Curious to learn more about the series, Bored Panda reached out to the illustrator to ask a few questions about her work and the world of Leelia Comics.
The journey of Leelia began long before the comics hit social media. “I have been drawing comics on and off my entire life, and Leelia has been the star pretty much the entire time,” Cami shared. At just 13 years old, the artist had three comics published on Neopets – two of which featured Leelia – and by 17, Cameron was filling notebooks with even more adventures, though those early stories never left the pages of the journal.
It wasn’t until late 2020 that the cartoonists began working on Leelia Comics in earnest. “With my mom’s help, we talked about the artstyle, Leelia’s design, the color scheme…things like that. We spent several months working on them before anything hit social media, just trying to really materialize the idea of the comics.”
One of the biggest challenges was deciding who would accompany Leelia. At first, Cami imagined a darker, more cynical cat named Zenaedra to contrast Leelia’s sunny personality, but the designs didn’t quite work. Then, on Christmas Eve, inspiration struck: “Finally…a human, loosely based on my own experiences as a human. Once Brown-Haired Human entered the scene, I started drawing and posting the comics online, and Leelia Comics began.”
Cami describes the work as simple and approachable, but layered with personality: “I would describe my comics as simple and cute, yet snarky and relatable. At least, this is what I would like them to be. Someday, I’d love for her to be an icon…But right now, I am happy with how she is progressing.”
Every piece of Leelia’s world reflects careful observation and growth. “Whenever I read comics, or watch anything, I try to note and discuss with my mom what makes their work so good…Like, the artstyle, how the characters interact, what makes a character likeable or not…That sort of thing. That way, I can always keep improving, and making mental notes of how to make Leelia better in the future.”
The result is a comic series that feels both personal and universal, combining humor, charm, and small doses of life wisdom.
