Elizabeth Corbiere on Imagination, Telekinesis, and Magic

Hi, Elizabeth. Thanks for doing this interview! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi! Thanks for taking the time to do an interview with me! I’m a cartoonist from Ontario, Canada, and I like drawing characters and making comics. I use ink, pens, markers, watercolors and my computer to make my art. 

We’re so excited to be publishing your first comic, “Magical Mission” in the Sidequests Anthology! Tell us about your inspiration for this story.

When I thought about the anthology’s theme, I thought about how many people might think of the word “sidequests” and about video game quests. I knew from there that I wanted my story to be different from a video game quest storyline, and so I thought, “Why not make it about an everyday situation where something unusual happens?”

I remembered how I used to struggle with math homework when I was a kid, and that is where I came up with the little boy for the story. As I started thumbnailing the first page, I created the magical being, princess, and knight. I wanted “Magical Mission” to be a fun, light-hearted story that anyone could enjoy and have a little laugh!

If you could be chosen for your own magical sidequest, what would you like to be tasked with, and what powers would you want to help you complete your mission?

If I were given a magical sidequest, I think it would be cool to have to help save people from some sort of big natural disaster, and I would like powers to control the weather or use telekinesis to help me accomplish the mission!

You’ve been making comics on your website for a while now, along with other art. What do you find most fun about making a comic as both the writer and the artist?

I think the most fun part of creating for me is coming up with an idea for a piece or story, and one of my favorite parts of the process is inking the drawings.

What do you find most challenging?

Sometimes the most challenging part of making art for me is picking up a piece I started a while ago and returning to it. I always have a few things on the go.

Who are some writers, artists, or others creators who inspire you?

I really admire the works of Kazu Kibuishi, Faith Erin Hicks, Nathan Hale, and Raina Telgemeier for their story and inking styles. I would very much like to create long graphic novels like they have, with deep, fantastical stories and a flowy inking style. 

What comic book character do you identify most with, and why?

A comic character I can relate to is Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes. He has this big imagination with so many ideas that he just can’t keep down, and he sees the world around him from a different perspective than everyone else.

What do you think comics bring to the world that other media can’t?

I think comics bring a unique visual expression of emotion to a story, like an extended illustration. They bring a flexibility of storytelling that ranges [across] all genres and ages groups, and [they] tie written text with images in a way that movies and music cannot do.

Any new projects you’re working on?

I am working on a graphic novel now that I want to publish traditionally! It is a story about good vs. evil with creatures, and I will be sharing more about it online in the new year.

Where can our readers find you online?

I can be found online on social media as @Cartooneology and my website: https://cartooneology.com/

Here are my main socials:

https://www.instagram.com/cartooneology

https://m.youtube.com/@cartooneology

https://www.tiktok.com/@cartooneology

https://www.facebook.com/cartooneology

See you there!