Julie N. Works to Make Us Laugh

She almost gave it up. She almost stopped completely. But she couldn’t. It’s who she is.

She’s an Air Force brat who is now an Air Force spouse. She’s lived all over the place, as only all of you can truly imagine. And through all those moves, the one thing that held constant, that was always there, was her paper and pens and pencils. She could always draw.

As a kid, there were no computer games to play and no internet to surf, so she remembers her siblings entertaining themselves with drawing. Her older brother would challenge her to creating the most accurate street scene, with the best vanishing point, and her younger brothers would draw combat scenes and fight each other complete with explosion-drawing-rules. Fun? Her mom was very creative and sewed all their clothes. Her father loved math and maps which turned many a social studies geography project into quite the amazing diorama. In her house, art just was.

And then Julie decided it was time for the next step. Art school to train as a fashion illustrator... all the pattern books around the house had really made an impression (raise your hand if you’re old enough to remember those huge pattern books!). But the choice to go to art school seemed a bit extreme for her family. How would she make money as an artist? So she left to do it on her own. Bought a car and drove where the wind blew her. Went to art school at various places from the west coast to the east and worked where she could to pay the bills…

She found herself back in Colorado, where she’d spent her high school years, working at the Air Force Academy as a secretary. Not quite the New York fashion illustrator career of which she’d dreamed. But somehow, we all try to keep those dreams alive and she found the time, between juggling two baby girls, to do some freelancing here and there with her art: window scenes, posters for the marketing department, and eventually submitting comics to base newspapers.

Other moves took her to Alaska and Oregon, where she got involved with local newspapers, writing humor columns and editorial cartoons. She found the cartoons were a fit for her. She enjoyed combining her artistic skills with the funny one-liners. And she enjoyed communicating from the spouse’s perspective which is unfortunately often unheard.

Years later, as a single mom working to support her girls, she tried to get back to school to complete a degree in multimedia graphics, but after a few semesters that got side-tracked by the amazing Air Force man she met who swept her off her feet and moved her to lovely Oklahoma City. They spent four years there and her girls got through high school and for the first time had a real “home base” (they’d moved nearly every year they’d been in school). She’d never really had that in her own life, so it was wonderful to finally be able to give that to her kids. And she got yet another secretarial job, this time at the University of Oklahoma.

But one day she snapped. She woke up and knew that was all she could take. She had to quit and revive the dream. It was time to focus on her art. Julie asked her husband to give her three years. Three years to make money as an artist. To be successful. If it didn’t work, she’d give it all up and do whatever work she could find.

She’d had a studio space in their house – drawing board, cupboards with paper and pens, ideas stuck on the walls – but hadn’t really done anything with them. Now it was time. She started Art by Jules and began making cards, notebooks, iron-on-transfers, anything that might sell. She carried around a big basket of items wherever she went and sold on the spot. She submitted ideas to publishers, ideas to designers, ideas to anyone who would listen. And got rejection after rejection after rejection.

Two years into her experiment they received their orders to Okinawa. She was frustrated. Discouraged. Feeling defeated. So she decided not to pack the studio. Not to touch her art during their time in Okinawa. She’d rethink her direction. She wouldn’t even take paper.

You won’t be able to last, her husband said.

As they were going through all the nonsense of PCSing – paperwork on paperwork on paperwork - she had some rather interesting experiences, as we can all imagine. One in particular, a fight with a helpful (dripping sarcasm) woman in medical records stands out in her mind. She decided to make a few notes about the experience. She realized that she was surrounded by "material." Stories upon stories of crazy things military spouses go through dealing day in and day out with military life. She took some more notes. She’d attend spouse meetings for their squadron and take some more.

One night she told her husband that there must be someone out there who is writing about military spouses. But she couldn't find anyone. “This could be hilarious if I could submit the idea to someone.”

His response? Why don’t you draw it? “But I’m not drawing.” He laughed and said I know, but it would be funny if it was drawn.

The wheels began to turn.

So, what if all of these stories happened to one person, and she was a spouse? She’ll always have to be a new spouse. Can’t have kids or get more experienced. She’s always got to be a newbie. They came up with a whole back story including similiarities between Julie and her hubby and the comic characters.

And so Jenny, the Military Spouse was born. They moved to Okinawa in the fall of 2004 and she sent out her first Jenny comics in February 2005. In November of that same year, her comic strip appeared for the first time in Stars and Stripes, where it now appears weekly. Exactly three years from when she quit her real job in Oklahoma.

You can see on her website all the various places where her comic strip runs around the world – currently free of charge for those who publish it. She tried for a while to sell the strip, but finally gave up and realized it was more important to her that the humor be out there than that she be rolling in cash.

“I’m making people laugh when they go to work and see the stirp. Even though I don’t know the details, I know I’m spreading cheer everywhere – and for me that’s perfect.”

Military spouses started writing her immediately. One woman wrote after seeing the comic that she had laughed for the first time since her husband had deployed. And that is what it is all about for Julie.

There have been some fun results: She got a call from someone at the TV show, Army Wives, asking if they could put her comic in the scenes – on refrigerators and bulletin boards. Let me think…. YES!

Julie and her husband are PCSing back to Oklahoma in the next couple of months (where wonderfully, her daughters now live), but the fun part for all of us here on Okinawa is that she has just moved Jenny to Okinawa! Jenny and her AF hubby will spend the next few years of their comic-life in our hometown.

So stay tuned! Julie has provided us with an ad square to the right that will link you directly to her weekly comic strip so you can always keep up with the craziness in Jenny’s life. And she’s hoping to soon publish books of her comics and more on the life of military spouses.

Also, if you’ve got any funny or crazy or irritating military experiences that you’d like to share with her, please email her HERE. She’d love to credit you for the idea!

When I asked her what advice she might have for all of us, she said that you’ve just got to keep the dream alive. Even when she wasn’t working as an artist, she made sure to have lots of art supplies around – even if it was just finger paints to use with her kids. “Being in Okinawa is a perfect time to pursue your passions. Step outside your normal routine. Just do it.”

Comments

[Heather N.]

Julie what a fun a beautiful comic strip. I love it!

[Pamelala]

These are excellent, I don't normally read comic strips, I can def. relate to the SCO one. I just had an 'argument' with one this morning!

[Diana M.]

Joelle, another great story! Julie, you are definitely soooooooooooo talented. I read your strip in the Stars & Stripes and didn't even know it belonged to you ... and we're on Oki Hai together!! Dang, these posts are good. I'm very impressed with your artistic skills and your ability to relate to every day life in the military! Thanks for sharing your life with us!

[kandy]

Joelle, another story told like an intricately woven blanket made of so many different stitches!!

Julie, the comfort that I've felt in reading this comic strip has been like catching up with a dear friend once a week and now I get a glimpse at the REAL Jenny!! Don't ever stop!