Lynda Barry

Lynda Barry was one of the first artists whose work made me feel like it would be worthwhile to actually pick up a pen and start drawing.

She was told that she could not draw growing up and stopped drawing until she went to college, where she started drawing again as a way to entertain her friends at Evergreen (among them Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons!) Her work grew in popularity when she created the adorable yet often troubled character Marlys. Fans of Marlys became ecstatic when Lynda wrote the novel Cruddy, which is told from the perspective of a young girl who witnesses a crime scene. At first it seems like a book for young adults but its subject matter becomes highly serious as the main character keeps getting into more and more trouble. I was excited when I got my copy and discovered that the book contained many full page illustrations by Lynda Barry. It is an amazing first novel and I know that I am not the only one excited for Lynda to write another novel someday!

Lynda Barry's illustrated novel Cruddy, 2000

Since Cruddy she has written What It Is, which includes exercises and thoughts to inspire aspiring authors and artists. What It Is is an empowering read because of Lynda's philosophy that anyone can create art, at any time, with any materials that they happen to have on hand. She recommends drawing on lined yellow note paper because the fear of messing up precious materials often immobilizes people who are getting started. She also gives activities to get aspiring writers started and insists that anyone trying to write a novel should first write things out by hand, because the ease of deleting things on the computer often keeps writers from writing anything at all. 

What It Is, written and illustrated by Lynda Barry, 2008

I did some of the activities in this book and was very pleased with the results, and I think that these exercises can be applied to design work as well. This year she came to the Portland Art Museum to talk about her new book, Picture This, and I got to meet her, making her the only one of my art heroes that I’ve ever met in person! She also graciously took a photo with me....

The proof that I met Lynda Barry! This ALSO proves that
I was a blonde once!!! –EHT

We shook hands, talked and I even gave her a copy of a zine that I had made, which she insisted that she would read on her flight home. It was AMAZING!