Gemma Correll

Gemma Correll (born 3 February 1984) is a British cartoonist and illustrator who is known for her comics depicting personal, relatable anxieties and pugs.

Gemma Correll
The cartoonist and illustrator Gemma Correll, in a self-portrait first published in 2013, is shown holding a pug and smiling. The line drawing shows her wearing a blue dress over a white short-sleeved blouse; she is shown wearing her chin-length hair with bangs (fringe) partially up in a single ponytail off to one side.
Self portrait, with pug (2013)
Born (1984-02-03) 3 February 1984[1]
Ipswich, Suffolk, England
Occupation(s)Illustrator, author
Years active1989–present

Early life and education

Correll was born in Ipswich[2] and attended the Norwich School of Art and Design, graduating in 2006 with a BA (hons) in Graphic Design, specializing in Illustration.[3]

Career

"Drawing helps to clear my head, to reflect on and clarify my thoughts, feelings and ideas. [...] I love being able to articulate my thoughts in ways that I struggle to verbally. I create the comics I wish I could have read growing up."

 — Gemma Correll, 2021 editorial for The Lily[4]

Correll recounts that she "felt somehow compelled" to start drawing "little stories" at 5 years old, both as a distraction from her anxieties and as a way to connect with her fellow schoolmates.[4] She sold The Chatterbox, a self-published comic, to other students and teachers for a nominal sum to earn pocket money for snacks and soda.[5] She entered university intending to major in English Literature and Education, but switched her major to Graphic Design before long.[5] While attending art school, her professor urged her to pursue the work he saw in her sketchbook.[4] During her final year, she was able to sell self-designed merchandise.[5] Although she worked part-time jobs after graduating, she continued to doodle in her spare time.[4] Her first paid commission was designing a brochure of vacation packages for Virgin Holidays.[6][7]

In 2009, after selling her own products at craft fairs and online via Etsy.com, Correll became a full-time illustrator and joined the Anna Goodson Illustration Agency,[6] which helped her gain exposure to numerous clients that include Hallmark Cards, The New York Times, and Oxford University Press.[8]

Correll illustrated the Pugly series of children's books from author Pamela Butchart.[2] She has contributed regularly to The Nib since 2014.[9]

In 2012, she was featured in a month-long solo exhibition at the Land gallery in Portland, Oregon.[10] Her work was featured in 2021 as part of the Emerging Artist Showcase at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco.[11]

Correll cites Lynda Barry as her biggest inspiration and adds she has been influenced by the works of Kate Beaton, Jeffrey Brown, Terry Deary, Julie Doucet, Tom Gauld, Carl Giles, Matt Groenig, Gary Larson, Simone Lia, Ronald Searle, and Posy Simmonds.[5][6][8]

Selected bibliography
  • — (2022). It's a Pug's Life. Dog n Bone. ISBN 9781912983506.
  • — (2015). The Worrier's Guide to Life. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel. ISBN 9781449466008.
  • — (2014). It's a Punderful Life. Dog n Bone. ISBN 9781909313286.
  • — (2013). A Pug's Guide to Etiquette. Dog n Bone. ISBN 9781909313033.
  • — (2013). A Dog's Life. Te Neues. ISBN 978-3-8327-9742-3.
  • — (2012). A Cat's Life. Te Neues. ISBN 978-3-8327-9666-2.

Personal life

Correll resides in Orange County, California with her husband, the collage artist Anthony Zinonos,[9] and their trio of rescued pugs, Mr. Pickles, Bean, and Zander.[lower-alpha 1][12]

References

Notes
  1. Zander is technically half-Chihuahua.[12]

Sources
  1. Correll, Gemma. "feb3". flickr. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  2. "Gemma Correll". Nosy Crow. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  3. "Gemma Correll". Anna Goodson Illustration Agency. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  4. Correll, Gemma (August 15, 2021). "Without drawing, I'm not sure who I would be". The Lily. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  5. Gemma Correll (May 9, 2020). "Gemma Correll Is The Cartoonist That Captures Our Times". Forbes (Interview). Interviewed by Felicity Carter. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  6. Gemma Correll (18 February 2016). "Gemma Correll talks illustration, funny pugs, introversion and life in sunny California". Creative Boom (Interview). Interviewed by Katy Cowan. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  7. Garvey, Melinda (August 9, 2016). "Gemma Correll: Illustrating a World of Her Own". On the Dot Woman. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  8. Gemma Correll. "Gemma Correll: If I had my way, I'd read all day, everyday". The Reading Lists (Interview). Interviewed by Phil Treagus. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  9. Griffith, Erin (July 10, 2020). "Gemma Correll's Pandemic Diary: Just Like Her Normal Diary". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  10. "2012 shows: Gemma Correll | Ceci n'es pas un Pug". Land PDX. October 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  11. "Emerging Artist Showcase: Gemma Correll". Cartoon Art Museum. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  12. Gemma Correll (May 16, 2022). "Gemma Correll Talks Pug Life and Mental Health". The Wildest (Interview). Interviewed by Nisha Gopalan. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
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