Girlfiend Comics is written and drawn by Michelle Gruben. Michelle got her start in 2000, creating her first comic strip for a friend's gay zine. Her college comic strip, Girl Trouble, debuted in 2002 in the Eastfield Et Cetera, and ran through 2006 in The Mercury at the University of Texas at Dallas. Girl Trouble won three Associated Collegiate Press/Universal Press Syndicate awards--in 2003, 2004, and 2005. After earning a B.A. in Gender Studies in 2006 and enduring a brief stint in grad school, Michelle left the academic world to become a professional chef. Her current Girlfiend Comics project is a series of one-page stories about women and sex. She lives in Dallas, Texas.
Girlfiend Comics website graciously created and maintained by Sarah Moore.
More about Michelle:
I'm 23 and married to my longtime girlfriend. When I'm not working on the webcomic, I like to cook, travel, read, and sleep.
Is it "Girlfriend" or "Girlfiend"?
It's "girlfiend," like a demon, but one unforeseen problem with that name is that people tend to read it as "Girlfriend Comics." I set GirlfriendComics.com to redirect to the this site, and that's pretty much fixed the issue.
Did we go to school together?
Maybe. I went to J.C. Rugel Elementary, Dallas Montessori Academy, Eastfield College, El Centro College, and UTD. If we met in college, I might not remember you, though.
How do you make your comics?
Felt-tip pen on bristol board. I'm currently learning to use Photoshop with the Wacom tablet, and planning to debut some digitally-produced comics soon-ish.
What's next for Girlfiend Comics?
Well, the project that I'm working on now is a series of 100 one-page comics--all stand-alone stories with a few recurring characters sprinkled into the mix. It's going to be finished and published in book format in Fall 2010. If my work schedule allows, I'm going to attend a couple of comic conventions to promote the book. When the current webcomic series wraps up (Summer 2011), readers will get an assortment of funny bits, drama, and general naughtiness, all with a queer twist.
How can I stay in touch?
I'm on Facebook, but not very actively. The best way to get the latest on Girlfiend Comics is through my website or Flickr account. I always answer email, too.
