Who: Diana Magaril, sophomore

Activity: While most students may spend their free time on the Internet, and Netflix, Diana Magaril enjoys spending her time drawing and writing her own anime comics.

When did you first become interested in anime?
I first became interested in anime when I watched movies and I tried to copy the pictures.

When did you begin drawing your own anime?
I began drawing seven years ago after I had seen anime movies and I just started out with drawing basic objects.

Have you ever had a teacher, or did you teach yourself?
I taught myself and I tried to copy the movies that I had seen. My mom did help me a little bit since she’s a pretty good drawer herself, and so that was nice.

How do you come up with the storylines?
I write all my ideas from scratch and they’re all my original ideas. I’m influenced by movies, but sometimes if I have an interesting dream, I’ll write about that as well.

What do you like most about drawing and writing?
I first tried drawing flowers, but I really enjoy drawing people, especially teenagers. I also really like to color in my drawings.

What do you think makes your artwork unique from others?
My stories are different because they’re drawn by a student, but they’re also unique because all the children who appear in my comics are different in their own special ways.

Has anything from your life influenced your artwork?
I’ve read other comics and seen movies, but part of what influences me comes from my own experiences. I wrote one story about a girl coming to the United States from a different country, which is like me
What was your most recent story about?
It was about a boy that had magical powers, but he didn’t have any friends. After a while, he made more friends and because of this, he became more confident.

Would you ever want to become a professional artist?
I enjoy drawing and I definitely want to continue when I’m older. I might want to be a professional, but that might be a little harder since you have to use computers. But I do know I want to keep drawing.

Do you ever draw in other styles besides anime?
I draw in other styles sometimes, but mainly, I just look at pictures and try to copy the artist’s style. I like to find different styles.