Liz Prince is an autobiographical cartoonist who currently lives outside of Boston, MA, with her two cats, Wolfman and Dracula. Her first book, Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed?, won the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Debut in 2005. She has since published the comic strip collections Delayed Replays and Alone Forever. She has drawn comics for the wildly popular Adventure Time comic series, is a regular contributor to Razorcake magazine, and self-publishes her own comics and zines. She is still a tomboy, and can frequently be found shopping in the boys’ section at thrift stores.

SIX MINUTES WITH LIZ PRINCE:

Today LitPick is joined by author and graphic artist Liz Prince. Liz is the author and artist behind the recently released Tomboy: a Graphic Memoir. Liz has a BFA, cats named Dracula and Wolfman, and draws comics full time. Her first book, Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed?, a full length comic about relationships, has been nominated for several awards, received the Ignatz for Outstanding Debut in 2005, and has been translated into French and Spanish.

How did you get started writing?

I've always been a storyteller: I can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't writing books with drawings in them.  I have a lot of picture books that I drew in my childhood, usually about pre-existing characters like the Ghostbusters.  When I first discovered comic books in 3rd grade, I decided that those were the kinds of stories I wanted to tell, and although the format of my comics have changed over the years (anthropomorphic animal stories, newspaper style strips, superhero parody, autobio), I've never looked back!

Who influenced you?

My first real comics love was Jeff Smith's Bone.  My work is nothing like his, but his comic was the first comic I'd read that felt really alive and invigorating, and since he was self-publishing Bone under his Cartoon Books imprint, it led me to discover the small press and indie comics that really informed my style.  Ariel Schrag's high school chronicles, Awkward and Definition, and Potential, were the first autobio comics I read that gave me the inspiration to tell my own stories.

Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting?

The answers to all of those fluctuates, but I will always enjoy reading autobio comics by other artists.  It's my favorite genre and I feel a great affinity for people who bare their soul in comics.  

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?

Write for yourself and read as much as you can.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I prefer to write at home, by myself, with my cats.  I used to try to do a lot of work at coffee shops, but it's too distracting for me to be productive in the writing stage.  I like to ink my comics in front of a TV show or at a coffee shop because it's the stage where I can just go through the motions without having to make executive decisions, kind of like being on auto pilot. 

What else would you like to tell us?

Please check out my newest comics venture, a mini-series based on the Cartoon Network show Clarence, which I'm writing!  It's being published by Kaboom! in June.

Liz, thank you for spending six minutes with LitPick! We’ve enjoyed getting to know you better!