Bored Panda contacted Jenna and asked her a few questions about her path as an artist. Jenna revealed that she started drawing from an early age when she was 7-8 years old. At that age, she already had the ability to make her friends laugh with her drawings. “It felt like drawing was an outlet in which I could be myself, someone who is both funny and shy.” Jenna continued drawing when she was growing up, expressing herself through this hobby. She started creating comics about three years ago, and according to her, she wasn’t very good. However, the artist kept practicing: “But still, it was exciting to me, because something made me feel special about creating comics like I was making that little girl I used to be proud. When I feel uninspired, I try to return to the way she would think.”
What makes Jenna’s comics different from others is that they are not only cute and eye-catching but also have these unexpected and witty endings. We asked her how she came up with the idea to create these comics, to which she answered that she thought about it 3 years ago when going through her old works. She started gaining attention after participating in Inktober.
What is Inktober? It’s a challenge created by New York illustrator Jake Parker. In 2009, he started a challenge to improve his inking skills. Now it is known as a 31-day challenge where various artists make a drawing a day and post it on social media for others to enjoy and for them to become better at what they do.
It is true that practice makes perfect. And what Jenna did was to keep challenging herself to create one comic a day and also post it online. “It took a lot of hard work getting my art (and storytelling) to where it is today. And I still think I have a long way to go!” states the artist. She also revealed what kind of tools she uses to make her drawings as we see them now. She said that she started off with paper and ink, and now Jenna takes the advantage of an iPad and digital painting program Procreate.
The comics creator didn’t hide her surprise at gaining so much attention with her drawings. One of her recent comics got 112k likes on her Instagram account. Bored Panda asked Jenna how, in her opinion, people relate to these comics, as it’s obvious that people are drawn to them. The artist wasn’t sure but guessed that “maybe it’s the pop culture references I throw in, or that I tend to draw more animals in my comics."
What Jenna also emphasized in her answer is that she is happy that people are there to see her art and that she hopes that she “can contribute to their life with a quick moment of humor in their day.”
What draws your attention to these comics? What do you find funny? Share your thoughts in the comments down below!
