MariNaomi (born as Mari Naomi Schaal; born August 2, 1973) is an American graphic artist and cartoonist who often publishes autobiographical comics and is also well-known for creating three online databases of underrepresented cartoonists.
Career
MariNaomi's has been drawing comics since 1997, starting out as a zine creator.[1][2] Their comics are usually autobiographical. They talk about the search for their roots, their status as a mixed race queer woman, as well as their feminism. Their article "Writing People of Color" discusses how people of color should approach writing about people from a race that is not their own.[3] MariNaomi stated "I feel like race is such a sensitive issue that I wanted feedback and I wanted to know how better to do it and to share that information.".[2]
MariNaomi wrote an article It Happened to Me: I Was Sexually Harassed Onstage at a Comic Convention Panel for XOJane in 2013 describing their experience of being harassed on stage as a panelist at a comics convention.[4] They did not name their harasser, but Scott Lobdell later came forward and issued a public apology for his actions.[5][6]
MariNaomi founded and maintains three online databases of cartoonists: the Cartoonists of Color Database, the Queer Cartoonists Database and the Disabled Cartoonists Database.[7][8][9] In 2014, they began the Cartoonists of Color Database and created the Queer Cartoonists Database soon after.[10][11] In 2019, they launched the Disabled Cartoonists Database.[12] The opt-in per creator database Queer Cartoonists contains 775 entries as of May 2018 and has been reported to be helpful in the professional careers of upcoming cartoonists.[13] Librarians and archivists specializing in comic book studies have also highlighted the need for open access databases like these.[14]
Since 2017, they and fellow author Myriam Gurba have been hosting an advice podcast called AskBiGrlzArchived 2021-11-26 at the Wayback Machine where they answer listener questions.[21] In 2011 and 2018, MariNaomi toured with Sister Spit and is also a guest editor of PEN Illustrated.[20]
In 2021, MariNaomi created a Stop AAPI Hate mural in Garvey Park in Rosemead, California. The comic-strip inspired 60-by10-foot mural covers the side of a recreational park building.[22][23] Connie Chung Joe of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles said the mural is "a wake-up call that Asian-Americans in this country have been scapegoated. Not just by this pandemic, but time and time again in American history.”[24][25]
In May 2023, MariNaomi released their book, I Thought You Loved Me. In this book, MariNaomi goes on an emotional, reminiscent journey to try and figure out why their friendship with Jodie ended abruptly with a phone call. They used details from old journal entries and told the story through colorful collages made with mixed media such as drawings, email threads, and postcards.[26][27] During the publication process, MariNaomi faced budget issues and even a cancellation, until Fieldmouse Press picked it up.[28]
Personal life
Their mother is Japanese and their father is a Caucasian American. Born as Mari Naomi Schaal in Texas in 1973, they grew up in Mill Valley, California and later moved to San Jose, California.[2] They began using the name MariNaomi in 2003. They worked in illegal hostess bars while they briefly lived in Japan.[29] They wrote about those experiences in their memoir, Turning Japanese.[30]
Publications
Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Resume, Ages 0 to 22 (Harper Perennial, 2011) ISBN0062009230
Dragon's Breath and Other True Stories (2dcloud/Uncivilized Books, 2014) ISBN1941250017
