Award-winning author and illustrator MariNaomi has had a wide-ranging career, doing everything from exhibiting comics and paintings at Smithsonian API, the de Young Museum, the Cartoon Art Museum, the Asian Art Museum, and the Japanese American National Museum to performing with famed traveling show Sister Spit. Mari is the founder and administrator of the Cartoonists of Color, Queer Cartoonists, and the Disabled Cartoonists databases and cohost of the Ask Bi Grlz podcast.
Their latest book is Dirty Produce (Workman Publishing), a cheeky illustrated book about just that—produce you’d find at the grocery store getting a little frisky, from lusty lemons to erotic eggplants. We interviewed MariNaomi about the inspiration behind this book of sexy foods.
How did you come up with the idea for Dirty Produce and why did you want to put it into book form?
My sexy fruits and veggies were dreamed up when I was trying to come up with ideas for a Post-It art show at the Giant Robot 2 Gallery in Los Angeles. On a yellow Post-It, I drew an embarrassed banana with pen and white-out. Why are they embarrassed? I wondered. Of course it’s because they were having naughty thoughts! And once I got started, I couldn’t stop.
How did you go about deciding which produce to include?
I was going for everything under the sun. I started with what I was familiar with, then researched at grocery stores, farmers markets, and online.
Did your relationship with food change at all while writing this book?
Nah. Food has always had a sexual undertone for me. Blame it on watching 9 1/2 Weeks as a tween.
Who do you see as the main audience for the book? What do you hope readers take away from it?
Anyone who eats! And has a sense of humor. Much of these illustrations were drawn so I could make my friends and family laugh. And myself, of course.
How was working on this book different from your other book projects?
Dirty Produce is unlike anything I’ve ever done. My graphic novels and memoirs are story-driven and tackle some serious subjects, although I like to think that my sense of humor comes through even then.
What do you think is the sexiest food and why?
During the making of this book, I decided that Buddha’s hands are probably the most fun in bed. All those fingers, you see.
How has sexuality played a role in your career?
Well, my first comic ever was about an unrequited crush, and my first published book [Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Resume, Ages 0 to 22] was about my sex life. So there’s that.
Dirty Produce is available from Amazon and Bookshop.