Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Salinas.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I first moved to LA as a kindergarten teacher. I secretly wanted to write and perform, but I was afraid of showing up in the city with no job and no money. I got a job teaching K-1 visual art at an elementary school in East LA, and it was so much fucking work.
I was managing classes of 30 five-year-olds, handling soiled pants, wiping noses, and calming down tantrums. Still, I loved introducing kids to art. Goddamn, do five-year-olds LOVE art! But after two years, I quit pursuing the arts MYSELF. I’d stumbled into making a webcomic on Instagram while teaching — just a stupid stick figure I didn’t think much of.
Over time, my account picked up a following, and I began to evolve the comic, gaining a clearer vision of what I wanted to express. Now, my comic is the purest distillation of who I am as a comedian. Anxious, self-conscious, gassy, and really fucking into cheese.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Man, I’ve had A LOT of rough jobs. Teaching kindergarten was hard, but the thing that always made it feel OK was how much 5-year-olds fucking love you. They hug you every 2 seconds. They draw you. They dress up as you for Halloween! But my jobs in entertainment were another beast entirely.
All the shit, without the hugs. I hated being an assistant. I wasn’t very good at it. I’d lose sleep over dry cleaning or get yelled at because a latte wasn’t right. But every job led to another job or a connection, and when I got my first comedy writing job, it all felt worth it.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
First and foremost I’m a comedian. I perform on house teams at UCB, and do sketch comedy with my partner Heather Alarcón Higginbotham as the duo ‘John Baxter.’ I’m also an artist and the creator of my autobiographical webcomic “Bad Comix By Anna” on Instagram.
My comics tend to center around my depression or my anxiety, or my CONTINUOUS and cruel struggles to digest cheese. When I started making my comic, it was because I was reading a lot of comic books, and the form just sort of flowed out. I’d just gotten out of a breakup, and my first comic was about how good it felt to be out of that relationship.
I posted it, and my ex-boyfriend called me to tell me how hurt he felt. That was sort of the point of no return. Over the next four years, I continued to post comics about how I felt, and now I can’t imagine a world without Badcomix.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m currently in development on a few comedy projects, including a series for Sundance New Voices Lab. I’m also working on a Badcomix book, which chronicles my sexual encounters from age 16 to present.
I’ve dabbled with animation in the last (my animated micro-short is up on my website), but have long been pushing to create a longer animated series. I’ve been approached about merchandising Badcomix, but deep down all I want is to tell more stories.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.badcomixbyanna.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @badcomixbyanna
- Twitter: @badcomixbyanna
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