Interview and photo by Jinni J
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First drawing you really remember?
i remember having this odd fascination with cheetahs when i was very young. cheetahs, leopards, ocelots, any sort of spotted large cat of prey were subjects of my obsession, and i don’t really remember why. i think i thought they were powerful and cool? probably the earliest drawing i vividly remember was a landscape drawing of a cheetah in a field with a single tree. i must have been in kindergarten or pre-k, but i recall this drawing was a breakthrough for me because anytime i had previously drawn a tree it was always at the edge of the page, so that the viewer is only seeing half of the tree (easier to draw). this was my first drawing of a full stand-alone tree which really elevated the composition for me haha.
Favorite tv show growing up?
i was super into a lot of cartoons on toonami and wb kids growing up, whatever i had access to at the time. i think the ones that stood out to me as a kid were cardcaptor sakura, jackie chan adventures, sailor moon, samurai jack…
Favorite current show?
neon genesis evangelion.
When did you know you were going to pursue art?
i didn’t know i wanted to pursue art as a career until about my junior year of high school. i’ve sort of always been drawing, even in my very earliest memories that was something i always liked to do, but i think up until that point i didn’t really realize i could do it as a career and suddenly it was like oh, that path makes sense for me. after that clicked i couldn’t really imagine pursuing anything else.
What time are you most creative? Night owl / morning person?
morning person for sure. although i would say my most productive hours are midday after i’ve built some momentum.
Creative resource or blog you love?
there are some really great short story comics you can read for free on hazlitt. A few notable artists on the site for me are jillian tamaki, kris mukai, eleanor davis, sam alden, and becca tobin.
https://hazlitt.net/tags/comics
Do you collect anything?
i’ve recently started collecting zines in the past couple years. i sort of fought the urge for a long time because i move around a lot and i don’t like owning too many material possessions, but there was a point where i caved and once it started i couldn’t stop.
You’re given a plane ticket to anywhere, where do you go and why?
tough one! there are lots of places i haven’t been and lots i’d want to visit! vietnam, japan, egypt, new zealand, south korea… idk i want to see it all.
What kind of candy would you be?
dark chocolate with cayenne
What do you want to see in the world?
it’s hard to not give a cliche answer for this one, but honestly i would like to see more kindness and compassion in the world. someday i hope that more people view vulnerability as strength, because it is.
You can only have one super power, what is it?
invisibility
What are your go to podcasts?
my favorite murder
baby geniuses
the adventure zone
my brother my brother and me
drawing a dialogue
salt & honey
Pick up some of Laura’s work in the Raw Paw shop at our Grand Opening September 15th!
Follow her work here:
