Dusty Higgins
Fantasy
Dusty Higgins is an award-winning cartoonist and illustrator who began his career working in newspapers as an editorial cartoonist, illustrator, and graphic designer. He’s worked in branding and marketing, as a professor of digital media, and as an animator/director (Star Forest). He fell in love with storytelling at an early age, drawing comics in elementary school, later writing and drawing three different comic strips four days a week for his college newspaper.
Higgins’ debut graphic novel, Pinocchio Vampire Slayer, was a 2010 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens from the Young Adult Library Association. Higgins has a Masters of Fine Arts in Animation from Savannah College of Art and Design, although that’s not nearly as impressive as his homemade pizza, cultivated from years of practice. When he’s not creating or cooking, he enjoys spending time with his wife, two children, two dogs, and a Venus fly trap named Vinny.
What do you love to do for fun?
I grew up waterskiing on the lake with my dad, who did so with his dad, and I happily take my children to the lake to sling them across the water as I continue that tradition.
What cool travel spots would you most highly recommend?
The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Hong Kong is a treasure I’m happy to have been able to visit. The stairway up the mountain to it is lined with a hundreds of uniquely posed golden Buddha statues, and it was an inspiring place to visit.
Available for School Visits:
I enjoy talking with kids and giving them a behind the curtain reveal of what professional artists do, talking about ideation and explaining how artists start with sketches to create a blueprint, and what that work goes through next. Basically explaining to them why that how to draw books starts with circles and squares to make a bear, and how even people like me still do that. I like to bring in examples of work that I’ve done to show how things get made and what they look like in early examples versus and then show them what the final product that they see actually looks like. I’ve done this both with graphic novels as well as animation. I like to end the presentations with a group exercise, usually letting the students help me ideate a character or a short four panel comic, depending on how much time we have.
Visit Dusty at:
Website: https://dustyhiggins.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dusty_higgins
Bluesky: @dustyhiggins.bsky.social
Creative Process:
I once had an older, and wiser, colleague who taught painting describe to me how they would teach students the process of painting using a projected image over time. They began by projecting the image completely out of focus, so that the students would only see blurry shapes. The initial paintings would be abstract forms. But every so often, this professor would tweak the focus, slowly bringing the image into a sharp perspective. Each time, the abstract forms would be rendered to a finer degree, before the students finished their painting. My approach to each project I work on is much the same. I work in digital media, traditional mediums, in motion and static, and even in writing. The method works for all of those mediums, and can even inform a different approach to the medium. Begin simple and broad, then I analyze, refine, and repeat until it’s done.
Awards and honors:
2010 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Young Adult Library Services Association
2015 Junior Library Guild Selection, Junior Library Guild
2017 Junior Library Guild Selection, Junior Library Guild
Specialties:
Action-adventure, Animals, Black & white, Board books, Book Covers, Branding, Character design, Coloring, Concept art, Editorial, Fantasy, Graphic novel interior art, Humor, Illustration, Indie comics, Inking, Lettering, Middle Grade, Mystery, Non-fiction, Penciling, Picture books, Sci-fi, Slice-of-life, Spot art, Storyboarding, Typography, Writing, Young Adult
Who or what inspires you the most?
Nature. One of my go-to things to do when I’m feeling uninspired is to grab some gouache and my art travel bag, and find a nice spot for some plein air painting.
Published books:
Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer (SLG Publishing, 2009)
Pinocchio Vampire Slayer and the Great Puppet Theater (SLG Publishing, 2010)
Knights of the Living Dead (SLG Publishing 2011)
Turok, Son of Stone Volume 1: Aztlan (Dark Horse 2011)
Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer Volume 3: Of Wood and Blood part 1 (SLG Publishing, 2012)
Pinocchio Vampire Slayer of Wood and Blood part 2 (SLG Publishing, 2012)
Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer: Complete Edition (Top Shelf Publishing, 2014)
Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape: Attack of the Alien Horde (Simon and Schuster, 2015)
Valkyrie Beer Delivery (Stela Publishing, 2017)
Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape: Rise of the Robot Army (Simon & Schuster, 2017)
Forthcoming books:
Location:
Bryant, AR
Mediums:
digital, ink, watercolor, gouache
Published Books
The Walsh Brothers
Fantasy
The Walsh Brothers (Jim and John) are twins born in Cleveland and raised in the Sunshine State. They are nationally recognized child advocates and authors of The Ballad of Ronan, an urban fantasy comic published by Action Lab in 2020, and as a webcomic (The Stolen Child) in 2025. They are the creators of the Foster Children’s Project, a children’s law office in Palm Beach County, Florida that has been recognized by Congress with the Angels in Adoption award during the Obama administration; studied by the University of Chicago; named the best children’s office in the nation; and cited by the Federal Government when they decided to fund attorneys for children nationwide for the first time. They are founders of True North Child Advocates and co-hosts of the Children’s Law Podcast. Find out more about them at walshbrothersstudio.com.
What was your favorite book as a child?
The Lord of the Rings. One of the first books we read beyond comics. It’s the Beatles of fantasy fiction.
Who cool travel spots would you most highly recommend?
Ireland. It’s a quieter experience maybe than some places that would definitely be grander, like Paris or London. Dublin is a cool city but there are several places in Ireland where you can fly a falcon. It’s really not as expensive as it sounds and it is a once in a lifetime experience to have a falcon fly full speed towards you and land on your wrist. Few things can put you in touch with nature like that experience. Also, Ireland has the biggest scones you will ever find.
Creative Process:
We usually work in coffee shops. We talk out ideas and outline the plot. We usually go solo when we dialogue scenes and get back together and review what the other twin wrote.
Awards and honors:
Available for School Visits:
Location:
Delray Beach, FL
Specialties:
Published books:
The Stolen Child (Webtoon, 2025)
Forthcoming books:
Visit The Walsh Brothers at:
walshbrotherstudio.com
Instagram: the_walsh_brothers
Published Books
Royden Lepp
Fantasy
Royden Lepp is a Canadian/American author and illustrator best known for his acclaimed graphic novel series Rust, which was optioned by 20th Century Fox. He is also the creator of the middle grade series Jurassic Jeff from Random House Graphic. With a professional background spanning video-game art direction, picture books, storyboarding, and concept art, Lepp’s work combines cinematic storytelling with a warm, character-driven visual style that has earned him Junior Librarian Guild Selections, Canadian Council of the Art grants, and a dedicated readership across age groups.
Royden lives in the Pacific Northwest of the US, where he continues to create new stories across books and visual media. Outside of his illustration and writing work, he enjoys photography and drone videography.
What was your favorite book as a child?
All of the Dr Seuss books were so wild and delightful when I was young. There were a few X-Men and Spiderman series that had a pretty big impact on my taste in sequential stories.
Who or what inspires you the most?
Music moves me the most. I create playlists for my projects that get me into the mindset, draw out the emotions I need to connect with the characters and ensure I strike the right tone. Sometimes it’s just one song that defines a whole book for me.
Mediums:
My primary medium is Digital.
Specialties:
Action-adventure, Animals, Board books, Book Covers, Character design, Concept art, Editorial, Fantasy, Graphic novel interior art, Humor, Illustration, Indie comics, Manga, Middle Grade, Mystery, Non-fiction, Penciling, Picture books, Sci-fi, Slice-of-life, Spot art, Storyboarding, Writing, Young Adult
Location:
Bothell, WA
Creative Process:
I have a lot of different approaches depending on the type of project, whether it’s writing or illustrating, but I always like to have something visual to go with my work. I like to work very loose and rough before finalizing. I like to create a clear and defined vision for a project so anyone involved can see where it’s going. I like creating something new and fresh but all of my work is inspired by my experiences in life. I work digitally almost exclusively for the sake of speed and efficiency.
Awards and honors:
Junior Librarians Guild Selections for each Jurassic Jeff Volume
Available for School Visits:
If Royden is scheduled to visit your school, you can expect him to address any grade from K-6 for 35-45 minutes talking about visual literacy, art as a career, visual storytelling, and the power of drawing. He will do live drawing on a tablet connected to a screen and engage in an interactive lesson on the key elements of storytelling. Facility and audio/visual requirements are a large TV or projector with an hdmi or usb-c port, and a microphone depending on audience size. Audience cap of 20 kids with one other adult present for crowd control, larger assemblies permitted with larger support. High school level portfolio reviews are also an option.
Published books:
David, Volume 1: Shepherd’s Song (Alias, 2006)
Barnabas Goes Swimming (Harper Collins, 2008)
Barnabas Helps a Friend (Harper Collins, 2008)
God Loves You, Barnabas (Harper Collins, 2008)
Happy Birthday, Barnabas (Harper Collins, 2008)
How to Draw Big Bad Bible Guys (Harper Collins, 2009)
How to Draw Big Bad Bible Beasts (Harper Collins, 2009)
Rust Vol. 1: Visitor in the Field (BOOM! Studios / Archaia, 2011)
Rust Vol. 2: Secrets of the Cell (BOOM! Studios / Archaia, 2012)
Rust Vol. 3: Death of the Rocket Boy (BOOM! Studios / Archaia, 2014)
Rust: The Boy Soldier (prequel) (Archaia, 2016)
Rust Vol. 4: Soul in the Machine (BOOM! Studios / Archaia, 2018)
Jurassic Jeff: Space Invader (Jurassic Jeff Book 1) (Random House Graphic, 2023)
Jurassic Jeff: Race to Warp Speed (Jurassic Jeff Book 2) (Random House Graphic, 2024)
Forthcoming books:
Jurassic Jeff: Phone Home (Jurassic Jeff Book 3) (Random House Graphic, 2026)
The Cedars (Random House Graphic, Fall 2027)
Visit Royden at:
Published Books
Sarah Cathcart Anderson
Fantasy
Sarah Cathcart Anderson is an artist, writer and creative director living in the Pacific Northwest. She has spent many years collaborating with big and small brands, ad agencies and non-profits. Sarah is a graduate of Stanford University, with a theater major, and an alum and former instructor in the Art Center College of Design’s Advertising program. As an illustrator she works both digitally and in ink, pencil and watercolor, creating work that explores the magic and absurdity of the everyday world. When she’s not telling stories and making art, Sarah spends her time detangling her son’s wildly long hair, hanging with her dogs, and eating amazing food cooked by her husband, Food Network personality and Today Show regular Mark Anderson of The Grill Dads. Her family is thrilled she does so little cooking herself.
What was your favorite book as a child?
I loved so many! One of them was definitely Alexander and the Magic Mouse. The illustrations and characters were so vivid for me, and I loved the idea of being trapped in a rambling house reading sea stories and drinking tea with talking animals while a storm raged outside for 30 days and 30 nights. I still do.
Who or what inspires you the most?
My kiddo. He’s brilliant and wild and completely unique. He inspires me every day.
Mediums:
watercolor, ink, pencil, digital
Specialties:
Creative Process:
For me, everything starts with some kind of narrative spark: sometimes it begins with an image, sometimes with words, sometimes with an emotion or experience I’m trying to articulate. Then I grab whatever is nearest—scraps of paper, my notes app, an actual sketchbook (if I’m lucky)—and start scribbling. If I’m starting with words, my next step is to get to my computer and expand on the thought, trying to find the form in the narrative. If I’m starting with a visual, I draw some rough sketches on paper or on my tablet and get to know the new idea a bit. Either way, my next move is to really nail down the manuscript and then draw a loose storyboard so I can see how the story moves and breathes. Then I’ll play around with character design and choose a key moment to explore visually in more depth. I try obvious stuff, weird stuff, go down tangents, and then get to work drawing a more refined version on paper. I usually rough in with a light pencil, then come back with watercolor, then colored pencil, and then scan it into my tablet and noodle around with it in Procreate. At that point I’ll probably bounce back and forth between paper and tablet. Whether I’m writing or illustrating, a really important part of my creative process is to stop at different points and step away—when I come back with fresh eyes, I always find I bring something new to the work.
Location:
Boise, ID
Published books:
Forthcoming books:
Awards and honors:
Available for School Visits:
Visit Sarah at:
Rajiv Eipe
Fantasy
Rajiv Eipe makes picture books, comics, and short animation films. He collaborates frequently with the writer C. G. Salamander, and some of the series they’ve worked on together are the Maithili and the Minotaur graphic novels, the Lost Creatures Picture Books, and the Nisha Small middle grade novels. In 2020, he was awarded the Parag Big Little Book Award for illustration for his contribution to children’s literature in India. He lives in Bangalore, India, with his family consisting of two cats, one dog, and one (other) human. He likes to doodle in his sketchbook, drink more coffee than he should, maintain an untidy workspace, and gaze into vacant space at regular intervals.
What was your favorite book as a child?
Mr. Clumsy by Roger Hargreaves. And a bunch of comics—Funny World, Detective Moochwala, and Gardhab Das, in a children’s magazine called Target, published in India in the 80s and 90s. I wasn’t a very good reader as a child, and images were a way into books for me. Looking back, it’s pretty incredible that a green blob with a yellow circle for a nose and a few strands of hair sprouting out of the top of his head and from under his nose can so vividly represent a character that you feel for and laugh along with.
What do you love to do for fun?
I love the outdoors and live in a city with a temperate climate and lots of great short hikes. I’m also an amateur birder, and will find time a couple of days a week to grab a pair of binocs and walk around a park or city forest near home (while silently muttering curses at people who wear bright colours and talk loudly inside a forest).
Awards and honors:
The Big Little Book Award for Illustration 2020 by the Parag Initiative of Tata Trusts for contribution to Children’s Literature in India
Binod Kanoria Early Readers Award 2024 for Hello Sun
Mehlli Gobhai Award for Illustration 2022 for Chitty: A Dog and her Forest Farm
Atta Galatta Bangalore Literature Festival Picture Book Illustration Award 2022 for Dugga
Binod Kanoria Illustration Award 2022 for Dugga
The Hindu Young World Good Books Award for Illustration 2019 for Ammachi’s Amazing Machines
Creative Process:
Making rough drawings in sketchbooks or on loose sheets of paper is a way of thinking for me—my small brain can hold only so much. So every project or idea generally starts like this, with sketchy pencil drawings, whether I’m collaborating with a writer and responding to a manuscript, or working alone. I love the character design process and spend lots of time doodling many variations of a design till I find what feels like a good fit. I find it somewhat difficult and constricting to draw directly on a computer, so it’s usually pencil on (cheap) paper, but i often add colours digitally, especially on projects with short timelines. I’ve noticed that as images move towards completion, they lose some of the energy of initial sketches, so i’ve been making an effort to retain some of the freeness and looseness of rough drawings. I’m generally ‘drawn’ to silliness in stories and characters, and try and find inspiration for drawings from the sights and sounds of my immediate surroundings.
Location:
Bangalore, India
Mediums:
Pencil, Inks, crayons, colour pencils, mixed media, digital
Specialties:
Published books:
Dugga (Pratham Books, 2021)
Maithili and the Minotaur: Web of Woe (Puffin India, 2021)
Nisha Small: The Knot of Gold (Duckbill PRH 2022)
Maithili and the Minotaur: Forest of Forgotten Fears (Puffin India, 2022)
Hello Sun (Pratham Books, 2022)
How to Reach Mars and Other (Im)Possible Things (Puffin India, 2023)
When Fairyland Lost Its Magic (Harper Collins Children India, 2023)
Ajay of Agumbe and the Signal Snake (Pratham Books, 2024)
Nisha Small: The Strand of Silver (Duckbill PRH 2024)
Maithili and the Minotaur: Dolls of Despair (Puffin India, 2024)
The Pangolin Protectors (Pratham Books, 2025)
Song of the Asunam (Harper Collins Children India, 2025)
Forthcoming books:
Prabir’s New Flute (Duckbill PRH 2025)
Maithili and the Minotaur: Isle of Insanity (Puffin India, 2026)
Aalais like the Hills (Harper Collins Children India, 2026)
Available for School Visits:
No
Visit Rajiv at:
Published Books
C. G. Salamander
Fantasy
C. G. Salamander is a writer and graphic novelist who splits his time between Chennai, India and Groot-Ammers, The Netherlands. Working alongside co-creator Rajiv Eipe, he’s one half of the Maithili and the Minotaur series, the Lost Creatures Picture Book series, and the Nisha Small middle-grade novels. In addition to writing, he spends his time taking long walks in the Dutch countryside, gardening, or tinkering with recipes that don’t need tinkering. He also likes to cycle, travel the world, and was once bitten by a sea-turtle.
What was your favorite book as a child?
Tin Tin! Comics were hard to find in India in the 90s, but when I got my hands on my first Tin Tin, something clicked. I can still picture that Lama spitting on Captain Haddock, as well as hear his alliterating curses. Everything from the thin pencils, the pastel colors, the pages packed with panels, and the comic relief. It was masterful. I didn’t know it at the time, but it’d introduced me to my favourite literary format.
What cool travel spots would you most highly recommend?
I have a list! Vilnius in Lithuania is a woefully underrated city. There’s this secret beach called Vruja that I stumbled across in the Dalmatian coast (Croatia) – the water is VERY cold but hands down the prettiest coast I’ve visited. The Armenian church in Chennai because it’s an oasis of calm surrounded by chaos (I once worked as a tour guide and this is where I would take overstimulated tourists). Kampung Baru in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia – to see defiant (village) houses surrounded by skyscrapers (make sure you have the Nasi Lemak at Wanjo). The Molenlanden (translates to windmill land) it’s where I call home and it’s beautiful. The Gothenburg peninsular in Sweden, the South Island in New Zealand, Pittsburgh! I’m plagued by the thought of how short life is, in terms of the number of places I won’t get to see.
Available for School Visits:
In my presentations, I teach students how to convincingly build large fantastical worlds — drawing from myth, folktales and urban lore that’s indigenous to their geographies.
Creative Process:
I’m constantly bombarded with ideas, so it’s important not to note them down, no matter how interesting they may seem. I just let them slosh around in my mind, and if they’re truly memorable, I’ll start obsessing over them. What follows is a fair amount of research, and once that’s done, the characters, arc, plot, and title usually reveal themselves. Then it’s off to getting the first draft out, either in my notebook or on my computer. If I’m visited by a colossal thought—one with multiple arcs and a fair amount of world-building—I take my time and break it down to make it manageable. With our graphic novel series Maithili and the Minotaur (co-created with Rajiv Eipe), we split one big idea into three manageable arcs across seven books. When it comes to world-building, I’m always tempted to create a One Piece (Eiichiro Oda) sized world. But I find it more manageable to take a Discworld (Terry Pratchett) esque approach, where one big world serves as the backdrop for many stories. Makaras to Manticores: Around India in 100 Mythical Creatures (Hachette, 2023) catalogues mythical beings; The Lost Creatures picture book series (HarperCollins, 2025) gives each catalogued creature its own book; and finally, Maithili and the Minotaur (PRH, 2021–present) uses these creatures as part of the world-building. Ultimately, it all boils down to obsession. I can’t write if I’m not consumed by an idea. which is why, with commissions, the first thing I do is induce obsession through a lot of research.
Specialties:
Location:
Groot-Ammers, South Holland, Netherlands
Published books:
Maithili and the Minotaur: Web of Woe (Penguin, 2021)
Maithili and the Minotaur: Forest of Forgotten Fears (Penguin, 2022)
Nisha Small: The Knot of Gold (Duckbill Books PRH, 2022)
From Makaras to Manticores: Around India in 100 Beasts (Hachette, 2023)
Nisha Small: The Strand of Silver (Duckbill Books PRH, 2024)
Maithili and the Minotaur: Dolls of Despair (Penguin, 2024)
Tara’s Elephant 2nd Editon (Scholastic, 2025)
Song of the Asunam (Harper Collins, 2025)
Tiny Tale: Frank Goes to the Market 2nd Edition (Scholastic, 2025)
Tiny Tale: Amal Rides the Rails (Scholastic, 2025)
Astray in the Sundarbans (Room to Read, 2025)
Forthcoming books:
Maithili and the Minotaur: Isle of Insanity (Penguin, 2026)
Tiny Tale: Ajay’s Surprise (Scholastic, 2026)
Aalais Like the Hills (Harper Collins, 2026)
Awards and honors:
Bangalore Literature Prize (Children’s Fiction) – 2022
Parag Honour List – 2024
Visit C. G. at:
Published Books
Jade Vaughan
Fantasy
Howdy, I’m Jade! I’m a comic bookworm currently based in Virginia. You can often find me lost in a library or forest somewhere. For the past few years I have worked multiple part time jobs (the hustle is real y’all) and as the creative director for Kids Comics Unite, a team passionate about fostering community and providing opportunities for kids-ya comic creators.
My fascination with storytelling is rooted from multicultural experiences I had growing up as a traveling military brat, a love for magical girls, and a deep appreciation for worlds you can sink yourself into to go on good ol’ fashion adventures. In my free time I enjoy baking, spilling tea with friends, and dreaming of one day owning a mango tree.
What is your favorite food?
Mangos! In fact, my content is rated M for Mangos. They’re amazing, 12/10.
What inspired you to make comics??
I didn’t think I could make comics for a long time, because I thought they were mostly stories of superheroes in the west or manga in the east. It wasn’t until I found Jen Wang’s Prince and the Dressmaker misplaced on a shelf at a Barnes & Noble, that I realized graphic novels were a thing in the U.S and GASP what — exploring topics like crossdressing in a positive way??
This was during a time when I was figuring out my own queerness, and it was genuinely life changing. It made me realize that creating these kinds of comics was something I absolutely could do!
Mediums:
I primarily use digital, however I have experience with watercolor, ink, and graphite. I would love to use analog tools for early reader comics, picture books, or illustration assignments.
Creative Process:
I usually approach characters first, followed by their world, and what medium (story length & type of art tool) best suits it. I try to grasp a very specific scene in my mind, and everything goes towards getting to that scene! How I get there is part of the fun.
As for coming up with ideas and getting inspired – I like to go on walks, research locations, or sit at a park or forest. They all add to the creative soup. I also like to stick large pieces of paper on the wall and write/tape stuff on it. It’s good to have a tangible vision board to go back to.
Location:
Virginia, US
Awards and honors:
Visit Jade at:
Published books:
Forthcoming books:
Specialties:
Action-adventure, Black & white, Book Covers, Branding, Character design, Coloring, Concept art, Fantasy, Graphic novel interior art, Humor, Illustration, Indie comics, Inking, Lettering, Manga, Middle Grade, Non-fiction, Penciling, Picture books, Slice-of-life, Spot art, Storyboarding, Young Adult
Available for School Visits:
I have not yet presented at a library or school but would love to! I’d happily give presentations on how to make four panel comics, my process making a book or zine, or even give an entire monologue on an ode to the mango while wearing a mango costume.
Coco Ouwerkerk
Fantasy
Coco Ouwerkerk (1992, known online as Colourbee) is a comic artist/animator, born and raised in Arnhem (Netherlands). Studied two years at ArtEZ Comic Design and three years at HKU 2D animation and obtained her HBO diploma there.
She has published “Small Press” comic books since 2016, including: Colourbee in de Pocket, L.O.C.O, The Meeting, together with two friends the manga Oyasumi. In 2023 there was a successful kickstarter for a small press along with 4 others with 18+ comic shorts called Sticky Pages.
Her debut album, Acception #Losers, was released in December 2017 by Uitgeverij Syndikaat.
This album was nominated for “Youth Album of the Year” in 2018. Since January 2019, Acception has been published together with WEBTOON as a digital comic, which can be read for free in English, French, and Spanish on the WEBTOON app. With more than 900k followers, Acception is Coco’s greatest success yet. You can now read 6 seasons on WEBTOON and there will be more to come. In the Netherlands, Volume 1: #Losers, and Volume 2: #Friendship, are now available as Dutch comic albums. In 2025, volume 1 and 2 will also be released in the USA by Publisher WEBTOON UNCROLLED. Volume 3 and more will appear at a later date in both Dutch and English.
What do you love to do for fun?
Watching anime, reading comics, big fan of Nintendo games and playing TCG like Pokemon/Digimon/Yu-gi-oh.
Making Japanese snacks like onigiri and takoyaki.
Staying in and playing games with my boyfriend or going for a walk in the woods or city together.
Do something with friends. Drawing, watching movies, playing video games.
Who or what inspires you the most, and why?
Animals and nature inspire me a lot. A lot of fashion elements in Acception can be traced back to something animal or nature related. These things inspired my favorite shows like Pokemon, which uses animals as inspiration. Or Bluey, which uses every breed of dog. Or Myths, which uses reptiles to imagine dragons, etc. I love fantasy animals based on what we see around us. It makes you feel more one with nature if you see art inspired by it. It’s something we are all familiar with.
Awards and honors:
Nominated for youth comic of the year 2018 (Netherlands)
Location:
Mediums:
Creative Process:
Art Process for personal comic projects:
I make clear character designs. Colouring moodboard. Design the overall style. Write a finished story with clear genre for the target audience. With a somewhat open middle to be able to change stuff for the better if needed. But the beginning/middle/end is there. I thumbnail the pages. While making the pages I sometimes see better ways to illustrate the story and change small parts for better storytelling. I mostly work digital but for short comics I work with watercolor, copic markers, ink, pencils. When my comic is finished I print it and sell it on markets and online. I’ll make sure to promote my comic before it’s finished.
Art Process for assignments:
I first want to call or in real life meeting with my project partners/client to make a clear plan. I also would like to set up either an app or group discord to contact for quick questions if needed. If the assignment is only for a few illustration or a small project I’ll handle that with emails and calls. I will let the client know the steps I take and ask what steps they want to see from me. I always show sketches and ideas first. Then the finished black and white and lastly the colored version. Every round I want feedback if needed so that there is no confusion in the project. And we don’t have to do changes in the end.
Specialties:
Action-adventure, Advertising, Animals, Black & white, Board books, Book Covers, Branding, Character design, Coloring, Concept art, Drama, Fantasy, Graphic novel interior art, Humor, Illustration, Indie comics, Inking, Manga, Middle Grade, Moving storyboard, Non-fiction, Penciling, Picture books, Romance, Sci-fi, Slice-of-life, Storyboarding, Toy design, Writing, Young Adult
Visit Coco at:
Colourbee.co (still working on the website, nothing to see yet)
Instagram: Colourbee4 https://www.instagram.com/colourbee4/
WEBTOON creator profile: https://www.webtoons.com/p/community/en/u/colourbee
Forthcoming books:
Published books:
Acception Volume 1 & 2 (DUTCH) (Syndikaat, 2017)
Acception Volume 1: Losers (ENGLISH) (Webtoons Unscrolled, 2025)
Acception Volume 2: Friendship (ENGLISH) (Webtoons Unscrolled)
Available for School Visits:
I have visited highschools for presentations about how I got to becoming a Webtoon artist.
I visit my old art school once a year to teach a comic project for a week. And also do presentations on how to start a webcomic.
I have been asked to do some art-related workshops, from coloring for kids to making your own button to model art workshops. Or presentations about my work to comic-related events. Been on 2 different panels, one at Dutch Comic Con and one in Rotterdam Comic Con.
I’m not really open to do them much because I’m really busy with my Webtoon work so sometimes I have to say no. But once every few months is fine. I like to be around people so I try my best to make time.
Published Books
Briana Lawrence
Fantasy
Briana Lawrence has wanted to be a “WRITTER” since she was nine years old. Her fourth grade class laughed and wondered how one hoped to become a “writer” if they couldn’t even spell the word.
Years later (okay, like a decade and some change), Briana graduated from Iowa State University and moved to Minneapolis with her partner. Today, she is the Senior Features Editor at Crunchyroll where she works with an amazing team of writers to find ways to talk about how sports anime is good for your mental health (among other topics).
Briana has quite a few self-published works such as her Black, queer magical girl series magnifiqueNOIR. In 2024 she will be releasing two new books from two different publishers. In Search of Superpowers: A Fantasy Pin World Adventure (Andrew McMeel Publishing) is her very first middle grade series. The Essential Manga Guide (Running Press, 2024) is a collection of essays that talk about the importance of manga and how you can find any kind of story you want within manga.
Briana lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her wife and three butthead cats. Here she enjoys exploring Hyrule, waiting for more information on Hades 2, and rewatching SK8 the Infinity for the hundredth time.
What was your favorite book as a child?
I don’t remember the name of it, but I do remember that it was a choose your own adventure style Super Mario Bros. book where you’d get to a certain point in the story, have to make a decision, and turn to the page that correlated with the decision you made. Besides that book, I remember reading a LOT of Sweet Valley High and The Baby-Sitter’s Club.
What is your favorite food?
Baked macaroni and cheese
What do you love to do for fun?
Yell at my TV when a video game gets too hard, lol!
What cool travel spots would you most highly recommend?
Las Vegas for the food and for the random discoveries you can find, like the quirky Omega Mart or the botanical gardens at The Bellagio.
Who or what inspires you the most, and why?
My older brother died when I was 13. Ever since then I find myself wondering what he’d think of me now, so I try and live in a way that he’d be proud of — or at the very least call me a dork about, lol.
Location:
St Paul, MN
You also love anime and video games. Do you have any specific memories from those two mediums that have helped you as a writer?
I’ll pick a game one and an anime one for this. I remember watching someone play the very first Legend of Zelda game and being in awe because it really did feel like you were going on an epic quest. I remember watching them travel around, have to find clues and things like that, and it was really cool seeing what kind of stories video games could tell. With anime, I remember watching Sailor Moon and how much it impacted me, because it was the first time I remember seeing an entire group of girls be the heroes of the story. I’d seen teams with girls/women involved, like Power Rangers and X-Men, but Sailor Moon was the first time it was ALL girls. Like… I didn’t know that was an option!
Art Process:
Without fail, there is always at least one cat in the area when I’m writing. Whether I’m in my office or in the living room with my laptop I’m guaranteed to see at least one of our three cats in the area.
I generally write to music, but something about the early mornings makes it easier to write in silence. When I’m writing a story I outline the whole thing first, from beginning to end, along with character descriptions and key scenes so I have some kind of guide to look back at. Car rides with my wife are very necessary so I can talk about what I’m planning while eating either ice cream or chicken nuggets.
Awards and honors:
Nothing yet!
Mediums:
Specialties:
Action-adventure, Anime, Cosplay, Fan fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Indie comics, LGBTQ+, Manga, Middle Grade, Picture books, Pop culture conventions, Slice-of-life, Video games, Writing, Young Adult
Forthcoming books:
Published books:
In Search of Superpowers: A Fantasy Pin World Adventure (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2024)
The Essential Manga Guide: 50 Series Every Manga Fan Should Know (Running Press, 2024)
Gamer Girls: Retro Rhythms (Andrews McMeel, 2024)
In Search of the Pinmaker: A Fantasy Pin World Adventure (Andrews McMeel, 2025)
Visit Briana at:
www.brishouldbewriting.com/
www.twitter.com/BrichibiTweets
www.instagram.com/brichibi
www.bsky.app/profile/brichibisky.bsky.social
Available for School Visits:
Occasionally I’ve done panels/presentations at schools about diversity in writing, but these were at colleges. I’ve also done conventions and events that let me have a table to sell my work.
I would definitely be up for more school/library visits and events where I could talk about diversity in writing, or in the case of the manga book, the kinds of stories that are available in that medium.
Published Books
Olivia Li
Fantasy
Olivia Li is a cartoonist, multidisciplinary artist, and organizer based in Queens, NY. She’s particularly interested in telling coming-of-age and self-discovery stories of queer, POC protagonists, and portrayals of lived experiences of mental illness. Her comics dive into this focus through magic, myth, and the lives of urban ambiverts. She has edited two indie comics anthologies and has recently started dipping her toe into small press publishing under the banner of Lenticule Press.
What was your favorite book as a child?
As a small child I had a collection of Leo Lionni picture books that I read over and over. I love his soft yet bright imagery, his use of different collage and painting techniques for texture, and the fact that all those melancholy stories probably gave me depression haha. As a medium-sized child, it was all Tamora Pierce and other fantasy adventure stories, plus any kind of myth or fairy tale retelling I could find.
What is your favorite food?
It’s a tie between xiao long bao and really good grapes
What do you love to do for fun?
Getting through my daunting piles of books I’ve bought but haven’t read yet, textile crafts (mostly embroidery and cross-stitch), mahjong, cooking and baking, running around New York with pals, pet every cat, accidentally getting caught up in random design projects (right now I am casually trying to design the perfect work backpack for the art/design freelancer who travels a lot and carries a million supplies).
What cool travel spots would you most highly recommend?
The parts of travel I remember most vividly are the ones that spark my visual imagination, landscapes and structures so different from what I’m used to that my mind starts making up stories that could only be set here. My top three so far: 1) the cable car up to Tian Tan Buddha in Hong Kong, 2) the Road to Hana on Maui, and 3) the tiny little side streets in Venice. Also: I love hanging out in graveyards, because I am a spooky ghost.
Who or what inspires you the most, and why?
The stories I always go back to are the ones you find in mythology, fairy tales, folklore. There’s something I really love about the fact that cultures all around the world kept making up the same stories to tell each other. The root of storytelling is human connection, how cool is that! That’s what I’m trying to do, make stories that come from my experiences and see who they connect with.
Art Process:
My illustrations and comics nearly always start life as messy little pencil drawings that are barely legible to other people, so I can figure out compositions without getting too precious. After what I call the “sloppy thumbnails” stage, I move onto digital (in my primary workflow, at least, since it’s better than traditional for my hand and wrist, and offers more flexibility). Here’s where I draw cleaner thumbnails and layouts (and sometimes color-blocking), then pencils and lettering, then inks and colors. For client work, I will show each stage for review and adjustments before moving to the next; I submit several options at the “clean thumbnails” stage if a composition/design needs to be made by the client.
I currently use Clip Studio Paint on my iPad as my primary drawing software, and sometimes Adobe Fresco. I’m proficient in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, and After Effects.
Available for School Visits:
It’s been a few years, but I’ve taught single- and multiple-week comics workshops for age ranges 6-8 and 8-14, and am open to doing more! These consisted of comic formats and basic story structure, leading up to each participant making their own stapled mini-comic.
Mediums:
Mostly digital these days, sometimes ink on paper
Specialties:
Action-adventure, Black & white, Book Covers, Character design, Concept art, Editorial, Fantasy, Graphic novel interior art, Illustration, Indie comics, Inking, Middle Grade, Non-fiction, Packaging, Penciling, Picture books, Sci-fi, Slice-of-life, Spot art, Writing, Young Adult
Forthcoming books:
West Middle Mirror (Andrews McMeel, Fall 2026)
Published books:
Location:
Queens, NY
Visit Olivia at:
Awards and honors:
MICE Mini-Grant recipient (2019) for Good Morning, Gorgon!
