As Carolyn asked, “Are you guys going to work on anything else after this?” I hoped we would. When Karishma said the comic would have to end the previous year, I dreaded it. I enjoyed working with her and didn’t want to lose that connection.
But I didn’t voice any of that. “We haven’t cemented anything yet.”
“I hope you do. You’re a great team. It really shows how well the story and art go together. Sometimes it's one or the other, but you both really rock it.” A small smile crept onto her lips. “Your art actually makes me want to draw.”
Caught off guard by her statement, I raised my eyebrows in confusion. “Why don’t you?”
She met my gaze briefly before looking away. “My dad wants me to get into something stable, like a real job, so I’m in college for computer science.”
“You can still do art.” I gestured toward a booth down the way. “Priya over there? She’s self-taught. She worked as an admin assistant before getting enough of a following to do her art full-time.” I pointed to another booth at the corner. “And Bridget? She still works full-time but does her comic because she loves to tell stories.” I lowered my hands. “It takes time, but if you want to do it, you can.”
Something in her expression reminded me of my sixteen-year-old self. “You really think I can?”
I didn’t need to think about it. “I know you can.”
She bit her bottom lip and nodded. Collecting her book, she waved goodbye and walked off.
“That was really nice of you,” Karishma said, returning to the seat next to mine. “For all we know, she could be our competitor one day.”
“That would be kind of cool.”
“You think she’ll find a matching writer?”
I looked at her, lost in her eyes framed by her black hair. We’d been at the convention for hours, but Karishma still looked amazing. “If not, I hope she teams up with someone she lives with, like we have.”
I didn’t know what to say next, so I nodded and leaned back in my chair as another group approached our table.
In the lingering hours of the day, my thoughts drifted to Karishma sitting next to me. I remembered the first emails we exchanged when she approached me to do the art for her comic. She was willing to pay my rates, and at the time, I didn’t think much of her reaching out. I was living with my parents, and any money I could make was a step toward financial independence. I had lofty dreams of owning a studio where I could paint masterpieces that sparked bidding wars.
Instead, I lived the trope of a basement artist. My friends worked in big industries, built names for themselves, and developed portfolios while I had one art account with five years' worth of work and my mother’s deep appreciation for my routine of taking out the trash.
So, when Karishma sent me the script, I knew it was something special. It wasn’t just the concept her descriptions and writing were captivating. I worried I wouldn’t do her story justice, but I tried my best. I’d send her files, she’d ask for minor changes, and I’d work through them and send them back. The arrangement worked well, and the more we collaborated, the easier the process became.
Normally, when working with a writer, the first few weeks involve hashing out characters appearances, expressions, and getting a feel for the author’s world. The first few script issues are often overly detailed to help the artist bring the vision to life. But after a few weeks, you can skip the relative details since the artist knows it so well.
Even Karishma’s scripts evolved from thick paragraphs of description to two sentences at most once we found our groove. What made working with her special was that I could feel those characters. I could hear their voices, see their body language, and understand their emotions. Karishma had a knack for drawing readers into her world. I almost turned the job down, fearing I wouldn’t keep up with her talent.
