Recently while surfing, I came across this website called smorean.com, the site is simple yet appealing. As I dived further, curiosity drew me to know more about the creator/writer of the site Sarah Morean. We contacted her and had an opportunity of knowing her more closely. She is a Collections Assistant at a museum, make zines, contribute to the Daily Cross Hatch and review minicomics. You may acquaint yourself more with the proceeding email interview:

1. Let’s start from your website smorean.com, my first question to you is, when was it started? And how did it come about?

Sarah: I started up my website early in 2005. At the time I was really getting into music and I thought I should have an online site to which I could direct people when I handed out demo CDs at venues I wanted to play. I really only handed out one such CD, never followed up, and never heard back.

2. What motivated you to start creating comics? And where do you get the ideas from?

Sarah: After I graduated from college, I became really determined to do something meaningful with my ideas. At the time, I was very interested in becoming a short fiction writer and children’s book author. I was reading a lot of children’s books for inspiration, but found myself becoming disinterested with the stories while growing more interested in the artwork and illustration. A children’s librarian encouraged me to start reading alternative comics, and shortly after I became a fan, I felt like creating comics was something I could do. When I began writing comics, I wrote about my life. Usually I’d write about 5 one-page comics every week. My life is still a really important platform for my comics, but I’ve learned to be comfortable playing around with the details and using my imagination too.

3. Since, you enjoy making cartoons, so my question on this is, do you make cartoons that are all ages friendly?

Sarah: It’s important to me not to alienate anyone through my comics, but I’m also writing them with myself and my ideas in mind, which tend to take precedence and appeal to an older crowd. I do a lot of adult-humor comics for myself, but I’ve made comics for kids too. For me it’s a relief to have something available that I would be comfortable giving to a 5-year-old.

4. You have a collection of comics called ‘Plastic Frames’, would you please tell our readers something about it?

Sarah: I’ve written a lot of short comics for practice or fun without the intention of submitting or printing them anywhere. I think it’s important to make such comics available though because they help track my progress, so I made a banner for them. “Plastic Frames” is the name I gave these comics from my sketchbook/diary. I wear plastic-rimmed glasses (have irregularly for a long time) and the title “Plastic Frames” seemed like a nice nod to my history and my vision.

5. What are your other interests? How are you able to snatch out time for other things? I would appreciate if you can share your working and lifestyle with us.

Sarah: I like listening to books on tape while I drive and getting angry about other people’s letters to the editor in the newspaper in the break room at work. I like my close friends and spending time with them. I drive a lot because my boyfriend lives four hours away right now. Sometimes I take pictures of things on the road. I think I might start getting into puppetry, but I’m not sure. I just cataloged a bunch of really unique marionettes at the museum I work for and now I want to make them.

I don’t waste a lot of time in general. I do things while I drive and I go to bed late and I always have something on my mind and unfinished. I’ve almost always got an unwritten plan for myself of things I need to do and deadlines I want to meet. I have a lot of ultimate goals as well. Usually I respond to my impulses. This habit seems to be what keeps me so busy. If I think it would be really interesting to see something finished, I hardly rest until it’s done.

6. Where do you see yourself after five years? I mean, any dreams, or plans for the coming future?

Sarah: I hope by then I’ve got a job I like well enough to stick with and become good at doing. I think I’ve been known to let my life get too chaotic and spread-out, so it would be neat if that changed. I’d pretty much die for a house and a letter press. I’m moving back to Minneapolis this fall, so I hope everything I’ve got going on there is still working out for me in five years (school, boy, comics). I’ve got in mind a lot of comics I’d like to write; hopefully in five years a few of them will be complete.

7. What advice would you like to give to the budding artist?

Sarah: “You’re really good.” Someone will tell you that one day sincerely if you keep trying.

Now, our second round, rapid fire questions:

A. Who is the most influential person in your life?

Sarah: Me!

B. Your all time favorite cartoon would be?

Sarah: Calvin & Hobbes is really solid.

C. What is your favorite word or phrase?

Sarah: I like seeing the words “Love You” and I like hearing the word “gorgeous.”

D. What is your greatest accomplishment (so far)?

Sarah: I wrote a graphic novel and I think if I read it right now I would still like it.

E. If given a week’s holiday, how would you like to spend them?

Sarah: I would like to be in Pennsylvania, spending evenings with my grandparents and days at my dad’s cabin drawing a book I can’t stop thinking about.

Before signing off, I’d like to thank Sarah for this wonderful interview and wish her luck for all her future projects.