“Here’s my work desk at home and a sketch I did of me at my desk. The supplies on my desk are pretty bare bones, just some Pitt and Micron pens for inking comics, an ancient PC that I do all my photoshop work on and a newer Mac that I do everything else on. There’s a light box that I use for inking over pencil lines on more fancy art pieces and some comic art reference books that I always think I’ll use but never do. And of course, there’s the cat, Jack, who is always laying there even though it’s really annoying. My favorite part about working at my home desk in the winter are the hot water pipes for the heaters in the apartment above heat up and keep my studio really warm and cozy. My home studio is in a quiet part of Greenpoint near McGorlick park, as is also my work studio that I share with Sarah Glidden, Domitille Collardey, Karen Sneider, Kate Beaton and Lisa Hanawalt.”

Julia Wertz was born in 1982 and raised in the San Francisco bay area. She is the author of the Fart Party 1 & 2 (Atomic Books) and Drinking at the Movies (Three Rivers Press) She lives in Greenpoint in Brooklyn, NY where she shares an art studio with 4 other cartoonists. She lives alone, has a cat and likes to eat too much ice cream like a Cathy cartoon and she’s not embarrassed about it at all. She does not play the mandolin.

FROM YOUR DESKS: How do you work?

JULIA WERTZ:  I’m a morning person. I like to get up early and do the coffee/breakfast/news routine for an hour before I start working. Then I usually write at home for a few hours before heading off to the studio that I share with 5 other cartoonists. I’ll usually draw there until the early evening. I can’t get anything done at night because my brain starts shutting down around 6 and the part of me that thinks TV is a good idea starts to kick in. I still work while I watch TV or movies because I can’t just sit there and do nothing, but it’s mindless, sketching work. I basically just work all the time unless I’m out and about doing something.

FYD: I often have this debate with LA and NYC transplants who move back and forth. I feel Boston and SF are somewhat interchangeable. Is this completely baseless?

JW: Eh, I don’t know. I understand the parallel people are drawing with the places because LA and NY are more face paced, career and fashion places and SF and Boston are more bookish, coffee shop places, but I’ve found such staggering contradictions in both that I find area comparisons to be trite and tiresome. I used to enjoy comparing SF with NY, but now I think it’s just kinda silly. However, that said, I do find myself enjoying such conversations quite frequently but mostly because I just like talking about the places I’ve lived in. I’ve never lived in LA or Boston so I can’t really speak for them.

I find the bookstore situation in both cities to be pretty equal, but because NY has the Strand and its dollar rack, I’m leaning towards NY. But that’s just because I’m cheap.

FYD: These days… does your money (standard rent, movies, a proper pint) take one further in SF or NYC? 

JW: It’s pretty much equal. Both cities are ridiculously expensive. I’m inclined to say things are a bit higher in New York though, only because money seems to just fly out of my wallet whenever I leave my apartment here. I’ll leave with $50 and come back with $5 and have nothing to show for it.

FYD: Who has the better bookstores?

JW: Haha these questions are funny because I just complained about city comparisons but now I’m all into it, just like I said might happen. I find the bookstore situation in both cities to be pretty equal, but because NY has the Strand and it’s dollar rack, I’m leaning towards NY. But that’s just because I’m cheap.

Places because LA and NY are more face paced, career and fashion places and SF and Boston are more bookish, coffee shop places…

FYD: What is the next Brooklyn?

JW: I have no idea. I don’t know what the kids are up to these days.

FYD: What’s up to bat next for you?

JW: In regards to my work, I’m currently starting the follow-up book to Drinking at the Movies, which is really just the next saga in my life, since DATM was basically a follow-up to Fart Party vol 1 & 2. I wish I had a more exciting answer, but I’m basically just facing another year at least of sitting at my drawing desk and listening to comics podcasts. So glamorous!

Julia’s blog is waiting for you here!