My 32 Comics About The Characters Aware Of Living In A Cartoon

I did eventually warm up to cartoons. In fact, I loved them so much I started art school as an animation student. But by second year I was yearning for more creative freedom than what was available to animators at that time, so I switched over to painting. My biggest influences then were Lynda Barry, Ronald Searle, Ralph Steadman, Berkeley Breathed, Gary Larson, and (weirdly) an art nouveau illustrator named Aubrey Beardsley.

After graduating from college, I found work in the gaming industry and in my spare time, I collaborated with other cartoonists on indie comic gems such as Spatter, New Comics, Pox, Naughty Bits, Escape Magazine, Big Noise, True North, and Giant Sized Mini Comics.

Having kids resulted in huge changes to my creative journey. Especially after working with mostly dudes in the gaming industry for years. When my children were little, I unfortunately suffered a neck injury and was unable to draw. While I healed, I poured my creative energy into raising my kids. Eventually I started teaching at a non-profit arts school where I taught cartooning, of course!

When Covid hit, my art classes got sidelined and so, like many creatives, I used the quarantine time to take on new projects. I got myself an iPad and took a leap of faith back into cartooning by sharing my creations on Instagram. I came up with the account name Hotflashes and Hangovers before I had even put pen to paper (or rather, to iPad). At first, I thought I’d make it about crazy menopausal women but it quickly morphed into something else. Soon Hotflashes and Hangovers turned into a comic about family life, time travel, ancestral ghosts, internet rabbit holes, the C.I.A., squids, toxic bunnies, and more. The unusual cast of characters in my comic series are playfully self-aware. They know they live in a cartoon universe of my making (cue maniacal laughter track).

My cast of characters have gradually grown over the past four years. Some have names, but others do not, including a character based on me. She is simply referred to as ‘the cartoonist’. Unfunny Bunny is definitely my most popular character. He resents that the cartoonist draws him as a cute bunny when he would rather be an action character. Inspector Flik was created when I was still in college. He is with the C.I.A. (Cartoon Improvement Agency), and he often shows up to pester the cartoonist and enforce his ridiculous ideas. Ancient Chinese Ancestor is a nod to the Chinese side of my heritage. She is a ghost that frequently visits the cartoonist and loves beer. Grandma Margo is the only human character who gets to have a name! She is inspired by my mom who is a retired stand-up comedian. My latest character, the Nope Lady, is a disenchanted cartoonists’ muse who frequently spouts negative expletives.

I work in a free-flowing and organic nature, at least that’s what I call my ADHD chaos. I will often have the seed of an idea in mind and will just dive right in before knowing which direction the story will take or how it will end. The first part of my process involves the writing and is somewhat similar to sculpting with clay, where I am constantly adding and taking away various elements of the story. The second part involves creating the art. This, of course, is the fun part! I am, however, very fussy about visual presentation and I work slower than I’d like.

Other than dealing with Instagram’s increasingly stingy algorithm, one of the best parts of being a cartoonist on the platform is the supportive comics community. It was through these groups that I got involved with the book, Hold That Thought: 12 Cartoonists on Their Worlds of Humor. The project is the brainchild of editor David Endelman who sought out 12 cartoonists from around the globe to create an anthology of humor. I am honoured to have my work shown alongside this collection of big talents including: Isabella Bannerman, Suzy Becker, David Endelman, Jun Frogosa, David Gomberg, Ed Himelblau, Catherine Holmes, Beverley Kort, Sam Lay, Rose Anne Prevec, and Jim Shoenbill.

My hope is to grow Hotflashes & Hangovers from a passionate hobby into something shiny enough to attract more publishers and/or agents. I do have other creative projects I hope to entice them with as well, including kids' picture books, and a manuscript for a middle-grade novel. In the meantime, I’ll continue to create these strange and funny cartoon scenarios as they are a joy to make and to share with my growing audience!