May 01, 2022 Image They/Them Junior, Comic Art Dominique Postiglione Memorial Scholarship $2,000 Online Portfolio Rochester, Minnesota Describe the work you submitted for merits My work for merits mostly consisted of black and white or greyscale comics, some were monotone-colored and a few were fully colored. Even though their genres varied, they all portrayed a visual textured look to give off a certain mysteriousness or ominous vibe. Another thing that the works had in common is their dynamic imagery through expressions, poses, or hand gestures. Why did you decide to come to MCAD? Throughout my younger years, I was heavily inspired by some of my favorite manga and anime (shoutout to Studio Ghibli and Yuu Watase), so much so that I instantly knew that I wanted to work in comics. As I began college-searching in my junior year, I was disheartened to find that not many art colleges had comic-related majors. It was at that point that I had considered illustration or graphic design as a major instead. It wasn't until my art teacher had invited an artist from MCAD to our class. The visiting artist introduced a variety of courses they had at MCAD and lo and behold, they had a major that was specifically focused on comics. I was bursting with excitement! It was extremely relieving to know that there was still a chance for me to pursue a career that I was passionate about. I also saw this as an opportunity to finally learn more about the comics community, being surrounded by other comic artists, and comic critiques, a few things that were scarce when I was a baby artist. Overall, now being a first-semester junior, I've enjoyed my stay here and acquired lots of comic knowledge. And I've met so many people who are now great friends of mine and I wouldn't trade them for the world (that's a lie I would easily trade them for those Haribo Gold Bear gummies). What's next for your practice? Anything you're really excited to make? Other than working on personal art, I’ve done some brainstorming and I’m thinking about creating two mini-comic series. One follows a thriller/adventure genre and it’s based on two characters that have been with me since the dawn of time. I’ve always wanted to put them in a story and I think a mini-comic is perfect for their debut. The other mini-comic is more psychological horror, where it draws inspiration from two-sentence horror stories, but explores it in a deeper context. Favorite thing about college life (so far)? Besides the MCAD Cafe’s chicken strips and fries, I love the school’s accessibility to certain tools and materials. This can range from the printmaking studios, the Art Cellar, the 3D Shop, etc. It’s nice to be able to work nearby than having to travel out to find a place that has specific equipment. And this is from the perspective of someone who wasn’t able to bring their car to campus. Another personal favorite is the surrounding restaurants and grocery stores near MCAD. Even I get bored of eating air-fried food so it’s nice to have that option around and to have them be a walkable distance. Lastly, I love meeting the people here who share the same creative drive as I do, both students and faculty alike. There’s this mutual artist understanding that is quite comforting and it’s hard to come by outside of MCAD. What inspires you? Comics, anime, and animated movies have been big contributors that made me who I am today and I am forever grateful to grow up with them. Their way of creating a well-written world where every character and object has a purpose is why I draw a lot of inspiration from them. It’s become my personal goal to make sure that the reader is not only enjoying the art of the comic but to understand its plot and the world that’s built around it. As cliche as it sounds, my friends, peers, and family have been one of my inspirations as well. I cannot tell you just how much their encouragement and support have physically lifted my drained soul off the ground. To be honest, not everyone that I’m close with is on board with the idea of me being a comic artist, but to those who believed in me when I felt a little lost, I have no words that could describe how thankful I am for you. Anything you're obsessed with at the moment? Even though it happens here and there, I’ve been obsessed with collecting little trinkets. I’m not sure why I find them so appealing, maybe it’s the fact that they’re tiny and shiny, but overall a fun little hobby. Currently in my collection is a small metal-casted frog, a coin necklace, and a pink rock that someone gave me when I was at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. This obsession has been around longer, but the supernatural/ paranormal has a special place in my heart. I love the concept of the unknown or the unexplainable and yet a selected few humans have chosen to believe it. It also sparks curiosity, and by human nature, we are drawn to that. How many plants do you have? Three kiddos! Respectively named PETA PAKA (a spider plant), Potatoe (a ZZ plant), and Matilda (a succulent plant).