Meet Missy Kulik | Artist, Cartoonist & Surface Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Missy Kulik and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Missy, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started out as a teenager making and trading zines through my network of pen pals. Many of the zines and comics I read revolved around personal journals and indie music, which I still am interested in today. Through my creating art, comics and zines, it seemed natural to progress into the digital age over the years.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been drawing and making comics since I was small. I am very proud of having my cartoon, Tofu Baby, be published each week in the Flagpole. I have over 500 Tofu Baby comics, and I plan on publishing them into a book. It is not always easy to create a cartoon each week. Sometimes I get writer’s block! I also have a day job on top of drawing my comic, and some days it is a lot of creative output. I work in a creative field, then you do not want to use up all your creative energy during the day, come home, and then have to draw my comic. I know it looks like a simple line art cartoon, but I really do put a lot of love into making it happen. I feel like people count on Tofu Baby to bring them a little joy and comfort when they open the paper. Recently I made an e-zine called “Cozy Time”. I wanted to see if I could draw all the content on my ipad, so I began making this happen. It took me a couple months of on and off work, but I finally finished “Cozy Time,” complete with links to all the things that make me feel comfort and coziness. I have a day job, so I find it hard to feel motivated to work on personal projects after being creative all day. So “Cozy Time” was made on Friday nights while watching movies and having popcorn, and on quiet weekend mornings, before having to run errands.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I lived in Athens for 16 years, and Decatur going on two years now. I still feel very new to the Atlanta area! A perfect day for me would be getting up early for breakfast, my favorite meal of the day! I really like Good Karma Coffeehouse in Avondale Estates. It is small, so get there early! It is very close to where we live. The other place I really like is Java Jive. It is so relaxed and laid back there. I love the vintage decor and everyone is so nice there. After that I like to go to Highland Row Antiques and browse. I can usually find vintage pyrex, records, or furniture there. I love going at Christmas to get some Holt Howard Pixieware to decorate with. By the time you are through looking at all the antiques, you can have a really nice lunch at Poncey Highland Cafe, it is so cozy there, I love it. I also love the toast menu and having a tea or coffee, or a cocktail. I really like the ones they serve that are made from butterfly pea tea! Another place we might go to with a visitor is the High Museum to see the latest exhibits and permanent collections. They host some really fun activities on Friday evenings, like tea blending, photo booths, DJs, and collage making, so it is fun to have an activity like that along with going around the galleries. I know everyone takes visitors up to the top of Ponce City Market, and I am no exception to this. The view is terrific, plus you can play some mini golf and carnival games! I also really like Root Baking Co. for their delicious toast (one of my favorite foods) or pizza! And Saint Germain has amazing pastries that taste as good as they look. I have also taken friends up Buford Highway, which has really great Asian markets where you can get groceries and housewares all under one roof, plus there are so many restaurants and cafes to try. My favs are Harmony, Paris Baguette, and White Windmill.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My friends Katie Haegele and Joe Carlough are a great inspiration to me. They are both writers and zine publishers keeping the DIY spirit alive and well. They set up events dedicated to zine readings, publish on a regular basis interesting and beautiful books and zines, as well as run a DIY cassette label. I love what they do, they are a true testament to the indie movement.

Website: https://www.missykulik.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugar_cookie/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kulikmissy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/missycookie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShoppeSugarCookie
Other: Etsy Shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/sugarcookie Cozy Time https://issuu.com/cozytime/docs/cozy_time_issue_1