Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
St. Baldrick’s [foundation for childhood cancer research]. I actually shaved my head when I was a kid.
Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?
Printmaking… I’ve already bought the printmaking kit. I’m going to start small.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
New Zealand.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
Honey badger.
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
St. Baldrick’s [foundation for childhood cancer research]. I actually shaved my head when I was a kid.
Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?
Printmaking… I’ve already bought the printmaking kit. I’m going to start small.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
New Zealand.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
Honey badger.
Off the Cuff
hot November in Burbank, California deprived cinema of an animator. Lucas Elliott was attending a conference there in 2015, having set his heart on the career as a child after a studio tour at Walt Disney World, but the temperatures convinced him that Alaska was his preferred climate.
Elliott’s mother is an artist, so he grew up drawing. But he also worked at Apple for ten years, at print shops, at UAF, and lately as a graphic design instructor at UAA. “I love teaching,” he says. “It gives me the ability to connect with people and help them build their own craft.”
Two years of Elliott’s labor culminate next month with the publication of Spy Grandma, a graphic novel written by Celina Frenn.
Lucas Elliott: Hang out with my dog… our ginger Dalmatian.
AB: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Elliott: [points to coffee cup] Irish cream latte, or I’ll do an Americano with milk and honey.
AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
Elliott: The Alibi down in Homer. They have by far the best chicken wings you’ll find in the state
AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?
Elliott: [Canadian indie pop band] Walk off the Earth.
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Elliott: I rafted the Yukon River when I was a kid as part of my Boy Scout troop.
AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute?
Elliott: I’m really good at coming up with a variety of different ideas… The first idea is not always the best idea; you have to explore all avenues. My worst attribute is that I get into my head too much sometimes, especially when on deadline.
AB: What are you superstitious about?
Elliott: I mean, I drop some salt, I throw it over the shoulder. That’s about it.
AB: What do you do in your free time?
Elliott: I work on my own personal projects, or just drawing characters like, “Finally, I have time to draw Spider-Man!”
