Gene Luen Yang

The Boxer Rebellion is a war that was fought on Chinese soil in the year 1900. The Europeans, the Japanese and their Chinese Christian allies were on one side. On the other were poor, starving, illiterate Chinese teenagers whom the Europeans referred to as the Boxers.

For 'Boxers & Saints,' I started by reading a couple of articles on the Internet, then writing a really rough outline, then getting more hardcore into the research. I went to a university library once a week for a year, year and a half.

Boxers, man, except when I have to get dressed up. Then it's boxer-briefs. But never tighty-whities. Never. But dude! If they brought back Underoos? Dude, if they brought back Underoos, I would rock the Underoos. Like He-Man and Transformers and G.I. Joe and even like Dukes of Hazzard.

My work is all about how we consume. To me it's important to know where things come from. Generally, our products today are so cheap, you know there's something wrong. Things are not made in a good way. I want to make things that are. I want to make the story behind products visible.