Lily Sande
Cartoonist & Illustrator
Howdy! I’m Lily- though most people know me by my username, Hooxiedev. I’m best known for my illustrations of human-animal hybrid characters as well as Chimera’s Blood, a webcomic that tells their story and delves into themes of adolescence, change, grief and queer identity.
My work is built on the power of storytelling. Through my comics and illustrations, I aim to produce stories and characters that people can see themselves in. Much of my subject matter has to do with human-animal hybrids and monsters, which represent themes of identity, self-discovery, and confronting the parts of ourselves we may not be comfortable with. The majority of my work is produced digitally in Clip Studio Paint. When I do work traditionally, I enjoy using a variety of media, such as printmaking, watercolor and colored pencil.
My artistic style is primarily inspired by comic books, animation, and contemporary illustration. Visually, my work is crisp and brightly colored with hints of gritty texture within. While my work can be cute and colorful, it can just as easily lean into the macabre, and the combination of the two aesthetics creates a juxtaposition that I find fascinating. The characters in my work, human or otherwise, invite viewers to empathize and reflect on their own experiences by showcasing vulnerability and emotion.
By creating comics with compelling characters and mature themes, I want to challenge the popular stigma of comics as cheap, corporate entertainment. I also incorporate strong LGBTQ+ themes in my work as a means of representing myself and my community in an authentic, heartfelt way. Through illustration and comics, I aspire to create the stories and characters that I always wanted to see, and I hope other people can find the same comfort in them that I do.
Lily Sande 