Comin In June: Dale Forbes Molin

The new month brings warm weather to the city and new comic happiness to the newsletter. This time with the great Zurich illustrator Dale Forbes Molin, who’s colourful pictures will make the beginning of summer even more summery. I talked to her and asker a few questions about her life and her work. To find out more, read on.

Would you like to introduce yourself and your background? 
Hi, my name is Dale (English pronunciation) with the pronoun she/her. I am 32 years old, live and work in Zurich and work as an illustrator and art mediator. I am currently studying for a Master's degree in Art Education at the Zhdk and work at the Cartoonmuseum Basel. I did my Bachelor's degree in Illustration Fiction at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and then completed a Master's degree in Fine Arts with a focus on illustration and storytelling in Belgium. Now I'm working on my own comic and I'm a member of the Bolo Klub.

And tell me about the pictures that are coming in this month's newsletter?They are all illustrations of mine, either as commissions or as freelance work over the last few months and years.

Do you have a favourite image from them and if so, why?
When I was choosing, I rediscovered this picture, which I like very much.

I honestly don't remember exactly, but I definitely never wanted to be an artist. Today I'm happy with the term illustrator. (I wouldn't call myself an artist).

It is varied and changeable. Sometimes cheerful, sometimes melancholic, linear, graphic and often very colourful.

Do you have a favourite colour?
I can't live without reds. They make everything better - and warmer ;-)

Which topics are particularly close to your heart?
A few: intersectional feminism, gender issues, anti-racism, postcolonial art history, everything related to mediation, education and image production. Working in collectives, working with books: generally working with biographies in comics. AND: the aesthetics of everyday objects.

Where did you grow up and did that have an influence on the course of your further life? Or also on your drawings?
In my opinion, how and where you grew up always has an influence on your life. I grew up in Zurich. Slowly, however, the bond is dissolving more and more and new wishes and plans for the future are crystallising...

What brings you joy at the moment?
Time for myself, time with my friends and dear people in my life.New experiences and adventures. Sunshine. If there is any. :-) 

What is the most challenging thing in your life right now?
Balancing my studies, my work and my own projects.

What do you like to draw the most?
I actually love doing commissioned work, like recently for a fairy tale book. And I like to draw in the seminars while I'm listening, or at home when I'm on the phone. This creates subconscious motifs that are not too «cerebral. These then flow into my work later.

What can comics, cartoons and illustrations do that other media cannot?
The comic is first and foremost important for the person who drew it. Then for the person who reads it. Often it is the comic artists themselves who draw inspiration from it. Today, the indie comic is more brilliant than ever. It is a firework of visual experiments and tests the possibilities of visual language anew on every page. Personal stories are linked with current social issues, and both biography and socially relevant discourses are processed in the process. What more could you want: comics are the perfect medium for mediation, for immersion, for reflection and for forming an opinion.

In a nutshell, list a few of your favourite things (or moments or experiences).
Barcelona, sun, sea.
Zurich, summer, lake.

What do many people not know about you?
I have a slight obsession with glasses and places. I have a good sense of direction, but poor concentration.

Dear Dale, thank you very much for the exciting interview and we are all very much looking forward to your illustrations....