by Mike Rhode
What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
Mostly autobiographical comics–I like to find thoughtful stories in the mundane moments of life.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
Mainly pen and ink– I’ll typically sketch everything with a blue pencil, ink directly over that, and then get rid of the blue lines in photoshop once everything is scanned in. Occasionally I’ll add some digital flat colors/shading, or paint my comics with watercolors. In general I’m more comfortable with drawing traditionally, I still find it immensely satisfying (and more portable when
I’m on the go)
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
Early ‘90s– I was born in Boston but grew up in Wisconsin.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I came to Washington to get my master’s in Art History at GWU. By graduation I had established a great support network of friends and have been sticking around ever since. I also appreciate that it’s easy to visit SPX living here, and I’ve been really grateful that I’ve been able to make comics friends in the area (participating in the Storybox Comics Fair this summer is a testament to those local connections)
How did you get into the Washington Post's Lily webcomics feature? How many strips did you do for them? How was your experience in working with a major newspaper?
A mutual friend put me in touch with one of the former art directors at the Lily back in late 2018. I pitched a few comic ideas and one of them got picked up (a comic discussing the then-new Netflix series Sex Education.) A few years later in 2021 I pitched again and got in. I would have loved to do more work for The Lily, but unfortunately it recently got discontinued as its own separate project. Comics features are going to be folded into other sections of the Washington Post-- maybe one day I'll manage to draw something for another offset of the newspaper.
My experience was good. At the time I was overjoyed to get paid to draw a comic for a newspaper. It was also a valuable learning experience as a self-published artist who was not used to having anyone else have a say in my artistic decisions. Drawing for a major publication meant I needed to adhere to certain style and color guidelines that I previously never considered. Having various editors pick apart my work was also a little daunting, but in the long run I learned a lot about how to prioritize readability and accessibility into the design of comics/graphics meant for a wide audience.
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I’d always been baffled by people who wanted kids. Then my friend got pregnant. in The Lily |
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
Honestly I’ve been drawing narrative art in some form ever since I was a little kid. I went to a liberal arts school and majored in art (with a focus in drawing and painting), but most of my early comics “training” was self-taught. The most specialized education I’ve probably had is that in the summer of 2015 I went to a week-long graphic novel workshop at CCS (the Center for Cartoon Studies)
Who are your influences?
I take inspiration from many places. I certainly have a lot of favorite cartoonists (Eleanor Davis, Jillian Tamaki, Kate Beaton… a lot of the artists I found online when I was a teenager were women cartoonists who are now rightfully well established). But I’m also influenced a lot by the books I read and the movies/TV shows I watch.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
I wish I had been more cognizant in my college years of how anxiety was inhibiting my ability to confidently pursue art as a career path. I knew I wanted to make comics but was timid and self-deprecating of both my work and my interests. I wish I could go back and assure myself of the validity of my creative goals! But really I try not to ruminate too hard on “what ifs–” I’ve learned there’s not a lot of utility in those thoughts.
What work are you best-known for?
Haha, I have no idea– online I’m probably most known for my series of diary comics that I call “Dailies.”
What work are you most proud of?
The work I’m most proud of is a comic I did in 2019 called “The Checkout Counter,” which meditates on workplace flirtation through the lens of art history.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
“The Checkout Counter” is the longest comic I’ve done to date and I’m eager to work on more long-form comics again. I have a ton of stories I want to illustrate about working in a public museum in my early twenties, and I’m currently researching my late Greek grandmother’s life in the hopes that that may turn into some kind of comic one day about interconnected family histories.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
Take a walk, rest, socialize– pretty much anything other than write or draw. If I’m in a rut it usually means my creative meter is running empty in some capacity and I need to fill it up by experiencing something new or revitalizing.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
I love meeting fellow cartoonists, but a common refrain when we discuss the field is that there is no sustainable way to make comics as a career (unless you get really lucky or have some means of financial support, whether that’s from family or a partner or whatever). I would love to see publishers actually support creators in a way that ensures artists don’t break themselves trying to meet deadlines while finding outside gigs to supplement their income. I don’t know if that’s an attainable goal for the near future. But it would be great to see any kind of improvement happen in that way.
What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?
Most recently I attended Storybox Comics Fair, and in the past I’ve tabled at DC Zinefest and DC Art Book Fair (which unfortunately hasn’t been offered since 2019). I’ve enjoyed tabling them all! It’s nice to participate at local fairs because you meet local creators who you can catch up with year after year. You also immediately have something in common with the people who visit your table because you all live in the same area.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
The fact that I can get around without a car– the metro has its issues but compared to other places I’ve been it’s pretty convenient, and DC is a small enough city that a lot of places are walkable. I also love that I can casually pop into exhibits at the mall without the pressure to stay for a certain amount of time to “get my money’s worth” since the museums are free.
Least favorite?
The traffic, getting crushed during rush hour on the metro, the horrible humidity in the summer.
What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?
Depends on what they’re interested in! I’ve had good luck taking both friends and family to the Hirshhorn.
Do you have a website or blog?
Yes– my website is athenanaylor.com, and you can find more work on instagram @athena.naylor
How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected you, personally and professionally? (Pre-covid, Naylor wrote about the arts for The DC Line, including two stories on cartooning.)
Honestly I’ve been drawing narrative art in some form ever since I was a little kid. I went to a liberal arts school and majored in art (with a focus in drawing and painting), but most of my early comics “training” was self-taught. The most specialized education I’ve probably had is that in the summer of 2015 I went to a week-long graphic novel workshop at CCS (the Center for Cartoon Studies)
Who are your influences?I take inspiration from many places. I certainly have a lot of favorite cartoonists (Eleanor Davis, Jillian Tamaki, Kate Beaton… a lot of the artists I found online when I was a teenager were women cartoonists who are now rightfully well established). But I’m also influenced a lot by the books I read and the movies/TV shows I watch.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
I wish I had been more cognizant in my college years of how anxiety was inhibiting my ability to confidently pursue art as a career path. I knew I wanted to make comics but was timid and self-deprecating of both my work and my interests. I wish I could go back and assure myself of the validity of my creative goals! But really I try not to ruminate too hard on “what ifs–” I’ve learned there’s not a lot of utility in those thoughts.
What work are you best-known for?
Haha, I have no idea– online I’m probably most known for my series of diary comics that I call “Dailies.”
What work are you most proud of?
The work I’m most proud of is a comic I did in 2019 called “The Checkout Counter,” which meditates on workplace flirtation through the lens of art history.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
“The Checkout Counter” is the longest comic I’ve done to date and I’m eager to work on more long-form comics again. I have a ton of stories I want to illustrate about working in a public museum in my early twenties, and I’m currently researching my late Greek grandmother’s life in the hopes that that may turn into some kind of comic one day about interconnected family histories.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
Take a walk, rest, socialize– pretty much anything other than write or draw. If I’m in a rut it usually means my creative meter is running empty in some capacity and I need to fill it up by experiencing something new or revitalizing.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
I love meeting fellow cartoonists, but a common refrain when we discuss the field is that there is no sustainable way to make comics as a career (unless you get really lucky or have some means of financial support, whether that’s from family or a partner or whatever). I would love to see publishers actually support creators in a way that ensures artists don’t break themselves trying to meet deadlines while finding outside gigs to supplement their income. I don’t know if that’s an attainable goal for the near future. But it would be great to see any kind of improvement happen in that way.
What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?
Most recently I attended Storybox Comics Fair, and in the past I’ve tabled at DC Zinefest and DC Art Book Fair (which unfortunately hasn’t been offered since 2019). I’ve enjoyed tabling them all! It’s nice to participate at local fairs because you meet local creators who you can catch up with year after year. You also immediately have something in common with the people who visit your table because you all live in the same area.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
The fact that I can get around without a car– the metro has its issues but compared to other places I’ve been it’s pretty convenient, and DC is a small enough city that a lot of places are walkable. I also love that I can casually pop into exhibits at the mall without the pressure to stay for a certain amount of time to “get my money’s worth” since the museums are free.
Least favorite?
The traffic, getting crushed during rush hour on the metro, the horrible humidity in the summer.
What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?
Depends on what they’re interested in! I’ve had good luck taking both friends and family to the Hirshhorn.
Do you have a website or blog?
Yes– my website is athenanaylor.com, and you can find more work on instagram @athena.naylor
How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected you, personally and professionally? (Pre-covid, Naylor wrote about the arts for The DC Line, including two stories on cartooning.)
Honestly it’s been hard to regain the pre-pandemic momentum I had before quarantine. At the end of 2019 I had just made “The Checkout Counter” and felt prepared to continue pursuing longer work, but then the pandemic hit and priorities shifted. It definitely affected how I navigate life both personally and professionally, but in ways that are difficult to articulate. It’s also hard to say because I entered my 30’s in 2021, so I don’t know which changes in attitude and lifestyle may be caused by the pandemic and which are just a product of growing older. Things are just different, as they should be after something like a global pandemic!
