This week’s guest grew up drawing book covers and joining competitive reading bowls just for fun! In this episode, I chat with Afro-Colombian cartoonist and illustrator Arantza Peña Popo who’s created comics for publications such as The New Yorker, title slides for Cartoon Network, and editorial illustrations for Refinery29. Arantza and I talk about how people question her existence as an Afro-Colombiana, the persistent conflict between her American and Colombian culture, and how she found her passion for autobiographical comics.Arantza immigrated from Colombia with her mother as a refugee and landed in Clarkston, Georgia before moving to Stone Mountain, Georgia. Arantza grew up in a diverse community but struggled with the isolation of her identity as an Afro-Latina. These days, she is reconnecting with her Colombian culture through Salsa music, even if that means her mom is technically “winning.”Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or on your favorite podcast platform.Books Mentioned in this Episode:One for the money by Janet EvanovichSmile by Raina TelgemeierAnya’s Ghost by Vera BrosgolThis One Summer by Jillian TamakiThrough the Woods by Emily CarrollOther Links:Junior High by Faye OrloveOblivion by GrimesTiny Splendor Risograph PrintingGuest InfoCheck out Arantza'’s Instagram  and Portfolio!Host info:InstagramYoutubeTikTokSpecial OfferListeners of the podcast can get a free, undated weekly and monthly planner inspired by the show from our website here.Topics Covered:How her family immigrated to the US from ColombiaGrowing up in an immigrant and refugee communityGrowing up bookish and drawing book covers for funParticipating in the Helen Ruffin Reading BowlHow people question her existence as an Afro-ColombianaThe struggle to identify with the larger Latinx communityThe strife between her American and Colombian cultureHow she got into making comics after being introduced to more complex comicsHer recent solo show “The World is Looking For You” at Junior High LAHow Risograph printing translates the digital into analogFeeling conflicted about fine art and comics cultureHow she let go of the “elite academic white gaze” for her workNavigating oversharing in her own autobiographical comicsWinning the Doodle for Google competition in 2019