Check Out Lora Innes’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lora Innes.

Hi Lora, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I found my calling in a dark theater when I was nine. The Little Mermaid clutched her heart and sang “I want more,” and but it was my heart that broke. I realized in that moment I was sharing an emotional connection… with a cartoon. Every other girl left that theater wanting to be a mermaid. I left wanting to be a Disney animator.

I studied animation in college, but wanted to learn more than how to make drawings move—I wanted to move hearts. I took every class I could on film making, storyboarding, film history, sequential art, and writing.

And then I put it all into my webcomic series, The Dreamer— a time travel adventure about a high schooler who begins having dreams about the Revolutionary War. Every night, her dream picks up right where the last one ended, and it’s not long before she wonders if they’re really dreams at all, or something more…

Making a webcomic was a hands-on crash course in storytelling. I had to keep an audience coming back, week in and week out, to read a story two pages at a time. Every update needed to advance the plot enough to be satisfying, while building to a cliffhanger exciting enough to keep a reader hooked for seven more days. The Dreamer fans were so upset by the death of a beloved character that I created a special mini-comic where he returned to say farewell from the afterlife.

Watching people connect to my work in the same way I connected to Ariel as a child has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.

After publishing three volumes of The Dreamer, and illustrating the graphic novel adaptation of SyFy’s Wynonna Earp, I was invited to work as a storyboard artist on Invincible the animated series. I fell in love with animation all over again, and continued working in the industry. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work on shows like Stranger Things, Magic: The Gathering, and X-Men ’97.

And I’m telling you this as a storyboard artist for the Walt Disney company, so sometimes when you wish upon a star, your dreams do come true.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course becoming a professional artist hasn’t been smooth or easy. Art careers are competitive and unstable. Most opportunities are gig based, so even a job you love begins with an end date—comics contract for a set amount of issues, television for only a season or two. And then it’s onto the next.

But working at a variety of places has an upside. Every show brings unique opportunities, expands my network, and teaches me new things. It’s hard to say goodbye to projects and people you adore, but animation is a small enough industry that you often find yourself working together again down the road.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve been working in animation for seven years, mostly as a storyboard artist, but I also directed animated sequences for Slugfest, a Russo Brothers produced documentary about the rivalry between Marvel and DC Comics. That project utilized my experience in both comics and animation, as well as my personal love of history. It was a perfect opportunity to try my hand at directing.

As a storyboard artist, I’m known for my ability to infuse drama into scenes, whether the moment is big or small. I kept a mirror on my desk when I was a student so I could act out expressions as I sketched—just like my animation heroes did in the behind-the-scenes specials I watched on repeat growing up. That habit infused my work with big, realistic emotions. One of my favorite assignments is to do an “acting pass” on a storyboard, which means putting extra nuance into a character’s performance—in their facial expressions, and by adding mannerisms that make them feel like a real person. I’m not an actor, but I get to be one with my pencil.

I love telling stories. In words, in drawings—and in my life, which is something you’ll fast learn if we ever go out for drinks. I recently finished writing my first novel, Private Knowlton, a queer YA historical fiction about a real fifteen-year old boy who fought in the American Revolution. I’ve traveled across the country and overseas to research this book. I’ve spent the last few years learning Scottish Gaelic to make one of the book’s narrators sound more authentic. I’m too curious to ever get bored. After I find the right publisher for this project, it will be onto the next, with a whole new set of adventures.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’ve had mentors throughout my career. Sometimes they’ve fallen into my lap, like comic creator Beau Smith who saw something special in my work as an art student, and has championed me ever since. Sometimes they’ve been my bosses, like Jim Theodore who taught more about drawing at his illustration studio than I learned in art school. And other opportunities have been structured, like Women in Animation’s mentorship programs, where supervising producer Monica Davila chose me for a one-on-one mentorship in directing.

The biggest thing you can do to attract a mentor is to do interesting work. Working on your own projects will show you’re self driven, have a strong work ethic, can see a project through to the end, and will showcase your creative voice and point of view as an artist. As much as you’d like to work with an inspiring, talented mentor, mentors also want to invest in inspiring, talented people. If you’re headed somewhere exciting, people will want to be a part of that journey.

I’ve been a mentor myself throughout my career. Navigating creative fields is difficult, and I’ve tried to be the kind of resource for other people that I’d needed. None of us get where we’re headed alone. People helped me along, so I try to help others. And there’s nothing quite like mentoring someone then getting to watch the “ah ha!” moment when everything clicks. When you help someone succeed, it feels a little bit like succeeding yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lorainnes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lora.innes.art
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8689449/?ref_=fn_all_nme_1