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If you've ever considered making your own comics, Mary Zorilita Bellamy recommends you try it. She regards herself as an artist who taught herself how to write. While doing cover art for licensed properties like My Little Pony, Mary created her own series. One title she is especially proud of is Faux Files. Mary tailored the series to young girls, an area of the comic community she felt the publishers were ignoring.
As Mary kept writing and drawing the series, and her stories grew more refined, her audience kept coming back for more. She started Faux Files in 2000 and is finally concluding it this year with Faux Files Vol 11. Still, that won’t be the end of Faux Files. When she collects the individual volumes in larger editions, Mary plans to make them sparkle by including new stories.
While Mary Zorilita Bellamy enjoys writing comics, she also sees it as therapy. As a neurodivergent author and artist, she crafts stories for readers who may wonder why they’re different from their peers. Mary also sees creating comics as a lifesaver. When a postoperative infection made her home-bound, creating art and comics helped Mary get through that difficult period of her life.
Perhaps you've written a script for a comic. Or maybe, like Mary, you've crafted storyboards to help visualize the story. Still, she suggests encapsulating the story before you start. Whether creating the story for a publisher or yourself, reduce your story to no more than two sentences. The sharp, focused elevator pitch will keep you on track as you work and reduce the stress that accompanies any creative endeavor. Thanks to Mary Zorilita Bellamy and Wondercon 2026 for sharing this story with us.
To connect with Mary Zorilita Bellamy, ask her questions, and check out her books, see her website. And if you're attending San Diego Comic Con, visit her at Small Press N04.
For more on the lives and struggles of indie comic creators, see my Wondercon 2026 post: David Lucarelli: Indie Creator Spotlight.
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