Star Wars Artist Series: Katie Cook

Whether it's a cozy portrait of Yoda knitting or General Grievous contemplating the adoption of kittens, the whimsical illustrations of Star Wars artist Katie Cook capture a cuter side of Star Wars -- often making fearsome Sith Lords downright cuddly.

"I've known that I wanted to spend my life drawing since I was insanely young," Cook says. "Instead of parading around, talking about how I wanted to be a fireman, astronaut or princess, I told everyone I wanted to be a cartoonist! One of my parents' favorite stories is how a teacher threatened to hold me back in the first grade for drawing in the margins of all my assignments and on my desk, my binder, my hand -- anything that was available, really."

As a youngster, Cook managed to impress her classmates, which in turn led to her first experience as a published artist in 6th grade. "My school had a contest to draw the mascot -- the Saline Hornet," Cook recalls. "I drew a little cartoon of a hornet wearing sunglasses, hanging out at the beach. They posted everyone's drawings in the cafeteria where all the kids went to vote on them. And I won! My little cartoon was the cover page for the yearbook that year. I felt like a rock star for about three whole days at that school"

Cook's talents later landed her in a program where she broadened her artistic talents. "I have a BFA with a concentration in Illustration from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit," Cook says. "It's a great school and I learned a lot there. I believe Star Wars artist Chris Trevas went there as well! He actually came and spoke to a class I was in about illustration and Star Wars."

"I really think that for anyone that wants to make art their career and not just a hobby needs to go to a school that specializes in it, or at least has a great program," Cook continues. "I spent four years learning everything from technical and medical illustration to sequential (comic book) art to art history and color theory. I think that going to a school that lets you concentrate on what you love is fantastic and you learn so much from the instructors and other students that it's well worth the endless late nights -- plus no math."

While Cook's personality-infused illustrations are unique, she says her fellow Star Wars artists inspire her to grow as an artist. "Looking at their work always awes me and encourages me to do better," Cook explains. "Everything Otis Frampton does just blows me away because his style is so fun and original while still keeping a very cartoony look. I would like to go on record with the fact that I'm pretty sure I've spent a day or two wishing I was Otis! Two other artists that I love and hold very dear to me are Grant Gould and Tom Hodges. Grant has a look that's all his own with great line work and composition. Tom's work is also all his own and his style is right on that line of cartoony and serious. That's a hard thing to pull off and he always does it! I have to just throw out the name Cat Staggs because I love her work more than I love puppies. I can never get over the fact that she likes my work. These artists' constant support of my work is a huge motivator."