In this series, we sit down with teen readers and artists to learn more about what connects them to the comic.
Behind Trinity City Comics is a team of adult and teen artists with a set of shared values, all investigating common questions: How do we take care of our communities, and call out those who put communities in danger? How do people with resources help those without?
Trinity City takes a “hero’s journey” through an Afro-Futurist New Orleans in search of justice, police transformation and a world with human rights for all. Written for youth ages 12-18, this comic tells a gripping story and includes activities and strategies to help youth create conversation about a future of policing that provides safety for all.
In this interview, our Youth Consultant hrilina♡ talked with Katherine Alford, a student at a New Orleans high school as well as an arts conservatory for young adults and pre-professionals, to learn more about her art and activism. Katherine
is a visual artist who specializes in 2-D and 3-D mixed media pieces.
Recently, Katherine’s work has taken the form of assemblage boxes, a type of 3-D collage typically made using found objects. “I wanted to use these random old materials that were considered trash,” Katherine said, “and make them into a paradise, or something I found beautiful.”
Katherine showed us two assemblage boxes (titled "My Island" and "My Paradise," respectively) made with found objects like slinkies, paper flowers, and other things she already had, and told us about her real-world inspiration.
“The news, things I see in my daily life, or just my strong emotions at the time. I normally have an image pop into my head about how to express that,” Katherine revealed. “And then I just work towards completing that image in real life.”
We then asked Katherine if there were any particular social issues in Trinity City that resonate with her as a reader and an artist.
“Climate change and the future of New Orleans,” she answered immediately. “The future of our city, flooding, global warming. [Even this assemblage box piece] is mostly plastic, and I’m always thinking about the plastics and microplastics that are polluting our world.”
Indeed, Issue 1 of Trinity City explores a possible future of New Orleans, a city where many residents – particularly those who are Black and/or living below the poverty line – experience harsh living conditions due to climate change and gentrification.
“It seemed like a very possible future for us,” Katherine admitted. “Whenever I’m walking around the city, I wonder what it will look like in 20 years, 50 years, and this was a future that was scary, but also one I liked, about how the people rebuilt the city.”
In Issue 2, Katherine hopes writers will continue to dive into the political aspects of Trinity City, as well as further the storylines of the characters she began to care about.
“They didn’t just move away,” Katherine noted, “they stayed with the city they love.”
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