I’ve always believed in the beauty of imperfections. And when it comes to our feline friends, sometimes they can help to show us just how lovely those impurrfections can be. For Raven Gust, she’s here to prove through her superior creative skills that being different is a good thing and that imperfections should be embraced. She’s even come up with a perfectly adorable ambassador to encourage others to embrace their imperfections—whatever they may be.
I caught up with Raven and picked her brain about her inspirations, creative process, and of course, what her real-life cats are like. So, keep reading to learn all about Wonky Kat Comix and the inspiring person behind it.
When did you come up with the idea for Wonky Kat?
My dad and I were in a restaurant in the mid-2000s when Happy Bunny was popular, and we saw those stickers in a little vending machine. My dad and I joked about making a cat version. It was just a couple of drawings and a laugh at the time. He was purple then, and his style was very different. I came up with the name “Wonky” because that’s just how he looked with his swirly eye and bandaged tail. Years later, after college, I was in between jobs at the time and wasn’t sure what type of designer I was meant to be. My dad told me I should do something with Wonky because he felt he had potential. So, I doodled and originally created Instagram as a hobby. It eventually grew and became something I became more passionate about. I refined my style, and here we are!
What’s your main inspiration for Wonky Kat?
A lot of my inspiration comes from nostalgic things from my childhood. I loved Pokémon and Care Bears, which might be why he eventually became so bright and round. He is definitely friend-shaped! Wonky has grown into his own and I definitely have to thank my family, friends, and audience for all the lovely encouragement.
Can you tell me a little about your creative process when you make Wonky Kat comics?
It’s very dysfunctional. I have an idea and jot down a note or start sketching right then and there to get whatever comic or piece I see in my head. I start with a pencil and then move to ink pens. The lines you see in the comics are the original ink lines. I like the organic way the lines look, and it’s easier for me to correct something in Photoshop after I’ve done it by hand first. Once sketches are complete, I pull the sketches into Photoshop, delete the white background, and make sure I just have the lines before pulling them into comic panels and coloring them.
Tell me about your own cats, do they help inspire your comics?
I have two sweet kitties that I love very much. Mila is a fluffy diva who looks mean but is a total sweetheart once someone gets to know her. She usually sits at my desk with me while I make comics to approve the final result. Sometimes she flops on the keyboard to receive pets for her hard work. Milo is my little baby who found me at five weeks old. He is very much a cuddle bug and is very good at being comfy no matter where he is. He’s always happy. Both of my babies are rescues and loved very much. Their personalities definitely result in comic ideas.
What’s something special you’d like for people to know about Wonky Kat?
Wonky is imperfect AND very cute. He doesn’t have to be perfect, and he owns that. The same applies to animals and people. You don’t have to be a certain type of “perfect” to be worthy of kindness or love. Everyone is imperfect in some way, and that’s okay.
I’d like to give thanks to Raven for allowing me to share her work with all of the Cattitude Daily readers. For more on her heartwarming cat comics, check out Wonky Kat Comix on Instagram and A Very Wonky Coloring Book on Amazon.
All Images Courtesy of Wonky Kat Comix on Instagram