Amanda Frazier will probably be our last Artomatic interview since the show closes tomorrow. She's a librarian who's lately been painting pieces taken from a single panel of an older comic book.
What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
I wouldn’t have thought of myself as someone doing comic work until receiving this, but perhaps because I think that has a lot to do with feeling like comic artists are more likely the actual creators of content, whereas I’m sorta more reproducing, sometimes throwing in my own spin and drawing attention to it?
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
Acrylic on canvas, but I don’t do the Ben-Day dots like Lichtenstein so everything is solid.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I’m going to play coy on the when but the where is Fairfax, VA.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
Not in Washington, though I often wish I was, but I live in Northern Virginia.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
None. I’ve been making art of some sort since I could grasp a crayon. In my 8th grade art class I was making quirky things to entertain my friends, or myself but I could tell that it wasn’t considered “real” or “serious” art so I abandoned it.
Who are your influences?
Obviously pop artists like Lichtenstein and Warhol influence me. Growing up I was drawn to their bold, flat colors and I enjoyed the attention they brought to everyday things. For my teen years-early 20’s, I worked in collage and spent hours cutting up old magazines, advertisements, comics, and photographs; delighting in placing them in out of context and sometimes inappropriate situations. I felt like I was creating art, but also playing. Eventually I switched over to mainly painting, but never lost my appreciation for comic book artwork.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
Well, I don’t have a career related to art so perhaps I would go back and tell my teen self not to give up, that there is plenty of room in the art world for the stuff I create. Maybe find a way to blend my current job (librarian) with something creative.
What work are you best-known for?
I don’t know about “known,” but most pieces are related to pop culture.
What work are you most proud of?
Anything that I can create that also speaks to someone else.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I’ve always wanted to incorporate music. Or a background loop of farting noises.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
Originally I got back into art to distract me from the writer’s block I was suffering from with my creative writing.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
I’m curious to see how the increased use of 3D printing will shape and be shaped by the art world.
What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
I’ve attended SPX a few times and last year Awesome Con. They’re fun and most excellent for people watching.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
There is an endless supply of new and exciting things to do or see.
Least favorite?
Traffic.
What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?
I love the Renwick, Portrait Gallery, and Hirshhorn.
How about a favorite local restaurant?
Not in DC but out in the hinterland I’ve been having a long-term love affair with Kumo Sushi in Herndon.
Do you have a website or blog?
I used to have one, but because I’d go through periods of inactivity, updating it seemed like a chore. Then I went to Meet the Artist night last weekend and felt neglectful for not having any web presence so I went home and put stuff up on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbyoldskoolgeek/
My etsy shop is http://www.etsy.com/shop/oldskoolgeek/
