Editor’s note: With ICON9 The Illustration Conference just a month away—four days of art, discussion, performance, and plenty of talk in Austin, TX—the current roster for the Q&A is peopled with many of the exceptional artists making presentations during this biannual artfest. Gemma Correll gives a talk on ideas and inspiration on Saturday, July 9, at 3 pm.

Q: Originally from the UK,  what are some of your favorite things about living and working in the Bay Area?

A: I'm originally from the East of England but I've been living in Oakland, California for the last 8 months. I love it here. I was never an "outdoorsy type" back in the UK—mostly because it was always raining. I was, I guess, an "indoorsy type." Here in Northern California, I love spending time outdoors. I go to the park or cemetery (there's a beautiful cemetery in Oakland, popular with dog walkers and picnickers, I'm not completely morbid, honestly!) to sketch and research during the day. There are lots of great coffee shops to hang out in too.

Q: Do you keep a sketchbook? 

A: Yes, I do keep a sketchbook and I have done for years. Even as a child, I was forever scribbling stories and doodles in old notebooks and paper scraps that I found around the house. One of my high school teachers bought me a sketchbook to encourage me (and to discourage me from drawing in the margins of my exercise books!) and ever since then I've had a sketchbook as a constant companion. I have smaller “travel" books and bigger ones for use at home.

Q: What is the balance between art you create on paper [or other analog medium] versus in the computer?

A: I draw everything by hand. I only use the computer for coloring and small adjustments.

Q: What is the most important item in your studio?

A: The dog bed! I love having my pugs snoring alongside me when I work. Everything else is disposable really. I could draw sitting on the floor or the couch as long as I had pens and paper (and indeed, I did for many years before I had my own room for a studio!).

Q: How do you know when the art is finished?

A: Sometimes it's hard to know when it's finished. My work is simple, but I have a tendency to overwork it because I worry about it not looking "finished" or polished enough. If I find myself overthinking, I try to take a break and then go back to the piece.

Q: What was your favorite book as a child?

A: It's difficult to pick a favorite childhood book, as I read voraciously as a child and still do!, but I was very into the Chalet School series by Elinor Brent Dyer. Those books made me desperate to go to a boarding school in Switzerland!

What is the best book you’ve recently read?

The best book I read recently was The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons by Sam Kean.

I am very interested in neurology, mental illness and the brain, so it was right up my alley.

Q: If you had to choose one medium to work in for an entire year, eliminating all others, what medium would you choose?

A: Just good old fashioned pen and ink—any black fineliner pen.

Q: What elements of daily life exert the most influence on your work practice?

A: My work is very personal, so every aspect of daily life influences me, directly or indirectly. A lot of what I draw in my sketchbooks is based on observation and journaling my days.

Q: What was the [Thunderbolt] painting or drawing or film or otherwise that most affected your approach to art? 

A: My earliest influence was Gary Larson's The Far Side. My parents had an anthology and I spent hours poring through those incredible comics. I knew at a young age that I wanted to be an illustrator and to write and make comics.

Q: Who was the [Thunderbolt] teacher or ment or or visiting artist who most influenced you early in your training or career?

A: At art college, we were really lucky to have a lot of amazing visiting lecturers. I was particularly inspired by Graham Rawle, and his use of text and humor.

Q: What would be your last supper?

A:  Mac and cheese, and a root beer float. And cherry pie.

Hello, I’m Gemma.

I am a cartoonist, writer, illustrator and all-round small person.

I’m the author of – among others – “A Cat’s Life” (Te Neues, 2012),  “A Pug’s Guide to Etiquette” (Dog N Bone, 2013) and “The Worrier’s Guide to Life” (Andrews McMeel, 2015). You can find out more about my books and comics here.

I publish my “Four Eyes” cartoon at GoComics.com and at The Nib on Medium.com
I also draw a monthly Skycats cartoon for the Emirates Airlines Open Skies magazine.

My illustration clients include Hallmark, The New York Times, Oxford University Press, Knock Knock, Chronicle Books and The Observer.

My wonderful Illustration agents are  Anna Goodson Management.

You can find my contact details on this page.

In addition to speaking at ICON9 on July 9, I'll be at 

San Diego Comic Con, July 21-24 (Exhibitor, with Tuesday Bassen)

Singapore Writers Festival, November 4-6 

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