Ariel Schrag first achieved recognition in her teens, when she began writing the autobiographical comic books Awkward, Definition, Potential, and Likewise, each chronicling in unflinching detail her life while a student at Berkeley High. Potential was nominated for an Eisner Award (the comic equivalent of an Oscar), and is currently being developed by Killer Films (Boys Don’t Cry, Far From Heaven, Mildred Pierce). Ariel wrote the screenplay adaptation of Potential, and she has also written for the HBO series How To Make It In America and the Showtime series The L Word.
While cartooning will always be a part of Ariel’s life—she teaches a Graphic Novel Workshop at The New School and collaborates with comedian Kevin Seccia on the recurring webcomic Ariel and Kevin Invade Everything—she’s also been working on her first prose novel, ADAM, which will be published next spring. We recently had the chance to discuss the evolution of her career as a cartoonist and writer, and her forthcoming book about a young man’s formative summer in New York City.
Ariel Schrag, Cartoonist & Writer
Listen to the profile by clicking on the play button below. iPad/iPhone users click here.
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Ariel has kept diaries since she was seven. Here’s one of her first.
An important early influence was Ariel Bordeaux’s pioneering minicomic Deep Girl.
Here are some of the reference books on Ariel’s shelf.
Here are some of the personal effects she keeps in her workspace.
And here is a brief video of Ariel at work:
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Photos and video by Allyson McCabe.
