Hello, I’m Melissa! Thank you for taking a look around my shop. I am an illustrator, comic book creator, and explorer of paper creations in my studio located in Oakland, California.
As a child of divorce parents, exposed to substance abuse, I understand chaos and the need to find safety within the pages of a good book. As a kid I would spend hours reading at home, and when I wasn’t reading at home I was sitting in the isle of a bookstore doing the same thing.
Reading became a place of safety and fun. An now, inspired by the books that saved me, I try to create that same feeling within my art and comics. Those include far off adventures, romance, and a little darkness to remind ourself of what’s important.
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“…the important thing is for you to understand that it doesn't matter whether the clock strikes ten, or seven, or fifteen o'clock. You can strike your own time, and start the count anywhere. When you understand that -- then any time at all will be the right time for you.”
― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn
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When I was a kid I'd sell my doodles for ten cents around an apartment complex. As an adult, I successfully funded a kickstarter that raised over $43K with over a thousand backers from my webcomic turned graphic novel “Above the Clouds”. I'm now currently working on a webcomic called Monster Heart that can be read on Webtoon Canvas.
When I am not working on comics I am exploring the world of paper creations. My love for books have me finding all the different ways to bring my illustrations to life paired with a good book. Whether It’s bookmarks, pop ups, or book covers!
Outside of art my hobbies include playing Zelda, annoying my two cats, and solving crossword puzzles with my husband.
Represented by Britt Siess, at britt@brittsiesscreative.com
(Britt Siess Creative Management).
