“As a stand-up comedian, I write jokes constantly. Sometimes a joke is better for a comic than for the stage, so I use that for the Blair comic. Other times I just write Blair jokes while I'm out in the world and collect them on my phone. I like to have 10-12 jokes before I sit down, so I can draw a few at a time,” Mo told us about her creative process.
“I used to do a comic a day, but that's been difficult as of late. Writing a joke can be a puzzle, but it's easy to find a premise. Just go out into the world and watch how annoying everyone is. These days, I draw by hand and then pop them in photoshop for some finishing touches. I like to draw on 6x6 watercolor so I can have an original of the drawing. I used to sell them, but I'd be interested in showing my work sometime in the future.”
When asked about difficulties coming up with new ideas, the artist shared: “I do have creative blocks and it's horrible. I feel so useless in those moments. Something I try to do is just go through my phone and look at jokes I didn't use or try to find a new way into a joke. These blocks will happen, but usually, if I have a drawing block, I'm shooting off stand-up jokes like nothing. So it's not a complete creative block. Just a creative block in one area.”
“I've always been inspired by Charles Schulz and Jim Davis. Cathy Guisewite and Mike Judge too! Too many to name, really. Music really inspires me too. Sometimes a lyric works as a word association that gets me to a comedic premise,” says Mo.
We also wondered if it’s difficult to maintain a unique style these days when there are so many great creators, to which she replied: “I do think it's difficult to create a unique style, but I just tried to create something that would be easy for a five-year-old to draw. If I could do that, I was certain I would be able to draw the character every morning.”
When asked about her future aspirations, the artist shared: “I'd love to publish more books and calendars and an animated show. I'd also like to create a children's animated show that competes with Peppa Pig because she needs the competition! If I can continue to get paid to draw a comic and tell jokes, I mean...anything better than that? I feel pretty lucky."
