Bored Panda got in touch with Sofia to get to know a bit more about her and her creative process. The first question we asked was how her journey as a cartoonist started. This is what she answered: "Crossed paths with the Devil on a dark and dirty street. He said, 'I can see you're down on your luck, kid. How about a deal?' Fame, fortune, the high life, He offered me, all for the low, low price of my soul. I said that sounded pretty good, and to take the damn thing. The Devil gave my soul a once-over, noting the holes, the soot and the grime. He wrinkled his nose. 'OK, you know I can't give you full price for this,' said the Devil, pointing to an especially pronounced stain. 'What is this, ketchup?' (it was Chianti). But I'm no quitter, so I haggled and wheedled and now here I am, living my life of discount-bin celebrity. I think I got a pretty good deal."
As you've already noticed, the artist doesn't look for words in her pockets and her replies are as witty as her comics! After being asked what the most challenging and enjoyable parts of the creative process are, Sofia replied: "You have to cultivate your brain crops. Sometimes the brain corn is high, and you think the harvest will never end! You keep throwing brain corn down the chute into the processing plant: you're making popcorn. You're making high-fructose corn syrup. You're making, frickin', I don't know, slop to feed to the pigs. You don't care. Your brain corn is infinite.
Then other times it just simply does not rain, and what little brain corn you had is ravaged by locusts, and you just have nothing to bring to market. In those times, even though it's been cornapalooza for years, you've got to say, 'Hey. Maybe I've got to replenish the nutrients in this soil.' So you plant some beans, you know? Even though you don't even think you like beans, and nobody's buying them. But you have to plant them anyway. That's the hardest part: beans. Then, sometimes, it's also the best part, because it turns out beans are delicious."
For inspiration, Sofia shared that she'll never love anything the way she loves Calvin & Hobbes. And taking little walks! "I love to take a little walk."
Sofia's mission is to help people plant brain beans. "I just think people need my very good and important advice. I'm very mission-driven. If I can help one person plant brain beans, then it will all have been worth it."
Sofia revealed that she has some upcoming projects! Curious to know what they are all about? Well, according to the artist, some are secrets, because she's "cultivating an air of mystery." The other is that the artist has to finish a painting of her friend Julia before she finishes her painting of Sofia. "It's not about which painting is better; it's about which painting is faster. That's the measure of good art: speed."
