Mind Meld With Anwita Citriya!

From April’s Portfolio Day on Twitter and from Indonesia itself comes Comic Artist/Illustrator/Yuuko’s Gloomy Days creator Anwita Citriya! 

1. Hello there! And welcome to the Mind Meld here at IndieComiX! For those who may not be aware of you and what it is you do, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi Rob! Thank you for having me, I really appreciate your interest in my work!

Hi everyone! My name is Anwita, I’m a comic artist and illustrator from Indonesia.
I graduated with a degree in interior design but decided to pursue my true passion instead–which are storytelling and illustration.

2. As I ended up coming across you back in April during Twitter’s Portfolio Day, has taking part in that event helped you in getting more jobs where your talents in illustration are concerned?

Oh wow, that’s awesome! Taking part in trending events on X has definitely helped increase my visibility. It was also how my current co-creator discovered me.

I only started promoting my work on X in 2021 because despite having a decent following on IG I never really got any work opportunities there. I diligently take part in trending events like Portfolio Day, Art vs Artist, etc. I was lucky to have friends on X who happen to be artists too, it made getting my work out there a little easier. Some of my posts managed to really get good engagements, then one day I got an email from a senior editor at Oni who offered me an opportunity to collaborate with a writer to make an OGN. That marked the start of my career as a professional comic artist. Although it wasn’t until 2022 that I officially debuted with my first published short comic in Skybound’s Creepshow.

3. What led to you wanting to get into comics creation?

As a neurodivergent child, I have always found it difficult to communicate my thoughts and feelings verbally. Art became my chosen medium to express myself. But my interest in comics didn’t start until my sister bought me my first manga when I was in elementary, it was Sailor Moon. And then I got to know more manga artists such as Aoyama Gosho, CLAMP (Cardcaptor Sakura), and many more. I started reading and collecting them.

I was especially enthralled by CLAMP’s delicate art and touching stories. Comics always felt almost magical to me–how the author can move your heart, take you on a journey into their mind, and show you how they see the world, It’s amazing. I wanted to do that too so I started drawing comics in elementary. But I never thought I could have a career out of it. The 10 year old me would never believe it if I told her she’s going to be a comic artist in the future haha.

4. Amongst your earliest works is Yuuko’s Gloomy Days that started way back in 2018 on the WebTOONS website, what led to you creating YGD?

If I can be honest, YGD was born when I was in one of the lowest points of my life haha. At that time I was feeling really lost and alone, I didn’t have anyone to talk to, so I started pouring my inner turmoil onto paper instead. My sadness, anger, and happiness. I was floored by the response I received when I started publishing the pages to WebTOONS. I get a lot of DMs from my readers telling me how they relate to my stories, someone also thanked me because according to her nothing could ever put her feelings into words like my stories did. It’s really heartwarming.

Even though I felt pretty “naked” for letting other people read my most personal thoughts and feelings that were scattered in the stories, making YGD was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made so far. It remains one of my most personal works that is really dear to me, and I’d like to be able to finish it soon.

5. Will Yuuko’s Gloomy Days, Mae and Hilde, and Outcast become available in print format or largely just on WebTOONS?

I’d very much love to turn them into books! I already have several publishers offering me to have my own books. So, fingers crossed! Hopefully we can see some of my original works on the shelves soon 🙂

6. As you’re an Indonesian creator, what sort of challenges do you face as a female comics creator?

I’ve been lucky enough not to face any kind of significant challenges so far. Everyone has been really nice and supportive. I mostly found my works online, and most, if not all, were from US publishers. So I can’t really say how it’s like to be a female comic creator in Indonesia. But I’d like to think it’s not much different.

7. Is there a big comic book scene in Indonesia?

It’s definitely not as big as the comic book scene in the United States. Not many people choose to do comics here, it’s still considered a luxury when someone could pursue a career in comics and really lucky when they could actually succeed.

8. If you had to choose, what would you say has been your favorite piece that you’ve created?

Oh this is hard, it feels a lot like picking a favorite child haha! I don’t think I could pick a favorite, they’re all unique to me in their own way. But I suppose YGD is special because it kick-started my journey as a comic artist and writer.

9. Being in Indonesia, is it difficult to find comics in stores? Or even a full on Local Comic Shop?

I don’t think there’s a store only for comics here, at least none that I know of. If we want to buy comics we usually go to large bookstores or we buy it online.

10. When it comes to Print vs. Digital, what’s your preference as a fan of comics and as a creator?

It depends–sometimes I like reading the digital version first and if I really like it then I’d buy the print. Although most times I’d buy the comic book directly, nothing beats the feeling of reading the physical book.

11. What would be a project you’d love to work on?

Anything related to horror, especially psychological horror/thriller! I love reading about psychology and neuroscience in my free time, human mind and behavior never ceases to amaze me. Although my current goal at the moment is to publish my own story.

12. What’s your thoughts on AI in comics?

Oh this is a tricky question. I suppose it makes me question the very meaning of comics as a work of art, though I don’t think I have enough information to comment further at the moment. What I know for sure is that AI in general has certainly become an unnecessary headache–because artists already have so many things to worry about, and now we have to worry about protecting our art from AI as well.

13. As you mentioned having some work through Oni and Skybound, do you have any future releases coming you can talk about through a publisher?

I’m working on an original graphic novel with Lonnie Nadler for Oni at the moment! It’s a gothic horror. I don’t think I can tell you more than that haha. Hopefully it can be released soon! 🙂

14. As a storyteller and artist, how long does each process take for you?

I think I’m one of the slow ones haha. I really enjoy the process of crafting a story, especially the research and the character design process. When it comes to art, unfortunately I’m quite a slow drawer haha. And I like taking my time drawing the details–so really intricate panels can take a few days, but simple ones are a lot quicker, like a day or so.

15. For my final question, what advice would you give to those looking to get into comics creation in the industry?

Work on your art, be yourself and do what you like–because sometimes the audience can tell when your heart isn’t really in it. Post your work on socials so you can be easily discovered, also make sure you have an easily accessible portfolio and contact. Read, watch, listen a lot–enrich your references. Be polite and professional, and lastly, always give it your best, the rest is luck. Those are some that I could think of right now. Hope they help and good luck!

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Huge thanks to Anwita for taking part in this interview! To stay up to date on her work, head here!

Interview by: Rob Wrecks