Haley Newsome is a comic creator, illustrator, and internet artist with millions of followers across YouTube, Instagram, and Twitch. She loves horror movies, animation, and ghosts. Haley has lived in Idaho, Oregon, Calgary, and Tokyo, and currently resides in Los Angeles. You can get to know her online via her handle @lavendertowne.

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

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

Hi! I’m a comic book artist, video maker and writer currently based in Los Angeles. I’m passionate about cartoons, character design, and horror movies!

What can you tell us about your graphic novel, Unfamiliar: Volume 1? Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

Unfamiliar was inspired by two major forces in my life; first was a sort of creeping worry and fears of failure that started haunting me towards the end of my time at art school. The second was my sympathy for ghosts and monsters in horror movies. I often couldn’t help feeling like some of them deserved a chance at redemption. These two things coalesced into a story about a group of barely magical witches and the sad little ghosts who haunt one of their houses. 

How did you find yourself getting into storytelling, particularly comics/graphic novels? What drew you to the medium?

I’ve loved comics since I was very small. I used to obsessively trace Garfield strips and was obsessed with trying to extract deeper storylines and lore from newspaper comics. I also used to make sort of proto-comics as a small child where I would draw pictures with the dialogue on the back. I just think comics are the coolest, you get to really construct a world all on your own in a way very few other mediums allow. 

For those curious about the process behind a graphic novel, how would you describe the process?

For me the comics making process involves a cycle of going into a bit of a trance, throwing down tiny compositions and scribbled dialogue for about half a chapter, then coming to my senses and having to actually translate and execute all the ideas. I sometimes ink directly over those frantic scribbles, other times I have to redraw nearly everything, with the thumbnails working as little more than a jumping off point. I get into visuals as fast as possible, I personally find it difficult to script in pure text without getting too wordy. Oh, and I type all the dialogue first, before drawing any panels . I used to draw first which is a great way to accidentally create a reaaaally claustrophobic panel. 

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

There are so many! Hayao Miyazaki’s films have inspired me from very early on, his female protagonists are so wonderful and the pervading sense of kindness and magic soaked into his stories really make me want to create. On the flip side, Jhonen Vasquez’s comics definitely opened my eyes to the variety of subject matter and energy comics can have. Scrappy, less polished art like in Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and the FLCL manga really appeal to me. Being in online artist communities also was hugely motivating when I was a teen, supporting and being supported by bunch of other young comics hopefuls was uniquely motivating and really special.  

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

When I was growing up I really loved the Series of Unfortunate Events. I think something really frustrating about being a kid is how difficult it is to get certain adults to believe you or take you seriously when something is wrong, and when I was their age, seeing the Baudelaire orphans work their way around this was comforting. 

More recently, I was really touched by Everything Everywhere All at Once, in particular, Joy’s feelings of disconnection and hopelessness in the face of too much information, which I think is a really relatable problem in the internet age. I also was incredibly touched by Waymond’s commitment to being fun and kind no matter what he was faced with. Stories that acknowledge how brutal life can be, but still conclude that staying gentle is the way forward really speak to me. Princess Mononoke is one of my favorite stories for the same reason. I also have a soft spot for any ‘final girl’, Sidney Prescott being my favorite. 

Besides your work as a creative, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?

I used to be pretty good at fencing! ? Sword girls unite!!! 

Are there any projects you are working on or thinking about that you are able to discuss?

There is a dark fantasy comic about a monster veterinarian that I’ve been casually planning for a while now, I would love to work on that next once Unfamiliar is complete!

What advice would you give to any aspiring creatives out there?

Do whatever you can to lift some of the pressure off yourself. Approaching your projects with a sense of playfulness and excitement is critical. It’s so easy to paralyze yourself by putting too much pressure on yourself and the thing you want to make but it is absolutely counterproductive. Don’t compare, don’t stress, and follow your instincts. 

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/comics would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

Some of my favorites are Laura Dean Keeps Breaking up with Me, My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, and Wandering Son!