Tara Seibel
Encyclopedia
Tara Seibel is an American alternative cartoonist
, graphic designer
and illustrator
from Cleveland. Best known for her collaborations with underground comix
book writer Harvey Pekar
. Their work has been published in Chicago Newcity, Funny Times, The Austin Chronicle, Cleveland Scene
, Heeb Magazine
, SMITH Magazine
, Mineshaft Magazine
, Juxtapoz and the Jewish Review of Books
. Other independent work has been published in Cleveland Free Times, US Catholic, The New York Times
and the Los Angeles Times
.
to Lauren Geiseler and Robert Murphy. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts after majoring in Applied Media Arts at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
where she designed and illustrated patterns for gift products and greeting cards. After she left American Greetings
she became a freelance editorial cartoonist
. This led her to a collaboration with cartoonist
Harvey Pekar
.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
from Cleveland. Best known for her collaborations with underground comix
Underground comix
Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books which are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, including explicit drug use, sexuality and violence...
book writer Harvey Pekar
Harvey Pekar
Harvey Lawrence Pekar was an American underground comic book writer, music critic and media personality, best known for his autobiographical American Splendor comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a critically acclaimed film adaptation of the same name.Pekar described American Splendor as "an...
. Their work has been published in Chicago Newcity, Funny Times, The Austin Chronicle, Cleveland Scene
Cleveland Scene
The Cleveland Scene is an alternative weekly newspaper based in Cleveland, Ohio. The newspaper includes highlights of Cleveland-area arts, music, dining, and films, as well as classified advertising...
, Heeb Magazine
Heeb Magazine
Heeb was a Jewish magazine aimed predominantly at young Jews. The name of the magazine is a variation of the ethnic slur "hebe", an abbreviation of Hebrew. However, in this case, the word "heeb" seeks to function as empowerment for the Jewish community, thus eliminating the hatred associated with...
, SMITH Magazine
Smith Magazine
Smith Magazine is a U.S.-based online magazine devoted to storytelling in all its forms. Smiths content is participatory in nature, and the magazine welcomes contributions from all its readers...
, Mineshaft Magazine
Mineshaft Magazine
Mineshaft is an independent international art magazine launched in 1999 by Everett Rand and Gioia Palmieri in Guilford, Vermont. Initially focusing on poetry and literature, the magazine began to publish comics after Robert Crumb became a contributor in 2000...
, Juxtapoz and the Jewish Review of Books
Jewish Review of Books
The Jewish Review of Books is a quarterly magazine with articles on literature, culture and current affairs from a Jewish perspective. It is published in New York City....
. Other independent work has been published in Cleveland Free Times, US Catholic, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
.
Early life
Tara Seibel was born Tara Murphy in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
to Lauren Geiseler and Robert Murphy. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts after majoring in Applied Media Arts at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro University is a public liberal arts university located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, USA and one of 14 schools associated with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The town is named after Edinburgh, Scotland. It is also not to be confused with the University of Edinburgh...
Career
Seibel began her artistic career in Chicago illustrating covers for restaurant menus and food packaging. Later she was hired as a line designer and illustrator for American GreetingsAmerican Greetings
American Greetings Corporation, Inc. is the world's largest publicly-traded greeting card company. It is based in Brooklyn, Ohio and sells paper greeting cards, electronic greeting cards, party products , and electronic expressive content...
where she designed and illustrated patterns for gift products and greeting cards. After she left American Greetings
American Greetings
American Greetings Corporation, Inc. is the world's largest publicly-traded greeting card company. It is based in Brooklyn, Ohio and sells paper greeting cards, electronic greeting cards, party products , and electronic expressive content...
she became a freelance editorial cartoonist
Editorial cartoonist
An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary....
. This led her to a collaboration with cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Harvey Pekar
Harvey Pekar
Harvey Lawrence Pekar was an American underground comic book writer, music critic and media personality, best known for his autobiographical American Splendor comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a critically acclaimed film adaptation of the same name.Pekar described American Splendor as "an...
.