On October 31, graphic novelist Lisa Naffziger spoke to Sterling High School Tech Zone and Whiteside Area Career Center digital media arts students. Naffziger is a published author and illustrator, who graduated from S.H.S. in 2010. Naffziger accredits much of her success to both S.H.S. and W.A.C.C.
As an adolescent, Naffziger grew inspiration from popular franchises such as “Goosebumps,” “The X-Files,” and “Pokemon.” She began her writing career creating numerous webcomics and digital drawings. A majority of these early works were completed in Naffziger’s S.H.S. Tech Zone classes.
Naffziger proceeded to receive a B.F.A. in sequential art from Savannah College of Art and Design. She accredits much of her collegiate success to both S.H.S. and W.A.C.C. programs. Throughout college, Naffziger was a freelance illustrator for novelists. This grounded a career for herself and allowed publishers to begin acknowledging her work. Her success as an illustrator inspired her to begin her work as a graphic novelist. In 2019, she debuted her writing career with “Minus.”
This year, Naffziger published a graphic novel entitled “Deja Ross Speaks to Freaks.” The novel is about a girl named Deja Ross, who goes on a camping trip with her family. Deja then meets a series of mythical creatures. Naffziger spent two years both writing and illustrating the book. Following completion, she was rejected by ten publishers. Eventually, Penguin Random House accepted her submission.
Naffziger was interested in speaking to S.H.S. students so she could give back to the community that helped her get so far.
Sophomore Alexis Mendoza discusses the visit saying “[Naffziger] really helped kids interested in digital art or animation know where to begin their career.”
S.H.S. appreciates Naffziger and is proud of her success and representation of the community. She is sure to inspire other students interested in the same field.
