Janina Görrissen
Janina Görrissen was born and raised in Ludwigshafen, Germany. After finishing high school she studied Graphic Arts at the Joso Comic School in Barcelona, Spain. After finishing the three-year course, Janina was able to start working in the comic industry and got to draw her first published work, Kairi. Janina has also done the graphic novel Black is for Beginnings for Flux Publishing and I Love Him to Pieces for Lerner Publishing Group. She has also done various smaller illustration commissions.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Good question. I read a lot when I was a kid, so it’s hard to pick, and I can’t decide just on one. I liked almost all books I read by Wolfgang Hohlbein (he used to be my favorite author, though he’s hardly known outside of Germany), like Magic Moon or Dragon Fire. I also loved (and still do) Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn and Colin Dann’s The Animals of Farthing Wood.
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“A rhinoceros is as ugly as a human being, and it too is going to die, but at least it never thinks that it is beautiful.” —The Last Unicorn
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Authors: Terry Pratchett, Peter S. Beagle. Illustrators: Alessandro Barbucci, Juanjo Guarnido, Takeshi Obata.
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
Drawing for hours and hours was what I spent my free time on ever since I was little, so when I grew up I knew I wanted to be an illustrator. It’s just what I love to do.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Most important is to really enjoy what you’re doing. Write or draw a lot—every day, or almost every day. If you really want to write or draw as a professional, never give up on your dreams! The path to become an author or an illustrator is more often than not a bumpy one, so make sure you’re prepared for that. If you’re patient and try to improve every day, it will be worth it.
