The Virgin Project

Stasia Burrington

By Suzette Chan
February 3, 2014

On my first day at Geek Girl Con in Seattle last fall, I quickly amassed a pile of books and comics that was far too large for the free swag bag that the convention kindly gave to delegates. I came across a booth that featured some gorgeous artwork with very strong narrative elements. I asked the artist, Stasia Burrington (nee Kato), if she had ever drawn comics. Indeed, she had! She is the co-creator of The Virgin Project, with her uncle, Kevin Boze.

Back in 2006, Burrington and Boze, started to collect stories of how people lost their virginity. They set up booths at various locations, including erotic arts festivals in Seattle and Victoria, B.C., to listen to people's stories, then collaborated to convert those stories into comics. With Fanny Press, they published two volumes of The Virgin Project, and have enough stories for a third volume.

The stories in The Virgin Project are as diverse as people's experiences. In form, they run from one-panel cartoons to multiple-page comics. The diversity of tone reflects the diversity of stories they heard: funny, romantic, sad, tragic, matter-of-fact. Stylistically, Burrington's artwork is capable of conveying light moments and traumatic events with equal deftness.

For Sequential Tart's annual February focus on comics about love and sex, I sent some questions to Burrington about The Virgin Project and her artwork in general.

Sequential Tart: Which artists or type of art influenced your decision to pursue art as a career?

Stasia Burrington: Comic book artists such as Hergé and Wendy Pini, decorative art nouveau artists Alfonse Mucha, Egon Schiele, and Gustav Klimt, and loads of children's book illustrators, among them: Quentin Blake, Stephen Gammell, and Beatrix Potter.

ST: How did the project originate?

SB: The Virgin Series project is the creation of co-author /illustrator Kevin D. Boze, who has a background in both comics and theater. He realized there was an opportunity to use the comic-book format as a platform to open up discussion in an area where there wasn't a lot of material readily available.

ST: How did you decide which stories to turn into comics?

SB: We tried to include a good variety -- in terms of mood (happy / sad / indifferent), sexual orientation and complexity. Some stories were quite funny, or tragic, and really didn't need a lot of help in terms of writing. Some people were really transformed by the "act," some people had advice, some were quite profound, and some simply sweet. We did tend to include stories we found either unusual or unexpected, since we are trying to share as diverse a selection of stories as possible.

ST: Why did you include yourself and your uncle in some of the comics?

SB: The interview process is a big part of story-sharing experience. For a moment, Kevin and I both get to be the audience, as we experience the story for the first time (lucky us!!), and by including ourselves in the comics once in a while, we are inviting the readers to experience the telling as we did.

ST: Were the stories close to what you expected in terms of types of experiences and attitudes about sexuality and the significance of losing one's virginity?

SB: Oh god, not at all. We went into this project without a good idea of what to expect: we actually anticipated only funny, frat-boy, share-around-a-campfire-type stories -- you know, all fun and games. We also assumed that "virginity" is a clear, black-and-white concept -- TOTALLY untrue. I believe we also expected that the "deed" would have significance for everyone -- it's supposed to be a magical, transformative, rite of passage, right? Isn't that what we're taught? -- which, of course, also wasn't the case.

ST: What was it like to handle some of the more traumatic stories?

SB: Difficult, and also unanticipated. I began this project when I was 20. Having complete strangers confide in deep insecurities and unraveling secrets was intense and humbling. After day one we learned to bring tissues.

ST: Did you ever follow up with any of the subjects? Whatever happened to the young man with cancer (page 66 of volume 2)?

SB: As the stories are confidential, and most of the interviews given by strangers in passing, sadly we haven't followed up with any of the interviewees. Even sadder, we believe "Clinton" may no longer be with us, and feel enormously honored to have been able to share his story.

ST: Do you plan a third volume?

SB: We have enough stories, but now it's a matter of making the time (I am a full-time artist with other projects currently, and Kevin has a full-time job and theater career). We would love to tie this all up and have a trilogy -- how cool would that be?

ST: You're exhibiting some really gorgeous work now. What interests you in art right now, in terms of subject matter and medium?

SB: Thank you! My gallery work is traditional and created with charcoal, ink, watercolor and fabric collage, and my subject matter is the body. I'm fascinated by body modification, and skin, and separation, and decoration. The portraits often have their faces hidden -- I find anonymity highly alluring and seductive -- I find great power in mystery, and love is made of mystery. I'm really interested in how I -- how others -- can fall in love with art pieces.

ST: Do you know where your artwork might appear in February or the following months?

SB: In February I will be participating in two group shows -- one in Seattle at the Twilight Gallery called "Fade Into You -- an Artist's Mixtape," and one in Los Angeles at Giant Robot: "GR2 -- Year of the Horse."

Editrix's note: Burrington's artwork also graces tote bags large enough for a geeky convention's worth of books.

Stasia Burrington — Official Website
The Virgin Project — Fanny Press Website