"I'm not sure if it's an act of self-preservation or just plain denial. Nothing makes me happier than when someone tells me they enjoy my work, or that it has cheered them up or helped them through a challenging time.” This is how Liz summed up the fact that her work receives so much recognition around the world.
Speaking about idea development and creating new cartoons, Liz shared that her personal favorite strips are often the ones that come out of thin air. The artist said: “I keep a list of ideas on my phone and write one down whenever I have it. They're usually just pulled from normal, day-to-day stuff that I feel other people could relate to.” Climo went on to explain that whenever she has an idea, she tries to imagine how it might resonate with different people viewing the comic: “Am I poking fun at someone or something? Could I find a way to make this funny to more people, without taking a cheap shot? I don't think all art needs to be this way, but I recognize that this is something that I am able to do, so I want to continue doing it."
‘The Simpsons’ animator mentioned that her first illustrations featured people with large, cartoonish eyes, which later transformed into animals with small dot eyes. Her love of drawing animals dates back to her childhood, which might explain why they became the main characters in her adorable comic series. Moreover, each animal in Climo’s series has its own unique personality: “As I started making more and more comics, their individual personalities sort of took on a life of their own. For instance, the bear is often well-meaning, hungry and clumsy, while the rabbit is usually dry-witted and rational.”
The cartoonist also added, jokingly, that she's sometimes a bit scared of social media, which affects how active she is on her profiles: “While I do run my own social media, I don't spend much time reading through the comments or engaging. I think having some detachment from acknowledging that the work is popular helps me continue to do it authentically, and saves me from my ego. On the other hand, knowing people enjoy my work and that it makes them happy is what drives me, and makes me want to keep doing my comics."
