Sarah Andersen
{{Short description|American cartoonist, illustrator and author}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Sarah Andersen
| image = Sarah Andersen - Lucca Comics & Games 2016.jpg
| caption = Sarah Andersen at Lucca Comics & Games 2016
| birth_place = Norwalk, Connecticut
| education = Maryland Institute College of Art
| genre =
| notableworks = {{ubl|Sarah's Scribbles|Cheshire Crossing|Fangs}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|6|15}}
}}
Sarah C. Andersen (born June 15, 1992) is an American cartoonist and illustrator best known for the webcomics Sarah's Scribbles and Fangs. Currently based in Portland, Oregon, she has collaborated with artists and writers like Andy Weir over the course of her career, and has been recently noted for her public opposition to the rise of text-to-image models and generative AI illustrations.
Early life
Sarah Andersen was born in Norwalk, Connecticut and lived in multiple countries during her childhood, "hopping between Denmark, Germany, and Connecticut."{{Cite web |last=sarahandersenart |title=Sarah Andersen : ABOUT |url=https://sarahandersenart.tumblr.com/about |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=ABOUT}} While a student at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), she started drawing and uploading Sarah's Scribbles on Tumblr in 2013; after graduating in 2014, she worked on the webcomic full-time.{{cite web |last1=Gander |first1=Kashmira |title=The illustrator whose cartoons sum up how hard being an adult is |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/sarah-andersen-adulthood-is-a-myth-illustrations-on-being-an-adult-grown-up-a7353781.html |website=The Independent |access-date=June 18, 2020 |language=en |date=October 11, 2016}}{{cite web |last1=Seth |first1=Rhythum |title=Ten Hilarious Webcomics You Need To Check Out Now |url=https://www.thequint.com/neon/social-buzz/ten-hilarious-webcomics-you-need-to-check-out-now |website=The Quint |access-date=June 18, 2020 |language=en |date=July 12, 2016}} Originally, the comic was called Doodle Time, but GoComics asked for the name to be changed in order for them to syndicate it.{{Cite web |date=2015-10-23 |title=Interview with Sarah Andersen of Sarah's Scribble's |url=https://www.thingsinsquares.com/blog/sarahs-scribbles-interviews-with-webcomic-artists/ |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=Things in Squares |language=en-US}}
Career
In March 2016, Andersen released her first print collection of Sarah's Scribbles comics, titled Adulthood is a Myth and published by Andrews McMeel Publishing.{{Cite web |last=MacDonald |first=Heidi |date=2016-12-13 |title=Sarah Anderson's Adulthood is a Myth wins Goodreads Readers Choice Award for Graphic Novel |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/sarah-andersons-adulthood-is-a-myth-wins-goodreads-readers-choice-award-for-graphic-novel/ |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=The Beat |language=en-US}} They would go on to publish the follow-up Big Mushy Happy Lump the following year, as well as the subsequent volumes Herding Cats, Oddball, and Adulthood Is a Gift! in 2018, 2021, and 2024 respectively. The first book was described as "hilarious" and "relatable" by The Independent,{{Cite news |last=Hoffman |first=Ellen |date=2016-12-11 |title=The 20 best books of the year, according to readers |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/best-books-2016-goodreads-a7468681.html |access-date=2024-09-23 |work=The Independent}} who also praised the webcomic's depiction of "that horrible realisation (...) that being a grown-up is actually pretty awful."
Andersen collaborated with the novelist Andy Weir on the graphic novel Cheshire Crossing, which was released in July 2019.{{cite web |title=Cheshire Crossing |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/andy-weir/cheshire-crossing/ |website=Kirkus Reviews |access-date=June 18, 2020 |language=en |date=May 15, 2019}} Based on an earlier comic by Weir, the story follows Wendy Darling from Peter Pan, Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz, and Alice Liddell from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland at a boarding school called "Cheshire Crossing."{{cite web |last1=Lu |first1=Alexander |title=Graphic Novel Club: Cheshire Crossing |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/graphic-novel-club-cheshire-crossing-collaborators-sarah-andersen-andy-weir-chat-about-ridley-scott-and-the-supernatural/ |website=Comics Beat |access-date=June 18, 2020 |date=September 27, 2019}}
In late 2019, Andersen began releasing a supernatural romance webcomic called Fangs on the Tapas platform.{{cite web |last=Arrant |first=Chris |title=What If SARAH from SARAH'S SCRIBBLES Grew Up? Author's Answer is FANGS |url=https://www.newsarama.com/48323-sarah-s-scribbles-sarah-andersen.html |website=Newsarama |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219021208/https://www.newsarama.com/48323-sarah-s-scribbles-sarah-andersen.html |archive-date=December 19, 2019 |date=December 19, 2019 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |last1=Puc |first1=Samantha |title=Weekend Webcomics: Shapeshift with Fangs, How to Be a Werewolf & Night Class |url=https://www.cbr.com/weekend-webcomics-fangs-how-to-be-a-werewolf-night-class/ |website=CBR |access-date=June 18, 2020 |date=March 14, 2020}} In September 2020, Fangs was published as a book by Andrews McMeel Publishing.{{cite web |title=Fangs |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781524860677 |website=Publishers Weekly |access-date=October 19, 2020}} It became a Publishers Weekly Bestseller that month{{cite web |title=Publishers Weekly Bestsellers |url=https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/the-mix/publishers-weekly-bestsellers-2703195 |website=Pique Newsmagazine |access-date=October 19, 2020 |language=en |date=September 10, 2020}} and a New York Times Bestseller in October 2020.{{cite news |title=Graphic Books and Manga - Best Sellers |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2020/10/01/graphic-books-and-manga/ |access-date=October 19, 2020}}
In January 2020, Andersen painted a mural of her characters as part of a public art project in Mexico City, but it was graffitied over within days.{{Cite web|date=February 4, 2020|title=US artist's mural marred by graffiti in less than a week|url=https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/us-artists-mural-marred-by-graffiti-in-less-than-a-week/|access-date=December 2, 2020|website=Mexico News Daily|language=en-US}}
On September 20, 2022, the book Cryptid Club{{Cite book |last=Andersen |first=Sarah |title=Cryptid Club |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |year=2022 |isbn=978-1524875541}} was published by Andrews McMeel Publishing. It was nominated for two Eisner Awards in 2023 for Best Humor Publication and Best Writer/Artist{{Cite web |last=Codega |first=Linda |date=May 17, 2023 |title=Here Are Your 2023 Eisner Awards Nominees |url=https://gizmodo.com/eisner-award-nominations-2023-image-dc-marvel-dark-hors-1850446052 |website=Gizmodo}} but did not win.
On December 31, 2022, she authored a guest essay in the New York Times about the rise of artificial graphist systems such as Stable Diffusion, pointing out threats it presents on graphic creators such as increased confusion, appropriation, reputational impact, and income reduction.{{Cite news |last=Andersen |first=Sarah |date=December 31, 2022 |title=Opinion {{!}} The Alt-Right Manipulated My Comic. Then A.I. Claimed It. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/31/opinion/sarah-andersen-how-algorithim-took-my-work.html |access-date=January 1, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} In January the following year, Andersen was listed as a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against AI companies Stability AI, Midjourney, and online art community DeviantArt.{{Cite news |last=Canva |first=Michael |date=February 14, 2023 |title=Artists are alarmed by AI — and they're fighting back |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/comics/2023/02/14/ai-in-illustration/ |access-date=February 15, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}} On July 19, 2023, Judge William Orrick III stated he would dismiss most of the case, requesting they elaborate on issues and "provide more facts".{{cite news |last1=Brittain |first1=Blake |title=US judge finds flaws in artists' lawsuit against AI companies |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-judge-finds-flaws-artists-lawsuit-against-ai-companies-2023-07-19/ |work=Reuters |date=July 19, 2023}}
Bibliography
= ''Sarah's Scribbles'' =
- Adulthood is a Myth (2016) Andrews McMeel Publishing. {{ISBN|9781449474195}}
- Big Mushy Happy Lump (2017) Andrews McMeel Publishing. {{ISBN|9781449479619}}
- Herding Cats (2018) Andrews McMeel Publishing. {{ISBN|9781449489786}}
- Oddball (2021) Andrews McMeel Publishing. {{ISBN|9781449489793}}
- Adulthood Is a Gift! (2024) Andrews McMeel Publishing. {{ISBN|9781524890407}}
= Graphic novels =
- Fangs (2020) Andrews McMeel Publishing. {{ISBN|9781524860677|}}
- Cryptid Club (2022) Andrews McMeel Publishing. {{ISBN|9781524875541}}
= As illustrator =
- Cheshire Crossing (2019) (with Andy Weir) Ten Speed Graphic. {{ISBN|9780399582073}}
Awards and nominations
Published editions of Sarah's Scribbles won Andersen the Goodreads Choice Award in Best Graphic Novels & Comics three years in a row. She won in 2016 for her debut book, Adulthood is a Myth.{{cite web |last1=Hoffman |first1=Ellen |date=December 10, 2016 |title=The 20 best books of the year, according to readers |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/best-books-goodreads-2016-12#graphic-novelscomics-adulthood-is-a-myth-sarahs-scribbles-1-by-sarah-andersen-14 |access-date=June 18, 2020 |website=Business Insider}}{{Cite web |title=Best Graphic Novels & Comics 2016 — Goodreads Choice Awards |url=https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-graphic-novels-comics-2016 |access-date=December 6, 2016 |website=Goodreads}} The following year, she was awarded for her book Big Mushy Happy Lump, and in 2018 for Herding Cats.{{cite web |last1=Russell |first1=Scott |date=December 5, 2017 |title=Women Win Big at the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/books/goodreads-choice-awards/goodreads-choice-award-winners/ |access-date=June 18, 2020 |website=Paste |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Jean-Philippe |first1=McKenzie |date=December 3, 2018 |title=More Than Half of This Year's Goodreads "Best Books" Are Written by Women |url=https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/books/g25361954/goodreads-best-books-2018/ |access-date=June 18, 2020 |website=Oprah Magazine}}
In 2021, Fangs won two Ringo Awards for Best Webomic and Best Humor Webcomic.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-24 |title=2021 Ringo Award Winners Announced |url=http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news/2021-ringo-awards/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=Multiversity Comics |language=en}}
Andersen won the 2023 Silver Reuben Award in the category Best Online Comics – Short Form for Sarah's Scribbles. {{Cite web |title=Winners of the 78th Annual Reuben Awards |url=https://nationalcartoonists.com/reubenwinners-2023-2/ |access-date=2024-08-26 |website=nationalcartoonists.com |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Official website|https://sarahcandersen.com/}}{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andersen, Sarah}}
Category:American female comics writers
Category:American female comics artists
Category:American webcomic creators
Category:American graphic novelists
Category:Maryland Institute College of Art alumni
Category:21st-century American women artists
Category:21st-century American artists
Category:American people of Danish descent