For a lot of teenagers, just getting through high school is rough. 19-year-old Ariel Schrag not only lived through those years, but chronicled them detail-by-detail in comic books. Starting with Awkward, which covers her 9th grade year, Schrag has made a name for herself with her very personal stories that follow the highs and lows of her high-school life. Those experiences include her dealings with her parents and friends, her first stabs at dating, and her eventual coming out as a lesbian.
“I experimented with comic books and comic strips for a long time and then in 9th grade I decided to do a comic book about that year,” Schrag says.
Always an artistic person, comics seemed like the most natural format to work in, Schrag says. But it wasn’t until she discovered the world of alternative comics that she really learned where she fit. There she found others who were doing autobiographical work and telling stories about real issues, not just drawing superheroes.
Schrag’s comics show her and the people with whom she interacts, including teachers, friends, and classmates. Although she changes the names of the characters, the drawings are fairly accurate in their depictions of the people involved.
“I experimented with comic books and comic strips for a long time and then in 9th grade I decided to do a comic book about that year.”
“After I did the 9th grade book, I had some problems with friends who were upset,” she says. “As I grew older, though, I made sure not to be concerned about embarrassing myself or being concerned about what others would think. I wasn’t going to sacrifice the story.”
The books chronicle Ariel’s firsthand experiences with drinking, drugs, and sex. Her parents first found out the details of many of these experiences through reading the books. Although she figures they knew most of what she was doing, she hadn’t talked to them about many of these experiences before the comics were published.
Schrag’s work has not gone unnoticed. After publishing her first comic herself, she landed a contract with alternative publisher Slave Labor Graphics. Since then she’s been written up in newspapers, magazines, and interviewed on National Public Radio.
Now 19, Schrag is taking a year-long break from school and working on finishing up her high-school chronicles. After that, she may give comics a rest for a while in order to focus on college. She’s been applying to several universities and hopes to study English or Biology. “I’m kind of eager to live and not be obsessed with high school,” Schrag says.
Although she’s now getting a little weary of her subject matter, Schrag says she’s glad she took on the project and encourages other teens to act on their creative urges. “You should put your effort into creating a good product for you,” Schrag says. “Also, don’t start over. Just plow through and finish it. There are too many unfinished projects in the world.”