StoryBox Comics Fair, organized by Adam Griffiths, was held recently in a brewery in Silver Spring, MD. Along with some stalwarts of the DC Conspiracy, I met some local cartoonists new to me. Lee Strawberry (aka Ashley Sowell) attended in a eye-catching pink booth, and agreed to answer our usual questions.
What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
I make slice of life comics about mental health, emotions, and bubble tea!
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I use Procreate, an ipad app. I highly recommend it!
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I was born in the late 90s!
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I grew up in Alexandria, and moved closer to Dulles airport.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I have a BFA in art and visual technology, with a new media focus.
Who are your influences?
I’m not sure, I watched a lot of Cartoon Network growing up, but my current style doesn’t reflect that as much as it used to.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
I would try and archive my comics properly, right now they just live on my iPad and the only reason I know the date I made them is from when I posted them on Instagram. If I ever expand to host my comics on its own site, it’ll be a bit of a headache to get all my old comics on there!
What work are you best-known for?
I make a lot of animations and mashups, and those get pretty popular. I like to mix different songs together to change the meaning of them, I think it’s silly!
What work are you most proud of?
I made a tutorial on how to draw black people, I made it to encourage inclusivity within the online art space. It inspired a lot of beginner artists to expand and try new things by including black features within their artwork!
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I want to make more physical comics, right now my stuff is mainly on Instagram, I just want to branch out and have my work be more tangible.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I do something completely different. Right now I’m in a bit of a rut, so I decided to start a full color animation project.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
There’s so much potential for comics, I’m not sure where it’d go at the moment..jpg)
What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?
This year I went to:
Eaglecon Jr. - Fredericksburg, VA - September 16, 2023
Fairfax Comic Con - Chantilly, VA - August 26-27 2023
Storybox Comics Fair - Silver Spring, MD - August 12 2023
Cosplay World - Richmond VA - August 5-6 2023
Otakon - Washington, DC - July 28-30 2023
Awesome Con - Washington, DC - June 16-18 2023
Tidewater Comic Con - Virginia Beach, VA - May 20-21 2023
Garden Gnome Zine Fair - Lynchburg, VA - April 22 2023
Big Lick Comic Con NOVA: Chantilly, VA - April 15-16, 2023
Capital Art Book Fair: Eastern Market North Hall - April 1-2 2023 
I’m not sure where to start with the cons I’ve been to, each one is a brand new experience! I recently started making comics about my convention adventures, that I hope to make into a comic book in the future.
What comic books do you read regularly or recommend? Do you have a local store?
I really like collecting zines, I go as an attendee or tabler to events like Small Press Expo, Richmond Zine Fest, etc. to collect more zines. The most recent zine I’ve really liked is called Kid Internet by Shannon Spence. It’s a really colorful zine, and has some nostalgic aspects to it as well!
What's your favorite thing about DC?
The metro system is amazing, It’s always on time and the app is super useful.
Least favorite?
The traffic is hell. I’d rather take the metro into DC!
What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?
The Natural History museum is fun! I haven’t been in a while but it’s so cool, I’ll have to go again soon.
How about a favorite local restaurant?
Jinya! It’s a ramen bar in the DMV area that has a reeeally good non alcoholic strawberry lychee drink that I love so much!
Do you have a website or blog?
Yes!
https://Leestrawberry.com
How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected you, personally and professionally?
I think it gave me more time to sit inside and focus on making art.
I don’t go out with friends as often as I used to, but my friend circle has also changed so it could be that as well.
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