Bored Panda contacted Maritsa Patrinos to learn more about her work. First, we wanted to know how the illustrator first became interested in comic art. We learned that: “I always loved drawing and making up stories. I wasn't necessarily good at it, but it brought me a lot of fulfillment. My father introduced comics to me at a young age, newspaper strips and Marvel issues, and I was enamored with the medium. I never saw it as a viable career, but the older I got, the more I felt it was the thing I had the most passion and capacity for. Once I started pursuing it, I was all in, I found a spring of motivation I had never felt before.”

Asked if there are some specific comic artists or illustrators who have influenced Maritsa’s work, she answered: “Bill Watterson was very big in my household growing up. I also loved other comic artists like Edward Gorey. Short strips and comics really modeled how to tell bite-sized stories that looked simple but also contained a sneaky amount of nuance. They are small but satisfying, and I loved reading the compilation books because they are so bingeable, offering the guarantee of little dopamine releases on every page.

As a moody teenager, I gravitated toward the work of Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Brian Michael Bendis, and Tim Sale. I really enjoyed the ritual of going to comic shops with friends, and I was slowly becoming aware of longform comics that weren't just about superheroes. Eventually, I discovered Moebius, Jacques Tardi, Sergio Toppi, and Geof Darrow. I never drew like them, but I was still totally blown away by the material. I loved how respectable European comics are, it showed me the potential for indulgent worldbuilding and fully committing to a style that comes to be an extension of yourself.”

The artist continued: “Then, slice-of-life comics started to take hold of the webcomic world and they felt so personable and honest to me. I started reading comics by Erika Moen, Allie Brosh, Kate Beaton, Meredith Gran, and Ryan Pequin. That set me down a path I could actually see myself on. Making comics primarily designed to be viewed online really agreed with me, even if I made them traditionally.

There are so many others. Right now, I am trying to master single-panel comics, so I look at a lot of Ellis Rosen, Sofia Warren, Amy Kurzweil, Liana Finck, Hilary Campbell, Zoe Si, Jon Adams, Jason Katzenstein, Will McPhail, the list goes on.”

Then, we were wondering how the illustrator comes up with ideas for her comic strips. Maritsa shared with us: “This is always a hard question to answer. I think it usually starts with something bugging me that I feel like I can't do anything about. It could be something small and silly like the weather or something bigger like illness. Making art about it really helps with feelings of helplessness. After getting into the habit of making comics that way, you start to see the world through a new lens, everything that happens to you becomes potential for a story. It's a little strange, but it helps me process things that happen to me and keeps a little magic in my world, which I love.”

Lastly, we asked Patrinos what advice she would give to aspiring comic artists looking to break into the industry. She told us: “There’s no shortcut for putting in the hours practicing drawing. It’s like trying to lose weight without eating healthy or exercising. To some extent, it doesn’t matter what you draw, just as long as you’re practicing. Just draw what feels good to draw. Other than that, be stubborn, keep putting yourself out there, and don’t wait for someone to come to you in order to start your dream project.”