Sneak peek of pages below!
Hey Linda, the Press knows a bit about you, but the world doesn’t! Tell us about yourself!
I am an illustrator and cartoonist based in what is known as the Washington, DC area, on the occupied land of the Piscataway people. Lately, my work explores slice-of-life storytelling, especially focusing on how large and magical cycles show up in daily ways.
Since it’s your very first, anything you’d want to do differently with your story-length comic process? Any tips to others who are thinking about starting their first comic?
I would study more about anatomy and posing. For this project, I would learn to draw things as needed for the story, but it would help to get more practice in and improve life-drawing foundations. I’m not sure if I have any tips for people starting their first comic, but I would love to see what you create! Sometimes what you make can be exactly what someone has been waiting to read.
What’s your favorite thing about being an artist/comic creator? How did you get into comics and art?
My favorite thing is the way that prose and visual language work together in comics like poetry! The process of receiving stories from a comic is so interesting - the panel organization and how things shift on the page informs how your eye and brain interact to give you the emotional resonance of the narrative. It comes from a love of different elements like zines, moodboards, voicemails, and diary entries culminating into a story and a view into a life.
What’s your inspirations? Do you have a certain genre/trope/story you like to tell? (Are you really into found family stories, cyberpunk, slice of life, etc etc)
I really enjoy character-driven stories such as Dororo by Osamu Tezuka, and themes of connection with others mirroring phenomenon in the natural world, like with daemons in The Golden Compass. I also want to uplift queerplatonic love, intimacy, and Asian American identity in my work.
Can you tell us about your inspiration for The Brightest Star Under the Eastern Seaboard? Anything you want to mention about the book and what’s coming?
It’s a story about finding something more, something you didn’t anticipate but definitely hoped for, in both a supernatural way and in relationship with others. The setting is based off of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution! Any resemblance is purely coincidental :)
Do you have any future projects you're excited about?
A: I’m excited to dream up characters and draw more concept art. The nebulous planning stage can be strenuous but compelling! I’m thinking of drawing a story set in a game because the mechanics and modes of interaction would be fun to explore.
Where can we find you and your work?
You can find my portfolio at buppletea.com and follow me on Instagram @buppletea!
Here's a sneak preview into The Brightest Star Under the Eastern Seaboard
Genre: Romance/Friendship and Adventure