Jalisa Henry, artist of “Procyon Torontor”
The Toronto Comics Anthology has always been an ongoing platform to showcase veteran as well as up-and-coming creators. In addition to featuring work from unpublished writers and artists in our fourth volume (now on Kickstarter), we conducted a series of short interviews to share helpful tips and insights with new creators.
What is the best piece of advice you ever got (comics-wise)?
Work hard, but don't overwork yourself. As creators we become very passionate about our projects, and pour a lot of ourselves into our work. It's important to be able to take time to separate yourself and take adequate breaks not only for the sake of the work but for your personal health too.
What are you working on now? Recently I've been working on a small web comic called A Mile A Minute, which follows the silly adventures of a lazy cat and his determination not to move from his favourite spot while he is forced to interact with those around him. You can read the comic on Tumblr, Instagram or on my Twitter. Physical copies of the first issue will be debuting at Toronto Comic Con this year!
What about the city inspires you? Or shapes your writing/art? If you walk through the city in the early afternoon the feeling and atmosphere is very different in comparison to the evening, right? Not only do the people change based on their activities, but the atmosphere and feeling of the city itself changes too.
In “Procyon Torontor” I tried to explore this by highlighting key areas that people see every day in my area, but in a different light and perspective. Being able to visually translate these different "faces" or changes for both environments and characters is something I strive for in my own work.
What do you think is the hardest thing about getting a comic published or self-published? Putting yourself out there and promoting your work is probably one of the hardest aspects for self-publishers. I'm personally planning to make efforts to be more physically present in my industry by attending more conventions and festivals this year.
What’s your favourite part of the city for food?
This is such a hard question! Am I allowed to do direct plug-ins? (Hahaha) I'm incredibly biased to the North York region, since I live there. But I love all of the Korean food options at Yonge and Finch. But for desserts, I am in love with Patchmon's Homemade Thai Desserts by Jane Station.
I guarantee that anything you try there will be unique and amazing.
You can find more of Jalisa’s work at:
Site http://www.JalisaHenry.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jeihenry Tumblr http://jeihenry.tumblr.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/JeiHenry
If you enjoyed this interview, please consider supporting independent comic creators in The Toronto Comics Anthology: Osgoode As Gold, on Kickstarter until March 30th.
