Lara Pickle’s graphic novel debut, I Feel Awful, Thanks, combines all the excitement and anxiety associated with first jobs and spell casting.
And while most of us don’t have to worry about the trails and tribulations of living in a magical world, we can all relate to a stressful work environment, which is something Pickle clearly illustrates in the Oni Press graphic novel.
We got a chance to speak with Pickle all about her venture into the comics medium in this exclusive interview.
Why did you choose a witch as your main character to embody the lives of young professionals starting their careers?
Lara Pickle: I chose a magical world for a few different reasons, actually! The main one is that I really wanted to use magic laws and a totally made up universe to visually build analogies. To me it’s super important to graphically show – and I love to use easter eggs and small details, too – the story’s progression, it draws people in, and it feels – ironically! – more realistic and relatable. So being able to use witches and magic allowed me, for example, to play along with the concept of emotions being dragons and manifesting themselves as a normal thing to happen to people, or the chest physically getting bigger and heavier!
Another reason is that I just love magic stuff, and it was a lot of fun to play around with different things when I was world building. Plus, witchy outfits are super fun to draw, including their hats!
How would you describe your art style and what are your main influences as an artist?
Pickle: If I had to describe my style….I’d say that technically I tend to go for very balanced and simple shapes where you can clearly understand the silhouette and composition! I am quite proud of my linework so I tend to mix both line and a painterly style that I’ve been obsessed with for a very good while now. I love the impressionists’ work like Monet, Berthe Morisot or Turner, but I adore and admire contemporary artists and friends like Jordi Lafebre, my friend Dommi Fox, or Amy Thompson! I just like to consume art and try to understand how it’s done, so that I can up my own game as an artist in return!
What aspect of Joana’s journey do you most relate to?
Pickle: I think I’d probably relate the most to the fact that Joana has a tendency to repress her emotions and stick to really high and impossible expectations of herself. But at the same time, I also relate a lot to the fact that she’s open and very reflective, which in turn helps her understand and accept a lot about herself. I think her journey towards self love and mine are quite similar in general, though we are also very different in many ways personality wise!
Thoughts on the graphic novel being released by Oni Press?
Pickle: Being able to have the opportunity to publish with Oni has been incredible to me! They are doing so much to help me make my comic seen and valued, and it has overall been a super smooth process all the way through! I’m super grateful!
Upcoming projects?
Pickle: Yes! Currently, I’m working on the pitch for my next graphic novel, which is going to be exploring a very important topic for me: generational trauma transmitted from mothers to daughters. I’ve been in the process of researching and reading a lot about this lately, and I can’t wait to have the opportunity to properly work on it whenever a publisher comes through!
I Feel Awful, Thanks will be available in stores on March 4.
