Oh Hey! It's Your Friend Betty Turbo!
Recently we acquired some pretty fantastic cards (and a zine) to sell on the Sourpuss site by artist Agnes Barton-Sabo, A.K.A. Betty Turbo. Agnes' alter ego first caught my eye on Instagram and I've been drooling over her art ever since. Lucky for us when we needed cards for our Mother's Day and Father's Day selection, we didn't have to look too far! To further spread the gospel of her amazingness, we caught up with Agnes for a little "getting to know you" Q & A!
So tell us about you, what made you decide to start creating art for the super geek in all of us?
I have always been a maker of art! Both of my parents are artists, and I have gravitated towards those types of activities my entire life. Being a super geek and making things about what I was really inspired by has led to a hearty appreciation of those weird connections, laughs, and a-ha moments shared between members of the same nerdy clubs! Â I am thrilled that this is how I get to make my way in the world.
Of all your character creations, do you have a favorite genre of awesome that you like to illustrate the most?
One of the exciting things about making art full time is that I am really able to see, no matter which "genre" or media I am working in, how everything connects and how my message comes through in different, yet consistent ways. Wrestling has been the biggest surprise, because those illustrations started as ways to put my own spin on a subject I initially hardly knew anything about, yet it has led to the most research and new discoveries, and new friends! It's super fun to work with muscles and it's certainly full of humor, but also a chance to start some conversations about pop culture, the world of celebrity, and gender roles & archetypes.
What do you love to do when you aren't working on your blog http://bettyturbo.blogspot.com/ or creating art?
When I am not making art or sharing it online I'm probably asleep! Â Well, let's see... I really love cooking, and I'm the kind of person who likes challenges and will spend the extra time to make something ridiculous from scratch. I love to travel, so I am always looking for more ways to make that part of my work too! Â I do work on my own muscles too, so those wrestlers don't have all the fun, and I take advantage of long runs for mental clarity away from all the screen life that is part of my daily routine. Â Other than that, it's all art, all the time!
What can we expect to see from you next? Any big things in the works?
Lots of new goodies on the horizon from Betty Turbo! Â I have a couple of new zines that I'll release in the coming months, and a few fun jewelry items featuring my illustrations, which I haven't done in a while! Â I have an ongoing personal project on beauty culture for which I am making new paintings and related "products" bit by bit. I am usually working on zillion ideas at once, so whatever adventures come next will be my new favorite thing! Â Stay tuned in via twitter (@agnesbartonsabo), facebook (http://www.facebook.com/bettyturbo ) and instagram (http://www.instagram.com/bettyturbo ) to see the latest work in progress!
You can find prints, handmade items, cards and more at the Betty Turbo etsy store here.
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