About Me
Hey! I’m Al, and I use they/them pronouns. Nice to meet you! I’m a cartoonist and comic writer who bases primarily on slice-of-life LGBTQA+ stories and dabble in Ace Attorney, Pokemon, and Owl House fanart! I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. All my life I’ve been drawn to the medium of animation and its ability to express emotions and create worlds not possible in real life. As someone who is introverted and a little awkward, I find it hard to articulate my feelings or express myself in the way I want to, and drawing has helped me capture those emotions that words sometimes can’t describe. I’m also fascinated with human relationships, romantic, familial, or platonic, and how they help someone grow and become a different person as they get older and grow wiser.
I am a recent graduate from the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont. Since then, I’ve made several minicomics and zines, began running a webcomic series (Young, Dumb & Queer), and have sold my comics at conventions such as Small Press Expo. I’ve even been part of a panel on queer friendships and how they influence my comics! You can watch it here!
Young, Dumb & Queer
“Young, Dumb & Queer” came about as a sort of reflection on me and my friends growing up, and the many ways they’ve impacted my life and made me into the person I am today. Pearl reflects a lot of my own experiences regarding my sexuality, gender identity, relationships, and general anxiety over having to be there for myself. Characters like Leslie, Tyler, Faith, and Maggie are based on the friends I’ve made over the years in both their personalities and how they impacted my life. But I didn’t want the story to just be about Pearl. While they are the focal character, every member of the group is equally important and also learning to grow up and be the person they’re destined to be. Whether that’s Faith learning to embrace her late, questioning sexuality, Leslie trying to work through her depression and try not to burn the bridges that have kept her intact, Tyler keeping a positive attitude in the face of a world that works against his optimistic outlook, or Maggie’s family issues and struggles with being an unconventional trans woman, everyone has a lot to go through. But they’re there for each other, and that’s what matters most.