By Sophia Whittemore
AsAmNews Staff Writer
The Sun Bros started with Brad and Wesley Sun, a preacher turned comic book artist and his brother who enjoys playing punk rock guitar. The two brothers say all the they is a “drawing table and a gallon of soy sauce.” I got to meet up with half of the dynamic duo at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con 2017.
“We’ve wanted to do comics since 1983,” says Wesley Sun, “but we got serious in 2010. We produced the graphic novel Chinatown 
in 2012 which is actually still being used to teach in DePaul University in their Social Justice Class to discuss immigrant experiences and the American Dream.”
Now, Wesley Sun works on comics, but he also does work as a professor for the University of Chicago in the Master of Divinity program, and does part time work as a jail/hospital chaplain for American Baptist Church USA.
“Does theology play a part in my work? Yeah,” Wesley explains, “but I hesitate to say there’s any set meaning that I put into these comics. We encourage our readers to make what they will of our work. It’s eisegesis versus exegesis, you can have both.”
I read the comic Monkey Fist, a Sun Bros comic that combined elements of Nietzsche with the Chinese mythological story of The Monkey King. It tells the story of main character “Monkey” who, trapped with an existential crisis as he’s stuck in a dead-end fast food job, chooses to rage against the “gods” of the corporate world and find out what the source of true power really is.
Influences are cited as Frank Miller, Sam Kieth, and Murakami, a Japanese contemporary artist. Combined with magical-realism elements inspired by Hayao Miyazaki elements like My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away, the comics give an absurdist but inspired look at the quest for meaning in the age of social media and our modern world.
“I visit the incarcerated. I visit people in hospitals. I know many people feel trapped. But how do people break free?” Wesley smiles. “The answer is storytelling. We all just want to feel connected, you know?”
Newest projects include Eisegesis and Mr. Id that contain strong psychological and philosophical elements.
As for people who claim that the public won’t accept a POC artist, Wesley calls that out as outrageous. “People believe that audiences aren’t ready to accept Asian artists. Well, our experience challenges that. Events like Pocket Con specifically highlight marginalized POC artists and those overshadowed, like women creators.”
He leans in, sharing a personal story. “When we were first advertising our comics, I put up some flyers out in Hyde Park. There was an Asian woman running a laundromat, and I asked her if I could post our art onto her windows. She told me she wouldn’t let anyone else do so, but she wanted the Sun Bros name up there to inspire young Asian kids whose parents believed they couldn’t make it in this comic book industry. We are the American Dream, success in their passions, even in art.”
If he had to give any advice to young creators, Wesley would tell you this. “Start young. Comics represent a democracy in the art world. You got professionals next to newcomers. We support each other here. You just have to get started before you even leave art school. Go out there, and create.”
CHECK OUT MORE OF THE SUN BROS HERE:
https://m.facebook.com/thesunbros/
http://instagram.com/thesunbros
https://mobile.twitter.com/thesunbros?lang=en
****
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. You can show your support by liking our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/asamnews, following us on Twitter, sharing our stories, interning or joining our staff.
