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Electrum
Electrum is the first-ever comics anthology created entirely by mixed-race artists from around the world! This book contains 26 brand-new fiction and non-fiction stories that explore the joy, the insecurities, and the unique strengths that come with being mixed-race.
Book is available to purchase directly from the publisher here: https://gumroad.com/l/AAE1pc
Book is available to purchase directly from the publisher here: https://gumroad.com/l/AAE1pc
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2019
1 person is currently reading
1293 people want to read
About the author
Der-shing Helmer
61 books97 followersHi, I draw comics and put them on the internet for people to read. Sometimes I put the drawings on paper so people who are not on the internet can also read them. I live near San Diego, CA, and I am excited to make more comics for everyone.
Thanks for reading my stuff!
Thanks for reading my stuff!
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 14, 2019
This is such a poignant anthology of comics from twenty-six mixed race artists about their experiences being mixed race. The stories range from sci-fi to fantasy to contemporary to memoir, in a gorgeous range of styles! So many mixed race people will see themselves in these stories, and those who aren't mixed race will learn so much about their lives, experiences, and feelings. Huge congrats to all involved in this beautiful crowdfunded book!
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April 28, 2019THIS WAS SUCH A STUNNING COMIC ANTHOLOGY and I want to just WAVE it AROUND I loved it so much. Not a single story I disliked, and so many of them were so resonant for me. I sometimes feel like if I simply loved something, it is hard to write a review because what can I say beside "get this book!!"; but here I also felt like I'd have specific things to say (mostly about how awesome it was, but each story was differently awesome) so I'll have to get around to doing that :)
Source of the book: Bought with my own money
Source of the book: Bought with my own money
March 18, 2019
What can I say? This book was a labor of love from start to finish. I am very grateful to each of the contributors for sharing their personal (sometimes painful), but always empowering stories of their own mixed-race experience. I'd also like to thank Kiku for working so closely with me to choose the array stories that went into this collection from the many submissions we received, and for actively editing with me to balance the tone and age-appropriateness of this collection.
I'm rating this highly because every day for a year and a half I saw all the work and love that went into this book, and I hope the readers we made this book for will enjoy it as well. Thank you for reading!
note: The book won't be sold (by me) on Amazon due to personal principles, but you can purchase your own copy of the book here: https://gumroad.com/l/AAE1pc
I'm rating this highly because every day for a year and a half I saw all the work and love that went into this book, and I hope the readers we made this book for will enjoy it as well. Thank you for reading!
note: The book won't be sold (by me) on Amazon due to personal principles, but you can purchase your own copy of the book here: https://gumroad.com/l/AAE1pc
March 27, 2019
I had backed Electrum during the kickstarter because I wanted to support a collaboration of mixed storytellers and oh my god when it was released, I was absolutely blown away.
When I first read this, I immediately sent it to my brother—we're both mixed, and seeing stories laid out like this, with beautiful art and writing, was incredibly emotional for both of us. Not only were there characters we could relate to but also a wide variety of stories and experiences, and I've truly never been so excited at something this community has done. That being said, anybody can (and should!) read this book regardless of race and have a great time with it.
Everybody who worked on this should be so, so proud!!
When I first read this, I immediately sent it to my brother—we're both mixed, and seeing stories laid out like this, with beautiful art and writing, was incredibly emotional for both of us. Not only were there characters we could relate to but also a wide variety of stories and experiences, and I've truly never been so excited at something this community has done. That being said, anybody can (and should!) read this book regardless of race and have a great time with it.
Everybody who worked on this should be so, so proud!!
June 6, 2019
I think this might the best comics anthology I've ever read. It's well edited, has a strong theme, and is well laid out (the decision to alternate between fiction and nonfiction is honestly ingenius). Some of the comics are genuinely moving and many are beautiful. Highly recommend.
April 8, 2019
A stunning collection of comics that can go from the far reaches of space, to a fantasy world unlike our own, to the very real, the very sad and the very life affirming. A collection of creators whose identities have often found boxes to be limiting and reductive to who they are, "Electrum" is a must read for anyone looking for fresh voices in comics as well as for voices that are too often glossed over. Every story in this collection has something to offer and I cannot wait for the next installment in the alloy series.
June 30, 2022
Mestizo: 5/5
Captain’s Log: 4/5
Misirlou: 5/5
Our Chosen One: 5/5
Chameleon: 5/5
Cloud Walker: 4/5
Hapa: 3/5
Rose Metal: 3/5
Whatever You Like: 4/5
Angel’s Daughter: 4/5
U is for Uva: 5/5
Bobby and Jules: 2/5
Language is Beautiful: 4/5
You Were Never Lost: 4/5
Arab Colombians: Who We Are: 3/5
Ka-Pow!: 5/5
Hair: 5/5
The Wind Through Stars: 3/5
Divided Skin: 5/5
Eclipse: 3/5
A Forgotten Home: 4/5
Lepidoptera: 4/5
Silent Waves: 4/5
Everything’s New: 4/5
Red Pepper Dragonfly: 5/5
Coils: 3/5
Captain’s Log: 4/5
Misirlou: 5/5
Our Chosen One: 5/5
Chameleon: 5/5
Cloud Walker: 4/5
Hapa: 3/5
Rose Metal: 3/5
Whatever You Like: 4/5
Angel’s Daughter: 4/5
U is for Uva: 5/5
Bobby and Jules: 2/5
Language is Beautiful: 4/5
You Were Never Lost: 4/5
Arab Colombians: Who We Are: 3/5
Ka-Pow!: 5/5
Hair: 5/5
The Wind Through Stars: 3/5
Divided Skin: 5/5
Eclipse: 3/5
A Forgotten Home: 4/5
Lepidoptera: 4/5
Silent Waves: 4/5
Everything’s New: 4/5
Red Pepper Dragonfly: 5/5
Coils: 3/5
April 2, 2019
This book is beautiful, and a great collection of artists. I am intending to go look up all of these artists' other work. Many of the stories are quite similar because they are all saying, it's okay to be mixed, it's okay to be mixed, it's okay to be mixed. This book would have been a revelation to me in high school, middle school, or even college, but now, I am simply pleased that it is here, and I am pleased to be introduced to so many mixed race creators.
April 1, 2019
Probably every story in here made me weepy! Such a great collection of stories and artists.
June 22, 2019
5/5:
Unique complication of well illustrated and written stories about mixed race protagonists.
Unique complication of well illustrated and written stories about mixed race protagonists.
July 29, 2020
This collection of stories on the experiences of mixed race individuals was so hopeful and wholesome. It was a pleasure to read each of the stories, and the art for each one was GORGEOUS. I definitely gasped 'wow' a few times when I saw the first page of a new story. This book deserves a lot more attention
August 15, 2020
Asked for this as a graduation present (thanks mom!).
5 stars because of REPRESENTATION <3.
It’s so hard to rate anthologies so I won’t pretend like every piece landed with me in a 5 star way, but the range of styles and relatable themes came through. The power and beauty of being mixed came through.
in fact, my favorite pages of the book were actually the back.. not because the rest wasn’t good, but I actually got a little emotional to see so many multi-ethnic artist humans (non binary, queer, too!!) in a list like that. WE OUT THERE. Everyone has a little bio and seeing a list full of whole, complicated humans and badassery like that gave me hope. I feel like my people are out there and they are doing great work that’s moving us forward and something about that was really powerful.
Thanks so much Der-shing, this was such a brilliant idea and I’m grateful for it.
5 stars because of REPRESENTATION <3.
It’s so hard to rate anthologies so I won’t pretend like every piece landed with me in a 5 star way, but the range of styles and relatable themes came through. The power and beauty of being mixed came through.
in fact, my favorite pages of the book were actually the back.. not because the rest wasn’t good, but I actually got a little emotional to see so many multi-ethnic artist humans (non binary, queer, too!!) in a list like that. WE OUT THERE. Everyone has a little bio and seeing a list full of whole, complicated humans and badassery like that gave me hope. I feel like my people are out there and they are doing great work that’s moving us forward and something about that was really powerful.
Thanks so much Der-shing, this was such a brilliant idea and I’m grateful for it.
April 12, 2019
Are you mixed-race, Soobie?
Maybe not in the "normal" way but sometimes I feel like it. My maternal grandfather was born in the South Italy and the rest of my family comes from the North-East. So, as my father always says, I'm 25% terrona, which is a derogatory term for people born in the South. I was maybe ten the last time I went down there. I don't even speak the language. Once, when I asked my great-aunt to speak slower so I could understand her, she just pouted and continued speaking as fast as a machine-gun. Since I barely know them, I don't consider them to be my family.
So, yeah, contrary to all the people writing in this anthology, I haven't embraced my origins. And I don't plan to: being the third generation, all the connections to my grandpa's birthplace are getting lost. My grandpa, who died in February 2018 aged 91, had four siblings. They're all scattered around: only one remained in their birthplace just south of Rome. Two sisters migrated to France to look for work. My grandpa and his younger brother came to Friuli. The latter is the only one I see every now and then. I have some ten cousins in France and I barely know who they are. How can you consider family someone you've seen maybe three or four times in your life? There was a point where I considered the people I lived with in a student house to be my family: we all were in the same situation living together abroad for the first time. I've never felt a stronger family feelings in my life.
Despite my ideas about it, I really enjoyed this anthology. I preferred the sepia-toned stories to the purple-toned ones. They felt more real. And sometimes I felt a bit envious towards those people living a life balanced between two cultures. Envious because I let go of the all connections to a part of my family history.
I loved the first story about the census. I've done it maybe five or six times already and it's a job I love and I'm good at. People tell you their stories and I'm a good listener. I also liked the story about the girl trying to make the perfect okonomiyaki in New Zealand and the little girl with her show-and-tell in Spanish.
But let's get down to business...
Mestizo by Alberto Rayo & Diego Revelo: ★★★★
As I wrote before, this is probably the best story in the anthology. I love that it deals with the census and I like the art as well. From an Italian point of view, no one will her put a question like «For your customs and ancestors, do you feel or identify as:» and all the options. We did the census only via tablet last September and it was half a disaster: I do miss the ol' times when you had to write everything down.
Captain's Log by Sam Wade: ★
I didn't like the art and I didn't get the story.
Misirlou by Kiku Hughes: ★★
Again, I didn't understand what the author was trying to convey but at least I like the art.
Our Chosen One by MOM: ★★★
I'm not sure I like the art but the story was so funny!
Chameleon by Veronica Agarwal: ★★★
Extremely cute!
Cloud Walker by Kelly Bull: ★★★
A little bit of sci-fi to spice things up. The author made a good point nonetheless!
Hapa by Hinahina Gray: ★★★
The art isn't really my style but I love the story.
Rose Metal by Iasmin Omar Ata: ★★
Good art, albeit weird at times, but the story... At this point of the book I came to realize that I usually preferred the purple stories to the sepia ones.
Whatever You Like by Jem Yoshioka: ★★★
One of the best contribution. Jeez, it made me want to eat a real okonomiyaki... They're so good!
Angel's Daughter by Tzor Edery: ★
Meh!
U is for Uva by Julia Hutchinson: ★★★★
Another of the really good stories. The little girl is so cute!
Bobby and Jules by Kam Mars Heyward: ★★★
Again, the art isn't my thing but there are dogs... So it's OK!
Language is Beautiful by Tess Stone: ★★★
I like the message but there's something missing. I wouldn't know what, though.
You Were Never Lost by Little Corvus: ★★
The lanterns at the end where good but... I didn't like this story!
Arab-Colombians: Who Are We: ★★★★
Very informative. And I really like the art!
Ka-pow! by Moe Espinoza: ★★★
There's skating involved! I can't say anything about the story or the art... ^__^
Hair by Kiana Khansmith: ★★★★
Another good one!
The Wind Through the Stars by Sloane Leong: ★
Meh, again. This was extremely weird.
Divided Skin by Tajliya Jamal: ★★★
Well, as far as the story goes, it's perfect. I didn't like the art, thoug.
Eclipse by M Cat White: ★★★★
This is probably one of the rare purple stories I liked. There's a bit of magic in it and little girls doing a lot of studying.
A Forgotten Home by Jordan Alsaqa & Jenna Yow: ★★★
It's OK. I had to add the Geo Jordan shelf just for this story!
Lepidoptera by Yen Quach: ★★★★
Another good purple story with moths and butterflies. Or, well, I think they are moths and butterflies.
Silent Waves by Charlene & Kelsey Soto: ★★★★
A little Mexican-American girl goes back to Mexico to dance during a popular festivity. She gets lost and she doesn't speak Spanish but there's something else that can connect two girls.
Everything's New by Der-shing Helmer: ★★
I like the panels but, all in all, I think it's a bit weak compared to the others contributions.
Red Pepper Dragonfly by Lara Kim & Sara Lee: ★★★
This one is about a Korean-American family who visit Korea and what it means to them.
Coils by Georgia Henderson: ★★★
Weird but good.
As far as anthologies go, this one was a very good book. It makes me proud when I back something that makes me happy!
Maybe not in the "normal" way but sometimes I feel like it. My maternal grandfather was born in the South Italy and the rest of my family comes from the North-East. So, as my father always says, I'm 25% terrona, which is a derogatory term for people born in the South. I was maybe ten the last time I went down there. I don't even speak the language. Once, when I asked my great-aunt to speak slower so I could understand her, she just pouted and continued speaking as fast as a machine-gun. Since I barely know them, I don't consider them to be my family.
So, yeah, contrary to all the people writing in this anthology, I haven't embraced my origins. And I don't plan to: being the third generation, all the connections to my grandpa's birthplace are getting lost. My grandpa, who died in February 2018 aged 91, had four siblings. They're all scattered around: only one remained in their birthplace just south of Rome. Two sisters migrated to France to look for work. My grandpa and his younger brother came to Friuli. The latter is the only one I see every now and then. I have some ten cousins in France and I barely know who they are. How can you consider family someone you've seen maybe three or four times in your life? There was a point where I considered the people I lived with in a student house to be my family: we all were in the same situation living together abroad for the first time. I've never felt a stronger family feelings in my life.
Despite my ideas about it, I really enjoyed this anthology. I preferred the sepia-toned stories to the purple-toned ones. They felt more real. And sometimes I felt a bit envious towards those people living a life balanced between two cultures. Envious because I let go of the all connections to a part of my family history.
I loved the first story about the census. I've done it maybe five or six times already and it's a job I love and I'm good at. People tell you their stories and I'm a good listener. I also liked the story about the girl trying to make the perfect okonomiyaki in New Zealand and the little girl with her show-and-tell in Spanish.
But let's get down to business...
Mestizo by Alberto Rayo & Diego Revelo: ★★★★
As I wrote before, this is probably the best story in the anthology. I love that it deals with the census and I like the art as well. From an Italian point of view, no one will her put a question like «For your customs and ancestors, do you feel or identify as:» and all the options. We did the census only via tablet last September and it was half a disaster: I do miss the ol' times when you had to write everything down.
Captain's Log by Sam Wade: ★
I didn't like the art and I didn't get the story.
Misirlou by Kiku Hughes: ★★
Again, I didn't understand what the author was trying to convey but at least I like the art.
Our Chosen One by MOM: ★★★
I'm not sure I like the art but the story was so funny!
Chameleon by Veronica Agarwal: ★★★
Extremely cute!
Cloud Walker by Kelly Bull: ★★★
A little bit of sci-fi to spice things up. The author made a good point nonetheless!
Hapa by Hinahina Gray: ★★★
The art isn't really my style but I love the story.
Rose Metal by Iasmin Omar Ata: ★★
Good art, albeit weird at times, but the story... At this point of the book I came to realize that I usually preferred the purple stories to the sepia ones.
Whatever You Like by Jem Yoshioka: ★★★
One of the best contribution. Jeez, it made me want to eat a real okonomiyaki... They're so good!
Angel's Daughter by Tzor Edery: ★
Meh!
U is for Uva by Julia Hutchinson: ★★★★
Another of the really good stories. The little girl is so cute!
Bobby and Jules by Kam Mars Heyward: ★★★
Again, the art isn't my thing but there are dogs... So it's OK!
Language is Beautiful by Tess Stone: ★★★
I like the message but there's something missing. I wouldn't know what, though.
You Were Never Lost by Little Corvus: ★★
The lanterns at the end where good but... I didn't like this story!
Arab-Colombians: Who Are We: ★★★★
Very informative. And I really like the art!
Ka-pow! by Moe Espinoza: ★★★
There's skating involved! I can't say anything about the story or the art... ^__^
Hair by Kiana Khansmith: ★★★★
Another good one!
The Wind Through the Stars by Sloane Leong: ★
Meh, again. This was extremely weird.
Divided Skin by Tajliya Jamal: ★★★
Well, as far as the story goes, it's perfect. I didn't like the art, thoug.
Eclipse by M Cat White: ★★★★
This is probably one of the rare purple stories I liked. There's a bit of magic in it and little girls doing a lot of studying.
A Forgotten Home by Jordan Alsaqa & Jenna Yow: ★★★
It's OK. I had to add the Geo Jordan shelf just for this story!
Lepidoptera by Yen Quach: ★★★★
Another good purple story with moths and butterflies. Or, well, I think they are moths and butterflies.
Silent Waves by Charlene & Kelsey Soto: ★★★★
A little Mexican-American girl goes back to Mexico to dance during a popular festivity. She gets lost and she doesn't speak Spanish but there's something else that can connect two girls.
Everything's New by Der-shing Helmer: ★★
I like the panels but, all in all, I think it's a bit weak compared to the others contributions.
Red Pepper Dragonfly by Lara Kim & Sara Lee: ★★★
This one is about a Korean-American family who visit Korea and what it means to them.
Coils by Georgia Henderson: ★★★
Weird but good.
As far as anthologies go, this one was a very good book. It makes me proud when I back something that makes me happy!
September 7, 2021
On occasion, there is a book that makes it into your little stack of ongoing reads that you maybe didn't know much about or expect much from, perhaps a book you neither wanted nor demanded, but a book that you wholely and entirely needed all the same. That was Electrum for me. I could write my not terribly well informed opinions about the lovely art and different styles or excellent book quality, but neither would speak testament to why this little corner of the bookstore find brought me to tears on multiple occasions. That little magic lies in the authenticity of stories never told. Somewhere in-between the relative rarety of being a mixed-race person and general disinterest of Hollywood in authentic narrators, I'm not sure I've ever before read, much less seen something that feels so painfully authentic and personal to the tricky internal lessons you have to learn. The foreword of the anthology introduces these as a series of lessons from the authors, things they have learned on their own, and I cannot think of a better description. You were never lost was the one I personally found myself turning back to over and over, but a gem among a trove of treasures. I would guess that to a person who does not relate so deeply to the stories told, the lessons might feel a tad repetative, but I would implore to look for the distinct ways in which they are discovered and the identities that interpret the lesson. Because, identity, is the very nature of what is being so intensely explored on the page. To the authors, a token of gratitude, and to prospective readers, I implore you to give this a chance. It's authentic, fun, beautiful, personal, and a times, challenging.
September 1, 2019
This is a beautiful, personal collection of stories about what it means to be mixed-race. The physical book itself is gorgeously realized. Each story is a different author, so they'll speak to different readers in different ways. Some are straight-forward autobiographical tales, some are rich in metaphor, some are even science fiction.
I liked things about every story, but personally my favorites were:
Captain's Log - About the kid waiting for their mothership to come retrieve them from Earth. I thought this was a touching universal coming-of-age work. Really, really sweet.
Misirlou - Of the extended metaphor works, this one executed it most elegantly, and with the most nuance. This one most perfectly captured the idea that mixing cultures makes an all new unique thing, and the world is better off for it (but also that its origins shouldn't be forgotten).
U is for Uva - Too cute! About a little girl bringing something to show-and-tell based on the Spanish word for her item, even though the class speaks English. Not the deepest, but it made me very happy!
Lepidoptera - My favorite fantasy one of the book. A simple story about a butterfly/moth telling her sister a fairy tale, but the world was just a really charming, and the myth felt so authentic.
I liked things about every story, but personally my favorites were:
Captain's Log - About the kid waiting for their mothership to come retrieve them from Earth. I thought this was a touching universal coming-of-age work. Really, really sweet.
Misirlou - Of the extended metaphor works, this one executed it most elegantly, and with the most nuance. This one most perfectly captured the idea that mixing cultures makes an all new unique thing, and the world is better off for it (but also that its origins shouldn't be forgotten).
U is for Uva - Too cute! About a little girl bringing something to show-and-tell based on the Spanish word for her item, even though the class speaks English. Not the deepest, but it made me very happy!
Lepidoptera - My favorite fantasy one of the book. A simple story about a butterfly/moth telling her sister a fairy tale, but the world was just a really charming, and the myth felt so authentic.
June 24, 2022
The art was consistently beautiful throughout the collection and the writing was great. I didn't realize these were stories about being mixed race vs. by people who are mixed race. That's on me. Some of the stories got a little repetitive since they shared the same themes, but this introduced me to a lot of new comic creators who make amazing things!
April 19, 2019
a few stories were a bit repetitive, but on the whole they are stellar
December 27, 2019
A lovely anthology
August 23, 2020
Great comics! beautiful art and like it says on the cover good for all ages!
December 21, 2021
a very sweet collection of comics. my favorites are misirlou, rose metal, angel's daughter, and red pepper dragonfly.
November 24, 2022
A fantastic anthology where I felt the humanity in each and every character of every story. Some stories I loved more than others but they were all very good on their own.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews