Did I ever tell you guys the story of this drawing when I was selling it at a convention as a print? No? Well strap in because it’s a great one.

This was my first time selling artwork at a convention and I was very excited to showcase my work. I admit, I always felt a little nervous when people would flip through and come upon this illustration. More often than not a fuckboy would say “oh yeah. Right. They made THAT a thing. Ugh.”

It was frustrating but I brushed it away.

On the final morning of con an adorable family all in homemade Overwatch costumes came up to my table. It was a mother and father with two young children and a baby. They looked though my work and then flipped to this image. I nervously looked away but immediately turned back when I heard the conversation that followed.

Mother (to her son *probably age 9*): “oh look! It’s Tracer and Emily!”

Son: “oh yeah…. she’s Tracer’s best friend right?”

Mom: “No sweetheart, that’s her girlfriend.”

Son: “you mean… best friend right?”

Mom: *a bit more annoyed* “no honey, that’s her girlfriend. They are dating. Tracer likes girls.”

Son: “But…. she’s Tracer!”

Mom: “Yeah that is Tracer, and Tracer likes to date girls. It doesn’t take away from who she is as a superhero.”

Son: “oh. Ok! Can we buy one?”

Like… that was such a heartwarming interaction I got to witness. My art was used as a genuine teaching moment between mother and son. Representation matters not only to those represented, but also as a teaching moment for those who might not understand.