Ursula Vernon
Encyclopedia
Ursula Vernon is a freelance writer, artist and illustrator. She is best known for the webcomic
Digger and the children's books Dragonbreath and Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew. Ursula is also the creator of the The Biting Pear of Salamanca, a digital
work of art which became an internet meme
in the form of the LOL WUT pear.
and Arizona
and studied anthropology
at Macalester College
in Saint Paul, Minnesota
where she first took art classes. In recent years she has become known for writing and illustrating a number of children's books, her first being published in 2008. Prior to this she was more well known for her webcomics and as a freelance artist, particularly for her works containing anthropomorphic animals. Vernon regularly attends conventions
to exhibit and sell her work and has been a guest of honor at Midwest FurFest 2004 and 2009, and the Artist Guest of Honor at Further Confusion
2010.
imprint. The upcoming sixth book in the series, Dragonbreath: Revenge of the Horned Bunnies (ISBN 0-8037-3677-0), is due to be published in January 2012.
Nurk: The Strange Surprising Adventures Of A (Somewhat) Brave Shrew (ISBN 0-15-206375-7) was published by Harcourt
in 2008 and released as an audio book
in 2009. It was Vernon's first published children's book. Other works include two fantasy
novels entitled Black Dogs: The House of Diamond (ISBN 0-9769212-4-3) and Black Dogs: The Mountain of Iron (ISBN 978-1-936689-03-3).
nominated webcomic Digger. A fantasy story featuring an anthropomorphic wombat
, it is also available in a number of paperback print volumes: (ISBN 0-9769212-2-7), (ISBN 0-9769212-6-X), (ISBN 0-9791496-3-0). She is also the writer and illustrator of the webcomic Irrational Fears and the short stories Little Creature and Little Creature and the Redcap, all available online at Webcomics Nation
.
as well as the use of more traditional mediums such as watercolour and acrylics, with much of her more recent work being mixed media
. Most of her art work is available as prints and Vernon has also taken commercial commissions such as book covers and game art.
The game Black Sheep designed by Reiner Knizia
and published by Fantasy Flight Games
uses art by Vernon on its playing cards. Her art work titled The Biting Pear of Salamanca became an internet meme
in the form of the LOL WUT pear and has been made into a resin
figurine
due to its popularity. She has also designed labels for a series of tea
and soap
products.
s in the category Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition for her work on Digger. Digger has also received a number of awards and nominations for the Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards
in the Outstanding Black and White Art and Outstanding Anthropomorphic Comic categories.
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
Digger and the children's books Dragonbreath and Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew. Ursula is also the creator of the The Biting Pear of Salamanca, a digital
Digital art
Digital art is a general term for a range of artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative and/or presentation process...
work of art which became an internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
in the form of the LOL WUT pear.
Career
Ursula Vernon grew up in OregonOregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and studied anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at Macalester College
Macalester College
Macalester College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian college. Its first class entered September 15, 1885. The college is located on a campus in a historic residential neighborhood...
in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
where she first took art classes. In recent years she has become known for writing and illustrating a number of children's books, her first being published in 2008. Prior to this she was more well known for her webcomics and as a freelance artist, particularly for her works containing anthropomorphic animals. Vernon regularly attends conventions
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
to exhibit and sell her work and has been a guest of honor at Midwest FurFest 2004 and 2009, and the Artist Guest of Honor at Further Confusion
Further Confusion
Further Confusion, or Furcon, is an annual furry convention held in San Jose, California each January, celebrating the anthropomorphics genre or furry fandom, including charitable benefits, educational seminars, art shows, panels and general social activities...
2010.
Books
Ursula Vernon is the author and illustrator of the Dragonbreath children's book series. Dragonbreath (ISBN 0-8037-3363-1), Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs (ISBN 0-8037-3365-8), Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Weiner (ISBN 0-8037-3469-7), Dragonbreath: Lair of the Bat Monster (ISBN 0-8037-3525-1) and Dragonbreath: No Such Thing as Ghosts (ISBN 0-8037-3527-8) are currently published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a Penguin GroupPenguin Group
The Penguin Group is a trade book publisher, the largest in the world , having overtaken Random House in 2009. The Penguin Group is the name of the incorporated division of parent Pearson PLC that oversees these publishing operations...
imprint. The upcoming sixth book in the series, Dragonbreath: Revenge of the Horned Bunnies (ISBN 0-8037-3677-0), is due to be published in January 2012.
Nurk: The Strange Surprising Adventures Of A (Somewhat) Brave Shrew (ISBN 0-15-206375-7) was published by Harcourt
Harcourt (publisher)
Harcourt was a United States publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. The company was based in San Diego, California, with an Editorial / Sales / Marketing / Rights offices in New York City and Orlando, Florida.In 2007, the U.S...
in 2008 and released as an audio book
Audio book
An audiobook or audio book is a recording of a text being read. It is not necessarily an exact audio version of a book or magazine.Spoken audio has been available in schools and public libraries and to a lesser extent in music shops since the 1930s. Many spoken word albums were made prior to the...
in 2009. It was Vernon's first published children's book. Other works include two fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novels entitled Black Dogs: The House of Diamond (ISBN 0-9769212-4-3) and Black Dogs: The Mountain of Iron (ISBN 978-1-936689-03-3).
Webcomics
One of Ursula Vernon's most well known works is the Eisner AwardEisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
nominated webcomic Digger. A fantasy story featuring an anthropomorphic wombat
Wombat
Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately in length with a short, stubby tail. They are adaptable in their habitat tolerances, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as...
, it is also available in a number of paperback print volumes: (ISBN 0-9769212-2-7), (ISBN 0-9769212-6-X), (ISBN 0-9791496-3-0). She is also the writer and illustrator of the webcomic Irrational Fears and the short stories Little Creature and Little Creature and the Redcap, all available online at Webcomics Nation
Webcomics Nation
Webcomics Nation is a webcomic hosting and automation service launched on July 29, 2005 by Joey Manley, publisher of the subscription webcomic site Modern Tales. It is a service designed for online cartoonists. Webcomics Nation is not a spinoff of Modern Tales like Graphic Smash, serializer, and...
.
Illustrations and art
Before becoming a published children's book author Vernon was primarily a freelance artist and illustrator and she still regularly produces new works of art. Her work includes the creation of digital artDigital art
Digital art is a general term for a range of artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative and/or presentation process...
as well as the use of more traditional mediums such as watercolour and acrylics, with much of her more recent work being mixed media
Mixed media
Mixed media, in visual art, refers to an artwork in the making of which more than one medium has been employed.There is an important distinction between "mixed-media" artworks and "multimedia art". Mixed media tends to refer to a work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct...
. Most of her art work is available as prints and Vernon has also taken commercial commissions such as book covers and game art.
The game Black Sheep designed by Reiner Knizia
Reiner Knizia
Reiner Knizia is a prolific German-style board game designer. Born in Germany, he developed his first game at the age of eight. He has a PhD in mathematics, and has been a full-time game designer since 1997, when he quit his job from the board of a large international bank...
and published by Fantasy Flight Games
Fantasy Flight Games
Fantasy Flight Games is a Roseville, Minnesota-based game company that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games. Fantasy Flight Publishing was founded in 1995 by its CEO, Christian T. Petersen. Since the release of its first game product in 1997, the company has been doing...
uses art by Vernon on its playing cards. Her art work titled The Biting Pear of Salamanca became an internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
in the form of the LOL WUT pear and has been made into a resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
figurine
Figurine
A figurine is a statuette that represents a human, deity or animal. Figurines may be realistic or iconic, depending on the skill and intention of the creator. The earliest were made of stone or clay...
due to its popularity. She has also designed labels for a series of tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
and soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
products.
Awards and nominations
Vernon's cover for Best in Show won the 2003 Ursa Major Award for Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration. She was nominated for the 2006 Eisner AwardEisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
s in the category Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition for her work on Digger. Digger has also received a number of awards and nominations for the Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards
Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards
The Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards are annual awards in which online cartoonists nominate and select outstanding webcomics. The awards have been held since 2001, were featured in a The New York Times column on webcomics in 2005, and have been mentioned as a tool for librarians.The WCCA represent a...
in the Outstanding Black and White Art and Outstanding Anthropomorphic Comic categories.
External links
- Ursulavernon.com, Official website
- RedWombatStudio.com, Art website
- UrsulaV Ursula Vernon's deviantARTDeviantArtdeviantART is an online community showcasing various forms of user-made artwork. It was first launched on August 7, 2000 by Scott Jarkoff, Matthew Stephens, Angelo Sotira and others. deviantArt, Inc...
page. - Bark Like a Fish, Damnit! Ursula Vernon's public LivejournalLiveJournalLiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community....
blog