Artist August: Natalie Nourigat (Interview)

Photo by Charlie Chu

Today on Artist August, we have a Multiversity favorite: Natalie (“Tally”) Nourigat. While this young member of Periscope Studios has yet to make her big splash yet, we’re comfortable in saying it isn’t a question of if, but when. She’s a remarkable talent, and I’d say look out for whatever she has coming next because it will assuredly be a quality project on the art end.

We chat with Tally about what it’s like to work on a daily basis at Periscope Studios (for those that do not know, it’s one of the best comic studios in the country and it is based in Portland), the revelation of who is the Periscope photobomb king, what her influences are, her secret plan to work for Studio Ghibli and a whole lot more. Thanks to Tally for chatting with us, and look for a ton of great examples of her art in an hour or two.

What made you want to get into comics and cartooning? Is there a single moment you can look back on, or was it more of a progression?

Natalie Nourigat: I’ve always loved drawing; being able to draw was a part of my identity as early as preschool. When I was 13 I saw Princess Mononoke, and it blew my mind. I went home and immediately sought out Japanese language lessons and more anime. I didn’t know what it was that made Princess Mononoke so good, but I knew that I wanted to tell stories that affected people as strongly as that one affected me. I started writing and drawing more than I had been before, and created ongoing stories rather than single illustrations or short stories. I ‘invented’ something that resembled comics, with blocks of text and occasional illustrated scenes. A year or two later, my friend Christina lent me my first manga, and I took off learning how to tell stories in a more conventional comic style.

Who or what have been the biggest influences in your art?

NN: Miyazaki/Ghibli and Pixar movies, the novels I read as a teenager, the anime and manga I watched and read in high school, Scott Pilgrim and other B+W indie comics I read in college, joining Periscope, joining Emi Lenox and Angie Wang’s sketch group, and people who mentored me via e-mail over the years such as Emily Gillis, Tim Beedle, and Jamie Rich. I am sure there are many other things and people, but these are the ones I can point out.

Your career is just at the beginning, but you’ve gotten a lot of attention for your diary comic Between Gears as well as the slew of mini-comics, pin-ups and commissions you share with the world. How has the experience of trying to break into the industry been for you?

NN: Thank you! It has been good; drawing has always been something that I love, and the greater and greater possibility of making it my career is very exciting.

The comics industry has been nice to me. I’ve worked really hard and experienced a lot of disappointment (so many bad pitches and unanswered e-mails…sigh), but I have had lucky breaks as well. I virtually stumbled across Periscope, Floating World Comics (and Jason Leivian, who kept me reading comics when I might have stopped), the Stumptown Comics Fest, and Jamie Rich, which have all aided me immensely in refining my style and understanding how to work in comics. I still have a ton to figure out, of course, but I find that I’m not in so much of a hurry about it anymore. I am having a lot of fun where I am and I know that I will get where I want to be. I just have to keep working at it.

So far, a big part of your work has been your diary comic Between Gears that looked at your senior year of college. How did you get started on that, and has it ever been a little weird for you sharing your life with the public through your art?

NN: I was inspired by other autobiographical comics artists like Erika Moen, Emi Lenox, Jennie Breeden, and Marc Ellerby. I was especially impressed by Emi’s ability to draw a comic page for every single day, and I could see by reading Emitown what a fantastic recording of her life it was. I was in spring term of my junior year of college when I decided that I wanted to do a finite autobio project to similarly record a part of my life. I thought I could use it for my senior thesis as well, but I later decided that autobio did not represent my work or what I wanted to do in the future (I created Over the Surface for the thesis instead).

It has definitely been weird to share parts of that year with the Internet. I would point to things that I am embarrassed about, like being impatient with my friends or getting too drunk, or things that are intimate, like dating Nate or fighting with my dad. I struggled with what was really mine to tell, and tried to make sure that other people in Between Gears were represented fairly and knew that they could tell me to change a page if they didn’t agree with how I remembered something. It’s like, I wanted to be as honest as possible, since remembering it clearly was the point of the project, but I compromised that in some places.

You’ve said you’re working on two graphic novels. Can you share anything about them, or anything as far as when we might be able to hear more about them?

NN: One project is for Lerner Publishing Group, and I guess I can tell you that I am just over a third done on it. The other was written by Jamie S. Rich and is for Oni Press, and I’m about a third done on that one as well. In both projects the ball is in my court to draw more quickly and get to a point where we can tell you more!

You’re a part of Periscope Studios. What does being a part of a studio do for you as an artist, and how is the experience of working closely with so many talented people?

NN: It’s extremely beneficial to belong to a studio. I sleep regular hours, shower, pick out an outfit, pack a lunch, commute, and spend 5-10 hours at The Office every day of the week. When I am there, it’s easier to get into work mode than it is if I am at home in my PJs two feet away from my bed and twenty steps from the kitchen all day.

Then you take into account the level of talent and diversity you find at Periscope, and it becomes more than just a place you go to get work done. I get to spend my day working alongside some seriously awesome people. I want to go to work to see my friends and hear what is new with them. I see their insane double-page spreads and I want to put more effort into my art. I have a dilemma on a page and I know that help is available at any one of the desks around me.

Is there a lot of ridiculousness and pranking that happens in Periscope? I’ve always imagined there to be a little occasional silliness there.

NN: ‘Little’ and ‘occasional’ have nothing to do with it. We have a whiteboard with rotating atrocities, a studio-wide sound system that anyone can access from their laptop, Steve Lieber is the king of photobomb, and David Hahn occasionally scares the crap out of someone with one of those screeching monkey rubber band things. My personal favorite is a hole in the ceiling with a rubber rat and stuffed piranha that take turns poking their heads through to scare the unlucky visitor who happens to look up.

Portland is, in a lot of ways, the heart of the comic book world. What is it like to work in a community that is so encouraging of your craft, as well as one that is the home of so many great talents of the industry?

NN: I take this for granted, because I was born and grew up in Portland. When I travel, I’m usually going to a big city or a comic convention, so I’ve never felt devoid of comic acceptance or a comic community.

One of the key elements for any budding cartoonist to figure out is the art of self-promotion. How difficult is that for you, and what have you done to get your name out there?

NN: I grew up with the Internet and social networking, so that part comes pretty naturally. I keep a static homepage and constantly update Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Blogger with new art, photos, and relevant news. I have attended conventions for three years and love them, but I definitely want to improve my convention presence. I am still figuring out how to advertise that I’ll be there, suggest to convention organizers that I be on panels, know which goods to bring, and display everything to the best benefit.

Networking is a challenge. My strong instinct is to be withdrawn and polite with strangers, but that’s not very helpful when you’re trying to make an impression on someone you may only have a couple of minutes with and need to convince that you are awesome and deserve jobs and money. It gets easier and less intimidating that more people I meet and the more I practice introducing myself, but in my estimation it is still my weak area.

Does feedback (both positive and negative) with fans and critics via social media push you as an artist? How does that aspect affect your art?

NN: I draw mostly for myself, but feedback is really, really nice. Even critical feedback is effort on someone’s part to communicate with me because of something I drew. That’s very exciting. I read and consider all of my feedback, and have learned a lot about what is and isn’t working in my art because of it.

Comics, even with increasing acceptance amongst the mainstream, are still a niche medium. With that in mind, have your friends and family always been supportive of your pursuit of a career in this field?

NN: I think I am pretty lucky there. No one is against it, and everyone seems to think it is “cool” and offers to buy my books when they come out. I have a great family. All three of my youngest cousins are comics readers! I am trying to foster that by giving them comics, just as an older cousin once did for me. In my sorority, everyone was really supportive, visited my website, and asked me about my projects. The only time I feel strange about working in comics is when I explain to a stranger what I do, and they really don’t get it. Especially because I have no serialized strip or bestselling graphic novel to my name, it can make me feel illegitimate.

Princess Mononoke Commission from Tally

If you weren’t going to work in comics, what would you want to do? And working for Studio Ghibli is a perfectly legitimate answer.

NN: I WISH. Oh my gosh, I had this elaborate fantasy-plan last year wherein I took a teaching job in Tokyo and stalked Studio Ghibli until they offered me an internship. I was going to leave fan art on their doorstep every week.
 Pixar is an equally fantastic dream-company–I promised myself when I was 16 and saw The Incredibles that I would work for them someday. I didn’t go to art school and I’m insecure about my abilities, but maybe I could sneak in as a storyboard artist or character designer…

What would be a dream project for you?

NN: If I could write and illustrate my own story for a publisher, have a lot of creative freedom, and pay the bills with it, that would be pretty perfect. Something with action, humor, romance, great characters, natural settings, animals, and a lot of scene changes and wardrobe changes!

What are three things that you absolutely cannot work without?

NN: Coffee, quiet, and heat. My hand gets tense and useless if it’s too cold. It’s a good thing I’m at Periscope now, because last winter I worked from home and my roommates did not like our gas bills!

Desert Island question: one book, one album, one film and one comic. What do you take with you?

NN: Watership Down, Fashion Nugget, UP, and (AUGH HOW CAN I CHOOSE) Pluto.

Who are your favorite artists working in comics today?

NN: Joëlle Jones, Faith Erin Hicks, Ross Campbell, Naoki Urasawa, Takeshi Obata, Hope Larson, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Brandon Graham, Nicolas Hitori de, Ted Naifeh, Becky Cloonan, Jen Wang, Stuart Immonen, Hellen Jo, Rebekah Isaacs, Kate Beaton, Lucy Knisley, Angie Wang, Erika Moen…I could go all day, but I’ll stop.