Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Mata.
Hi Emily, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey as an artist started in elementary school, with one art piece that just clicked with me. I grew up loving the arts, especially cartoons and animated movies. But I was told that art wasn’t a real job, and that I needed to pursue something more “respectable” that made money. My parents felt the same way. It wasn’t easy being the only person around me interested in the things I loved.
That changed in middle school, when I met my mentor, Phil Yeh, at a TEDx talk. He spoke about his own journey and showed me that there was a way to be an artist and do amazing things. He became my biggest supporter on my art journey. In high school, I met many teachers who encouraged me to pursue art, and without these influential people, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
When it came time for college, though, I chose to pursue teaching. I had accepted that the art thing just wasn’t going to work out. I later tried to change my major to art, but UCR’s program didn’t accept me. They told me they “had nothing to teach me.” I took that as a sign, but not the one they meant. If there was no path for me, I would build my own.
That’s when I discovered our school had a newspaper. I walked in and asked if they would like to run comics. They told me they hadn’t had any in five or six years, so I created my own position and pitched my comic, Dewy’s Adventures. The comic follows Dewy the worm, who goes on amazing adventures through the power of literacy. I call him my bundle of hope. Dewy is proof that something small can still go far, and that even the smallest voice has something to say. He has tackled topics like school, politics, and mental health, and he’s the reason I was named Vice President of Cartoonists Across America and the World.
During my time at UCR, I also became a researcher under the guidance of Professor Alejandra Dubcovsky. My project, “Panels, Presses, and Parallel Paths: Women in Southern California Comics,” explores the often overlooked women who created, published, and shaped comics in the region. It looks at the panels they drew, the presses that did or didn’t make room for them, and the parallel paths they carved out when the industry left them on the margins. This research earned me the Sterling Stuckey Award in African American History.
Outside the classroom, Phil and I paint murals together, including one at May Ranch Elementary School, the same school I attended as a kid. We also are restoring the McDonald’s museum mural.
Since graduating, I’ve continued promoting our message as Vice President. I’ve tabled at San Diego Comic-Con and other major California conventions. With the support of the school I also hosted ValorCon at Orange Vista High School, my own alma mater, an event created to promote literacy and bridge the worlds of comics and education. I wanted to build a space to show students and the people of Perris that being an artist is a way of life and a career. That it is possible to come from a small town and make a difference.
Today, I’m furthering that pursuit as an educator, pushing for the arts and literacy. What started as one piece of art in elementary school has become a life I once thought wasn’t possible, and I’m just getting started.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, the road hasn’t been smooth. As a young woman and a person of color, it has been difficult, and not only in getting started. The hardest part has often been the lack of respect: having my skills, my knowledge, and my abilities underestimated. Being one of the youngest and one of the few women in comics means I’m often in rooms where I have to prove I belong before anyone will listen. That doesn’t define me, but it has shaped my journey.
It has also affected me mentally. Even with the encouragement I’ve received, I’ve found myself wondering whether I’m good enough, and whether my ideas and dreams are worth following.
I’ve also dealt with people taking advantage of my youth and kindness, and I’m learning to speak up about it.
Every obstacle has pushed me to keep creating, keep building my own path, and keep making space for the next young artist who feels like they don’t belong. Making sure they never have to face the things I had to face.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create comics and original artwork, and I specialize in pop culture, science fiction, and fiction. Through my comic strip, Dewy’s Adventures, and my murals with my mentor Phil Yeh, I’m known for using art to promote literacy and hope. I’m also a researcher and an advocate for women in comics.
I’m most proud of two things. The first is winning the Sterling Stuckey Award for my research on women in comics. It showed me that my work as a historian matters just as much as my work as an artist. The second is Dewy. That little worm has taken me so far, including a free trip to New York to attend a convention of the top university newspapers in the country. I’m so proud of him and of how far he’s gone. He started as a pitch to a school newspaper that hadn’t run a comic in years, and he’s grown into something much bigger than I ever imagined.
What sets me apart is my message of hope, creativity, literacy, and love. When I write a story, I’m not creating just as an artist. I create as a human being, an educator, a woman, a person of color, and a historian. All of those perspectives shape every page, and I think that’s what makes my work meaningful to the people who read it.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Oh my goodness, the public library! Please support and use your public library. It’s one of the best resources there is.
My mentors are a huge resource for me too. Phil Yeh and the teachers and professors who believed in me have shaped who I am as an artist.
For inspiration, I’ll read anything by Jill Thompson especially her book “Wonder Woman: The True Amazon”. She especially inspires me to make comics. I’m also inspired by Guillermo del Toro he is what inspires me to create as a Latina creative, and if either of them is reading this, hello! A comic I’m loving right now is Absolute Wonder Woman.
My art supplies are what help me do my best work. I use Sakura Micron pens, Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens, Winsor & Newton watercolors, Copic markers, and my iPad with Procreate. If Apple, Sakura, Tombow, Procreate, or any other art supply company wants to sponsor me, my door is open!
I’m also a little addicted to Pinterest. I love seeing how much creativity is out there, and it brings me so much joy and helps me come up with new ideas. Pinterest, if you’re listening, I’m available for sponsorship too!
And my Owala water bottle. It’s me and my water bottle against the world. Honestly, I could go on and on about products, but those are the ones that keep me going.
Pricing:
- Stickers – $5
- Commissions – +$75
- Dewy’s Adventures: The Strips – $10
- Sketch Cards – $25
- Posters – $20
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ko-fi.com/enderlady_04?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAaccCRy3a3oqQ_rqvrpolngh9SKZSUBqAb0yU0QJePMuiNiZX0qPk3r4fk9BmQ_aem_HoekG02_JCtWvh4A2rvwkw
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilymataofficial/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551781775070
- Other: https://www.wingedtiger.com/our-mission
