My name is Elisa B and I’m a queer, chronically ill, Italian artist (she/they). I’ve created “Slow” and “In the beginning” for Filthy Figments and am pretty active in the Italian indie comic market with my collective ‘Ehm Autoproduzioni‘. We do both web and printed comics and some of them are also available in English.
How long have you been creating comics?
I’ve been creating comics for around 10 years.
What do you enjoy drawing most?
My favorite things to draw are witchy stuff, queer content (most genres, aside maybe from sci-fi and historical), cats and anything that draws from my culture (Sicilian).
What are some of your biggest inspirations in your work?
I look a lot at French authors and illustrators, queer creators and local artists. I do also take a lot of inspiration from real life, for both the aesthetic and content side of what I create.
What do you like about erotica and/or drawing erotic comics?
It feels liberating. I’m on the Ace spectrum and in my younger years I’ve often felt “broken” for the way I feel about sex and sexuality. It happens even now, occasionally. Approaching erotica (both as a creator and a reader) from a queer and disenfranchised point of view helps feeling less alone and misunderstood. It also feels “safer”, to approach sex for narrative purposes and on my own terms.
What was your favorite project you’ve worked on for Filthy Figments thus far?
Maybe “Slow” feels more personal. It centers around the way chronic illness/disability/pain can impact sex, sexuality and relationships in general. But I had a lot more fun drawing and writing “In the beginning“, using sex as a narrative device to express love and intimacy between two beings who don’t subscribe to any earthly concept.
Recommend a few of your favorite Filthy Figments comics from the archive. Tells us WHY you love them.
All works by Ariel Vittori FOR SURE. I’ve also started reading “Fuckin’ Ace” and “Bruised Fruit“. I have every intention of reading my way through all the amazing stories on this website!
Ariel has an almost inherent tenderness in almost everything she draws or writes. Her works feel intimate and authentic. Fuckin’ Ace is a point of view that, as someone on the Ace spectrum myself, isn’t often used in erotica AND it proudly represents body types that are also wildly underrepresented, which I also enjoy immensely. Bruised Fruit is wildly fun, because it touches on many topics and experiences, reminding us how sex doesn’t look the same for everyone and there isn’t a right or wrong way to enjoy it, just as long as everyone involved is consenting and safe.
Any personal projects you’d like to plug?
I have a few projects out on Ehm Autoproduzioni. Some are on the Instagram page, others are on the website and some are also in English (they’re all originally in Italian). Go take a look if you feel curious and I hope you enjoy them!
Where else can readers find you online?
I’m mostly on Instagram, at @moonyefp !
