The founder of grizzly bear thursday and illustrator Lizz Lunney very kindly got into contact with me after i sent her a number of questions asking about her career.
Shes published currently in germany, and her comic books are beautiful, i was interested in how she managed to get in to creating books, as its book illustration i am interested n.
these are my questions: and her answers;
1. What important events led to you becoming noticed as an artist? and how hard was it to get this far?
I studied Animation at University and although I love cartoons and animated films I found the actual process of animating wasn't for me so I moved into drawing comics. I did a couple of business courses and a comic book course in Birmingham and from that I just continued to draw and slowly it became my job. It was very hard, if I hadn't worked lots of bad part time jobs and lived at home for so long rent free there is no way I'd have been able to make comics as my career. It can still be hard because the income isn't regular and depends very much on what random work comes my way! I've been lucky so far so I just hope I can keep it up...
2. What resources did you use to get noticed, did you contact company\\\'s and publishers?
Yeah I've worked for various other companies and stuff. I worked for The Brother's McLeod for almost a year and have had work published in Germany by Zwerchfell and other various bits and pieces over the years. I basically try and get my work out there in as many ways as possible and try to chase up leads and potential future work wherever I can.
3. How hard is it to get or set up commisions with a client?
Sometimes it is very hard and there is nothing for months and then sometimes commissions can just fall in my inbox coming 2 or 3 at a time like buses! I sometimes try and look for commissions or do call outs but mostly I concentrate on my own self publishing and see what happens from that.
4. What types of work do you prefer to create pieces for?
All sorts of things! I like to do as many varied projects as possible to keep things exciting. In the pipeline for this year I have an exhibition and a range of cards out but previously I have done all kinds of things from wall vinyls to zines to coffee shop murals.
5. Where would you like to be, or are you happy with how far you have come?
I'd really love to be published in English because at the moment my work is all self published and I only have a book out that has been translated into German. It would be great to have a book published in English to reach a wider audience than I can manage on my own.
6. Is it enjoyable? Also is it better working freelance, or with a company
Both are good. Working for a company is in many ways more secure because you know when your next pay cheque will arrive and that you can afford your rent! But freelance means that if you are ill you are basically losing work hours that you are not being paid for. But working freelance has the benefit of being able to work odd hours are make your own deadlines etc so it has it's positives as well!
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