The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ & Amal
| Fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ & Amal |
| Abbreviation(s): | TJ&A |
| Creator: | E.K. Weaver |
| Date(s): | 2009-2014 |
| Medium: | webcomic (with available print volumes) |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| External Links: | The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ & Amal |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article or section needs expansion. |
The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ & Amal is a webcomic by E.K. Weaver which ran from 2009 to 2014. The story follows Amal, an Indian-American med student. After a disastrous coming out to his parents, he calls off his arranged marriage and tries to drown his sorrows in a bar, where he meets TJ. The next day, TJ claims the two made a drunken pact to drive from Berkley, California to Providence, Rhode Island, to attend Amal's sister's college graduation. The rest of the comic follows Amal and TJ's misadventures and developing relationship over the course of the 10-day road trip.
During its run, the comic was published in 3 collected volumes by Iron Circus Comics. In 2015, after the conclusion of the story, an omnibus edition was funded through Kickstarter, and included author's notes, concept sketches, and an excerpt from a previously out-of-print side comic. That same year, Weaver published "Five Years Ago and Three Thousand Miles Away", a short volume outlining three possible epilogues to the main story. It has not been said which of these epilogues is the "true" ending, as Weaver wanted readers to decide for themselves which ending they like best.
The comic has been translated into various languages, with fan-made Russian and Italian translations linked on the main page. Officially-licensed French and German translations also exist.
Development
Weaver has stated that TJ's design came about after she saw an ad in 2006 for a BL manga character design contest. Feeling frustrated with the "sameness" of the designs, she tried specifically to come up with a character who would break the mold of what one typically saw in BL works.
Awards and Accolades
Fanbook
Shortly after the conclusion of the comic, Kori Michele (creator of the webcomic Prince of Cats) announced that E.K. Weaver has given permission for a fanbook volume of art that would pay tribute to the characters many people had come to love. The book, which eventually came to be called "The Tribute Album" to reflect the importance of music in the story, garnered input from 61 artists. Printing of the volume was funded through pre-orders and was later released as a PDF.
Fandom
Because the story was always meant to be a long-form work intended for print, EK Weaver did not want to clutter up each individual page with comments. However, fans shared art and opinions widely on Tumblr.
Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fanart
- Just Listen, Archived version by justira
- Hitching a Ride, Archived version by Tyrograph, a fancomic that is a crossover with the webcomic Long Exposure
Fanfic
- I Build It Up, Archived version by thefourthvine, a post-canon fic about TJ & Amal's relationship.
Links and Resources
- TJ and Amal, Archived version official website
- Iron Circus comics profile, Archived version for the comic
- TJ and Amal TvTropes page, Archived version
- TJ and Amal profile, Archived version at the Queer Comics Database
- TJ and Amal Club, Archived version on Deviantart
- TJ and Amal, Archived version tag on AO3