Arley Nopra is a Filipina-Canadian illustrator and cartoonist who loves wholesome and funny stories with relatable characters. She previously worked as the colorist for the second and third graphic novels for Daytime Emmy Award winning animated series, The Dragon Prince. She is the illustrator and adaptor for the graphic novel, The Baby-Sitters Club #15: Claudia and the Bad Joke. When Arley isn’t drawing, she’s reading novels in her favorite armchair, drinking lots of bubble tea, or spoiling her dog, Bengee. She lives in Toronto.

I had the opportunity to interview Arley, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks for having me! I’m Arley Nopra and I’m a Filipina-Canadian illustrator and cartoonist from Toronto, Ontario. I love reading, chilling with my dog, and taking long walks on the beach. My favorite stories are the ones that manage to make me laugh out loud or cry so hard I need to reach for a tissue.

What can you tell us about your latest project, Claudia and the Bad Joke: A Graphic Novel (The Baby-sitters Club #15)? How did you get involved in illustrating for The Baby-sitters Club series?

In Claudia and the Bad Joke, the Baby-sitters Club gets a new baby-sitting charge named Betsy Sobak, who turns out to be an impractical joker. Claudia unfortunately breaks her leg as a result of one of Betsy’s pranks. The accident makes her feel like baby-sitting might be too dangerous and could stop her from becoming an artist. She has to choose between staying in the club or leaving for good. This book centers around fear and making difficult decisions. It’s also filled with silly pranks!

I was working as a colorist for The Dragon Prince: Bloodmoon Huntress when my literary agent, Thao Le came to me with interest from the BSC graphic novel series editor, Cassandra Pelham Fulton. I was thrilled!

Did you have any previous connections to The Baby-sitters Club series before working on this project?

Nope! I didn’t have any previous connections aside from seeing both the original novel series and graphic novel adaptations at libraries and Scholastic book fairs. I was new to the BSC universe when I worked on Claudia and the Bad Joke and I quickly formed a strong attachment to the characters. When I read the original novel, I found myself tearing up over how similar Mimi was to my late grandma and laughing over how many things I had in common with Claudia. I love art and snacks and I broke my left arm when I was around her age. She broke her leg in the novel but her struggles and feelings were incredibly familiar to me. The BSC gals are so endearing and relatable. I’m grateful I got the opportunity to work on a wonderful series that deeply resonates with its readers.

As a creative, what drew you to the art of storytelling, particularly comics?

I’ve loved drawing ever since I learned how to hold a pencil! There were a bunch of things that drew me into the art of storytelling with comics. Growing up, I enjoyed cartoons, anime, manga, and graphic novels. In elementary school, I tried making my own series of comics in dollar store notebooks and shared them with a handful of my schoolmates. I thought it was so cool that the ideas in my head could be visualized on paper. What I loved most about making comics was witnessing the grins on people’s faces when they got to a funny scene or hearing about their enjoyment of the newest story. My art cheered people up and I believe that’s what motivated me to make more than twenty of these silly little comics!

I didn’t decide to pursue art or become a graphic novelist professionally after high school. At the time, there was a lot of misinformation about these fields and I didn’t know where to start or how I could make a living if I pursued them. I ended up going to university to pursue a BA in Technology and planned to become a graphic designer after graduation. However, I never managed to let go of my love for illustration and storytelling! I started sharing my art on social media around the same time I started university and found the same joy I felt when I was sharing comics when I was a kid. I gained a large following over time and was eventually approached by Thao Le with an offer for literary representation. I’m so glad I decided to take a leap of faith and team up with Thao. Now I’m making graphic novels! It’s awesome that I get to say that!!

How would you describe your creative process in general?

For projects like a graphic novel, I follow a series of steps. Here’s how it normally goes for me.

1) Outline. Just a few short paragraphs that describe the most important scenes. It helps to have a plan for the story this early in the process. It’s like a guide or a checklist.

2) Script. I write out what happens on every page of the graphic novel. I format everything like a movie script. This includes details like the settings, characters, dialogue, and actions. Some pages are detailed if there’s a very specific vision I have in mind for a scene. Some pages are loose with vague descriptions if I want to leave room for creative improvising. I figure out what to do for these scenes when I start drawing them in the thumbnailing stage.

3) Thumbnails. Very rough sketches of the script. This is where I figure out the placement of characters and dialogue bubbles. It’s also where I find out if scenes or dialogue aren’t reading smoothly. I’ll take out clunky moments and add or remove panels where necessary. Sometimes I go completely off-script if better ideas come to mind while I’m drawing!

4) Pencils. This is when I draw everything with more detail. There’s still a bit of roughness with my drawings but I’m more intentional with how things should look.

5) Inks. I think this is the most precise step in the process. I focus on doing clean and solid linework and adding shading where it’s needed. I make sure all my ducks are lined up in a row.

Between all these steps I send my work to my editor, who gives me helpful feedback. I make revisions until every editorial note has been addressed. The inked pages go to the rest of the production team and a colorist. K Czap did the beautiful colors for Claudia and the Bad Joke!

What are some of your favorite elements of making comics? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or challenging?

My favorite element in the comic-making process is thumbnailing. I get to be loose with my sketches and I’m not too worried about making mistakes or thinking about the finer details. It’s satisfying when a scene I’ve written in the script works out smoothly in the thumbnails.I find deadlines the most challenging part of making comics. I’m the type of artist who takes her time with drawing and goes with the flow of the creative process. Deadlines motivate me to get things done, but sometimes life can get in the way and throw me off track. This results in me rushing to complete tasks, which can be draining. I learned that forcing myself to be creative during these times can lead to burnout and frustration, so taking short breaks helps a lot. I’ll read, go out, or spoil my dog with attention and I often come back to work feeling refreshed and ready to tackle a deadline.

As a creative, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general?

For art, my influences came from watching countless anime and cartoons growing up. I didn’t go to art school or receive any formal education aside from mandatory art courses in elementary to high school, but I was eager to learn how to draw on my own. I constantly practiced, watched YouTube tutorials, and tried to get my hands on every art book I found interesting.

For storytelling, my sources of inspiration often come from my own experiences and observations. Strangely, it also helps that I tend to encounter bizarre situations. (Ask my friends. They know what I’m talking about.) I’ll usually walk away with great material.

Growing up, were there any stories in which you felt touched by/ or reflected in? Are there any like that now?

Growing up,there weren’t many stories that I truly resonated with or felt touched by. I often just enjoyed stories because the characters were funny or the plot was entertaining. But there’s an anime that does stick out to me called Fruits Basket. When I was a kid, I really admired Tohru Honda, who was the main protagonist. She was kind, optimistic, resilient, hardworking, and the list of admirable qualities goes on and on. She’s still one of my favorite characters to this day.
I picked up on reading novels as a hobby about two years ago and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I have a bunch of characters and stories that I resonate with now. It’s great that so many diverse stories are being written and I can’t wait to find my next favorite read.

Many creators would say one of the most challenging parts of writing a book is finishing one. What strategies would you say helps you accomplish this?

I totally get the struggle! There are a bunch of things I’ve tried out over the years and here are some that I found the most helpful:

1) I tell myself that if I get the thing done now I’ll have more free time to do whatever I want later down the road.

2) If I know how many pages or chapters a book will have, I make a numbered checklist and pin it to a corkboard on my wall. I check off each chapter or page number after I’ve completed them. It’s a great way to visually see my progress.

3) I remind myself that the younger me would be SOOOO amazed to see me finish a book.

4) Having deadlines helps a lot. I stare at the looming deadlines on my calendar until they gain the ability to whisper, “We’re getting closer.” *insert menacing sound effect here*

Aside from your work, what are some things you would want others to know about you?

I don’t like eating liver. One bite will instantly make me feel sick. Even thinking about it is making me feel queasy. I. Will. Stop. Talking. About. Liver. Now.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

Q: What did you do on the release day for Claudia and the Bad Joke?

A: I planned on simply chilling for the day but my parents insisted that we go to Indigo to see the books in the store. I remember feeling thrilled when I spotted them out in the wild. Coincidentally, a kid was reading a BSC book in one of the aisles. Before I could stop her, my mom excitedly told the kid that I was one of the illustrators for the series. The kid quickly glanced at me. Then they ran away.

What advice might you have to give for other aspiring creatives?

Learn to be okay with making mistakes in the early stages of your craft! Messes leave room for growth and discovering new ideas. Perfectionism can make you stiff and mean to yourself.

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

We just released Mallory and the Trouble with Twins and I adore this story. It will be the 17th book in The Baby-sitters Club graphic novel series and the first to center around Mallory Pike! In this book, Mallory lands a steady job with chaotic identical twins. It’s a story filled with fun and heartwarming moments. I’m so excited for people to read it!

Finally, what books (comics included) /authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Whispering Door by TJ Klune are at the top for me! These books managed to make me laugh out loud and cry. Both include LGBTQA+ characters, romance, fantasy elements, and some very wholesome moments.

For artists, I recommend the book Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. It’s about a teenage girl who’s secretly an artist with a popular webcomic. The story delves into some challenges artists face and it helped me get out of an awful creative rut. It’s also another book that made me grin and wipe tears from my eyes.