Alumni Spotlight: Kelly Latham

Tell us about yourself. What do you do?

I’m Kelly and I draw things! I am an illustrator for many different facets of the commercial art industry. My work includes surface design, comics, children’s books, merchandise, storyboarding, and other miscellaneous illustration needs.

What led you to this profession or why did you choose it?

Storytelling is what led me to the career path of illustration. I wanted to be able to share stories visually through my work, and illustration was the best fit.

What does a typical day look like at your job?

I have recently transitioned into full-time freelancing as an independent illustrator and sequential artist, so every day looks different! Some days I work on merchandise for my online store, or I work on freelance illustration projects ranging from portraits to surface design, and other days I work on developing pitches for graphic novels and children’s books. But no matter what I do, I draw all day long.

What is a favorite project you have worked on and why?

My favorite project I have worked on was my most recent comic anthology contribution, Breakfast Guard. I wrote a story about breakfast-themed magical girls; think Sailor Moon plus your favorite Sunday morning buffet. The girls use their super powers to save the day from a giant vending machine using cheese puff attacks to destroy the city!

What advice would you give your college self?

I would tell my college self to learn to be part of the artist community. Go to comic conventions, join forums or groups online, be part of the conversation! A lot of opportunities can come from who you know, so get to know people!

What makes you proud to be a KU Alumni?

I love the way the Jayhawk is so recognizable. I can be anywhere from Kansas to Georgia to Morocco and I will have people strike up conversations with me when they see my Jayhawk keychain or KU hat. It’s like being part of a big family wherever you go.

Learn more at Kelly Latham's Website.