fuck?’ And it was the first time I’d seen that. As for the visuals, you know, I remember watching fist-fucking on gay videos for the first time and thinking it was so spectacular, so I wanted to draw that. As for what the storylines, it’s not that I’ve heard of it being done or anything, it’s just I let my imagination roam and try to figure out what that would look like. Gengoroh: Well, I certainly participate in gay BDSM culture - very much so. How much of your artwork is loosely inspired by your own hookups or stories from friends?
Gays don’t just use their iPhone apps to fuck - they also go to museums! Gengoroh: We have a signing tonight, and I guess I’m probably going to see some museums or something.
What are you doing with your time in New York? We’re going to be on the phone here, so maybe no loud sounds?Īnne: We’re in New York and Tagame’s staying at the art director’s apartment, which is where we are. Are you…?Īnne: Ah, the housekeeper just showed up.