Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Halah Miller. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Halah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

I started drawing from a very young age, but didn’t really begin to hone my craft until I was about 15 or 16. I started drawing my first graphic novel while I was a sophomore in high school, and self-published it by the time I was a senior. While I was still in school, my mom showed my work to one of her friends who was working on a children’s book and she hired me. It was 20 or so pages long about a rabbit and an elephant. I had a lot of fun with the project, so I didn’t even think about the payment. It was the first project I worked on outside my own and it led to many different commissions thereafter.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

One day while I was in study hall doodling in my sketchbook, the teacher came up and said, “You should try to make a comic.” I took it as a challenge and graduated from random sketches to studying How to Draw Manga and Graphic Novels. As a fan of both, learning the style came naturally, and over the next two years a story started to develop. The study hall teacher eventually became my advisor and he encouraged me throughout high school to keep pushing myself. At the time, my high school offered a month of intensive study each year, and I took the opportunity to dive in deeper. I created my first 16-page story, which turned out to be part one of five. It was enough of an accomplishment for me to feel encouraged, like I really could make something. With that same drive, and the support of my parents, teachers, and friends, one book became two, became fourteen within eight years.

I loved creating stories, but I didn’t want the pressure of it being my career. So with my series finished, I spent four years abroad in Japan teaching English. However, once that adventure was over I knew that I wanted to get back into the books – this time as novels. While I had been creating my comics, I had other stories brewing in the background that I wanted to write. Once I returned from abroad, I took to the keyboard and dug up some old stories. Writing, however, while part of telling any story, is an entirely different craft, so there were a few years of bumps to get through before my first novel took shape. Now I balance life working part-time in retail, and most of the rest of my time developing my works to build up Halo Moon Studios.

Tower of DOGS carries the flavor and action of graphic novels, mixed with the fantasy stories that I grew up with. It is the first in the trilogy, which is followed by Den of SPARROWS and the newest release Grave of BROTHERS (Oct 2023).

Currently, I am in the process of reviving my manga series, the longest of which, Kurokenshin, will be released again next year.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The simplest answer is I have stories to tell and I want to share them. Throughout my creative years, I have always had support and encouragement from friends and fans. The biggest thing that drives me is getting them the next part of the story. When I was working exclusively with graphic novels, people would approach me and ask, “When is the next book coming out?” In turn, I would strive to have the next installment out as soon as possible. Their excitement fuels me when my own drive starts to burn out. Now that I’m a bit more experienced, I take it as a personal challenge that I enjoy.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

As someone who often branches out into different creative venues, I cannot stress enough the value of community, especially getting the experience to work hands on with someone. Whether it be an editor who runs a writing workshop to help local writers, or an old schoolmate who is a crochet master, we can learn so much from other people. For a long time, I kept myself in the box of only working on what I was comfortable with, so I missed out on other opportunities to learn and grow. Since I’ve opened up to new ideas and methods, I feel like my art overall has become more well-rounded.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.halomoonstudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halah_makes_things
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HaloMoonSTUDIOS

Image Credits
All images were created or photographed by myself, Halah Miller.