Featured Illustrator Dana Atnip

MEET DANA ATNIP

 This questionnaire goes back to a popular parlor game in the early 1900s. Marcel Proust filled it out twice. Some of our questions were altered from the original to gain more insight into the hearts and minds of our illustrators. We hope you enjoy this way of getting to know everybody.

1. Your present state of mind?

Excitement! I love the promise of a new year!

2. What do you do best?

Cartooning and drawing fuzzy animals.

3. Where would you like to live?

 
I love Michigan, but living on a tropical island would be pretty awesome.

4. Your favorite color?

 
Purples, but I’ll take the whole rainbow.

5. Three of your own illustrations:

6. Your music?

 
Alternative and pop-punk, but classical when I’m frazzled.

7. Your biggest achievement?

 
Right now it’s my webcomic, Galactic Dragons. I’ve dreamed of putting my comic strip out there for years; I had to face a lot of fears and it was a lot of work, but I’m very happy with how it’s been going, and I love the work!

8. Your biggest mistake?

 
Letting my fears dictate me for so long and letting them hold me back.

9. Your favorite children's book when you were a child?

 
The Richard Scarry books, but honestly anything with animals, dragons, or unicorns.

10. Your main character trait?

 
A dreamer. My imagination is always moving, always thinking of new ideas.

11. What do you appreciate most in a friend?

 
For me a friend is someone with whom you can share your joys and sorrows, laughter and tears... someone with whom to have adventures with or spend the day doing nothing and just enjoy each other's company.

12. What mistakes are you most willing to forgive?

 
All of them. We all make mistakes, we all deserve forgiveness.

13. Your favorite children's book hero?

 
I adore Fancy Nancy. She’s never afraid to be herself (in the fanciest way).

14. What moves you forward?

 
I’m always inspired by artists and other creatives. Life is short and there’s so much creating to do!

15. What holds you back?

 
Ugh, still the fear and self-doubt thing, but I’m working on that.

16. Your dream of happiness?

 
Happiness itself is in the present moment. If you can be happy no matter where you are in life, then you’ve achieved.

17. The painter/illustrator you admire most?

 
My biggest hero is Carl Barks. He did the Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comic books for almost 25 years, and was known as “The Good Duck Artist” because his work far surpassed other comic book artists that did the Disney ducks. His work even inspired Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. After he retired from comic books he moved to oil painting, and his Disney oil prints still sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars.

18. What super power would you like to have? 

 
Being able to shape-shift into animals would be pretty sweet.

19. Your motto?

 
Just keep swimming!

20. Your social media?

 
My illustration website is: www.danaatnip.com
My comic strip is: www.galacticdragons.com (for ages 13 and older)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/galacticdragons
Twitter handle: @GalacticDragons