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Bored Panda reached out to Julie to learn more about her and her comics. First of all, the artist shared what sparked the idea for Caspalpo.
“I have always loved drawing, ever since I can remember. I drew my own comics from the age of 12 and loved reading manga. I stopped when I was 16. I didn’t think it was “cool” anymore and concentrated on other things. But my passion for art never left me. At 22, I created a FB page called “Selfmade by Julie” where I painted bags, glasses, shoes, etc. The name was just a transition. The name was just a nickname, I was looking for a real artist name. Then my grandfather died, whose nickname for me was “Caspalpo”. I adopted it as a memorial to my grandfather. Over time, my desire to draw and also to draw comics came back. I have been drawing rabbits and bears for a long time. The first comics were created in October 2019. I got a lot of encouragement and that motivated me to continue,” wrote Julie.
As we mentioned, Julie’s comics convey deep emotions with minimal dialogue. We were wondering how she expresses such strong feelings through her illustrations.
“I am dyslexic, so I have a hard time with words. That’s why I got into the habit of telling my comics without words. Over time, I’ve gained a lot of positive things from it. People understand my stories, no matter what language, and they can interpret different things in them. I also like to let emotions speak instead of words. But sometimes it’s difficult to express everything without words,” shared Julie.
Julie also told us more about her creative process from idea generation to execution: “I always have a sketchbook with me, and when I get an idea, I write or draw it. To realize my comics, I use my iPad and the Porcreat app. I try to reduce my time to 1 hour-1.5 hours, otherwise, I would get lost in the details. The stories I draw are often personal experiences. But they are also inspired by stories of others or invented. I’ve also often had people tell me that they have ideas for comics that I then take over. The best thing about it all is to see that people recognize themselves in my stories. That it gives them happiness and connection.”
Julie’s comics create a heartwarming feeling. We asked what Julie hopes that readers will take away from the adventures of the bunny and bear in Caspalpo.
“I hope that they feel good during the short time in which they “read” my comics. That they remember good times. That they feel connected to their partners or friends. That they don’t focus on their problems for a short time. That they see that they are not alone with their problems.I would like to use my comics to convey that we should be friendly, respectful, and considerate towards our fellow human beings,” wrote Julie.
And lastly, Julie added: “I just want to say how grateful I am for all the support from my community over the last few years. Even now that things have become a little quieter on my account.”
