By Michael Soze
As almost all of us spend also comic illustrator and author Ralf König
most of the day at home right now. What’s he doing against the Bearing fever?
Hello, Ralf. How are you spending your time these days?
My everyday life does not differ too much from what I am used to. Me
I’m not currently working with colleagues in the shared studio, but
I’m home alone a lot, too. I’m working my way into a new
Rowohlt comic in and look out onto the balcony. At night I scratch myself
the sack. So as usual.
Currently you’re posting at facebook two of our own
Favorite characters, Konrad and Paul, going through the Corona crisis. Like
are the two boys gonna be okay with it?
We’ll see about that, Paul whines of course, because he wants out
and fuck. Konrad takes it pragmatically, as always. I intend to do that with
to do the little comic every day for a while, so that’s why
the crisis is quite creative. Only I don’t make money doing it, all of you.
planned readings are cancelled, let’s see what else is going to happen.
We firmly believe that humour helps – do you agree? How important is humour especially in these times?
I’d be in a psych ward without my bulbous noses. But that’s always been the case. No need for a virus.
Any advice for gay boys on how to pass the time now?
Oh, everyone will know that for themselves. Ordering a stack of comics from gay bookstores online would certainly not be the worst thing to do.
You are not a prophet, but how do you think we gay men will live on after the Corona story? Business as usual?
Despite all the misery with dead and sick people and overstrained doctors, I find the peace and quiet in the city centres very restful. I live in Cologne and this crowded, narrow city is finally quiet. I don’t know what gays in particular are doing ‚afterwards‘, but I have an idea that the bars and dating portals will not suffer from deficiency symptoms for long. A spring without sex, almost everyone feels like Paul!
What are your plans? Can we see you live again in 2020? Will there be a new work? Such isolation can also be creative.
As I said, I’m doing a new book for Rowohlt, but I’m still very much in the early stages. The clock is ticking, the deadline, the subject is not easy. PC and old white men and gender and metoo and Paul in the middle of the shitstorm. I also notice how relaxing it is that all the hue and cry and the general permanent indignation takes a break due to the crisis! I don’t like to take it out of the drawer again at the moment.
The most important question, of course, at the end: Ralf, do you still have enough toilet paper and noodles at home? Or would you rather have a nice gentleman visitor?
I hoard oatmeal and soy milk. The gentleman caller is adjourned. Although sex from six feet away might be nice. voyeurs and exhibitionists have always gotten along.
