ArtbyMoga FAQ

WHO ARE YOU!?

Hello! I am Meg Adams, the creator of ArtbyMoga. Moga was my nickname growing up and became my pen name when I began posting comics online. I am a Halloween-obsessed extrovert who loves rainy weather. I am a gemini, bisexual and also have bipolar II and ADHD. My favorite meal is buttered noodles and I am a practicing witch.

Who is everyone else in your comics?

The handsome bearded fellow in my comics is my wonderful husband Carson. The two dogs are Boedy (tricolor ears) and Lunabella (angry eyebrows). Our cats are Ducky (fuzzy, striped), Cirilla (little, striped) and Shadowfang (black void). We also have a crested gecko named Spurt. You could say we live with a mini zoo.

What has been your artistic journey?

I began posting comics for friends and family as a kid on Facebook in 2009. With some encouragement, I started sharing my art on sites like Deviantart, Tumblr, and Instagram.

I was surprised my comics were actually popular on these sites; I had posts going viral at 15 and 16 years old. As a kid in high school, seeing 100,000 ‘likes’ on a piece of art I made had a profound impact. It was addicting.

I worked on comics every free moment I had and continued to grow the ArtbyMoga community throughout high school and college.

In those 8 years I created well over 500 comics. They range from funny to sad, goofy to serious, thoughtful to ignorant, meaningful to cringe. Very cringe.

When I graduated college at 22, I had almost 1 million readers across my social media platforms. This was when I decided to try and make comics my full-time career.

With my undivided attention, ArtbyMoga expanded to an online shop, apparel store, freelance projects, private commissions and collaborations with large companies such as Adobe, Netflix and Hulu. I even signed a book deal!

2019 marked 10 years of posting comics as Moga. Online I was a beaming success, but in my personal life things had grown quite dark. I started ArtbyMoga at 14 years old, and I burnt out on it at 24. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, anxiety and a panic disorder. Just in time for the pandemic to start!

Like so many of us, I struggled during the pandemic. I blamed a lot of my depression on Covid and the general state of the world. To cope, I focused on writing my book. Unfortunately, I focused so intensely I neglected my mental health. Shortly after finishing my book (which I’m so proud of), I had a severe breakdown.

For the first time ever I couldn’t make art. This inability to produce anything really messed with my sense of self. My readers were so kind and patient, but I still felt like I was letting them down. My identity and worth was so tied to ArtbyMoga, when I was unable to keep up with the comics I felt a great sense of shame and failure.

On October 31st, 2023 I tried to kill myself. I ended up at a crisis center and was eventually diagnosed as having bipolar and ADHD.

Since being diagnosed I have started proper medication for my disorders and it has made all the difference. I am making comics again, which for a while felt like a total impossibility. I’m focusing on healing and moving forward with my life after almost losing it to depression. Life is really good :)

As time has gone on, I no longer tie success to the number of ‘likes’ a comic gets, but rather the kind of conversation it creates. I love interacting with folks from all over the world, and hearing what stories/thoughts/emotions my art brings up for them.

If you took the time to read all of this, thank you. It’s been an honor to make comics for you.

Much love,

Meg

What tools do you use to make your comics?

All of my comics are illustrated on an iPad with the program Procreate. While I work primarily digitally, when I do work in traditional mediums I prefer micron pens and sharpies. I used to work in pencil but found myself erasing too much. Ink forces me to push past my perfectionism.

How long does it take to make a comic?

From conception to finish an average comic takes 2-4 hours to make. It all depends on the complexity of the piece and how much caffeine I’ve had that day.

Can I use your comic for…?

Personal use? Such as a blog or classroom? Absolutely. For money making purposes such as your magazine or business? Please message me first.

Do you do commissions?

I open portrait commissions exclusively for Patreon. I will notify you when the listing opens. It will be available at artbymoga.com/shop