Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Conway
Hi Allison, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am is a Brooklyn based artist who grew up next to a swamp in Wisconsin where I would stare at tiny organisms in the murky waters for hours. Three times I was able to save a painted turtle nest that didn’t hatch at the end of the year. On hot summers the mosquitoes could be so bad that the backyard sounded like a spaceship from the hum. My illustrations are inspired by swamps and delve into worlds hidden within worlds like wildlife concealed in the grass or microorganisms that are impossible to see. My detailed illustrative style explores the serious and fanciful often combining elements of humor and horror to convey my message. I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Illustration in 2016. I have worked with clients like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Merry Jane, Believe LIMITED, F(r)iction Magazine, The Arkansas International Magazine, Last Podcast on the Left, The Process Podcast, Bone Sound Inc, Yale University, and for over two years I published a comic strip in Vice about a pillbug named Millie. My first graphic novel, The Lab, was published by Top Shelf Productions in March of 2020. My second published work is The Island, published by Fieldmouse Press in September of 2023, and my third and latest published work is A Pillbug Story. A Pillbug Story features the character, Millie from my Vice comics and is published with Black Panel Press and just released in June of this year.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been smooth in some ways and incredibly bumpy in other ways. It’s been smooth in the sense that I always knew I wanted to draw and embrace storytelling through my drawings, and basically everything else related to making money doing that job has been bumpy. Rejection is a hard reality of many careers, but it seems especially prevalent in the book publishing world and illustration world. It can be easy to be discouraged. The main thing helps me keep on is remembering to enjoy the process of creating art and that is what matters at the end of the day.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an illustrator and cartoonist. Lately I feel that I am primarily a cartoonist, so my days consist of working on a book pitch or working on the book itself if pitching it is successful. I think I am most known for drawing bugs. I just released my second graphic novel and the main characters are a pillbug, ladybug, dragonfly, wolf spider, and ant. I am thrilled to be associated with bugs, I love them . I suppose what sets me apart of others is my comic work is detailed. Not realistic but always full color with intricacies in every panel. Also the fact that I draw bugs I think naturally sets me apart because it’s a bit weird.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I think the important thing to remember when you’re starting out is to take one challenge at a time. If you want to be a full time illustrator just focus on getting a couple gigs and if you want to be a full time cartoonist just focus on making one comic that is not too long first. It’s also important to follow things you are curious about and follow those curiosities. You never know where they could lead you and or what they could inspire. My obsession with drawing bugs began with my curiosity about the little creatures.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.allistrations.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allistrations/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allistrations?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: https://x.com/allistrations
