comic

starlight circus

Elaina Tiplady

Willimantic, CT

Advisor: Dennis Recchia

Artist Bio

Elaina is a senior pursuing a BFA at the University of Connecticut, concentrating on 3D animation within digital media and design, and currently lives in Willimantic, CT with her husband. She has over a decade of storytelling experience across different mediums, from traditionally illustrating her own stories to producing digitally drawn comics. While she now pursues a career in 3D animation, she continues her passion for 2D media through her graphic novel project, Starlight Circus.

Artist Statement

Starlight Circus is a digitally illustrated graphic novel following the adventure of Solstice and an alien circus amid intergalactic conflict. The portion of the story covered for this project covers Sol’s discovery of the circus’ alien origin and her own role in their plan for resistance.

My work seeks to bring inspiring, fantastical ideas to life in the sci-fi-fantasy genre in the form of a digitally illustrated comic. I am a firm believer in the importance of casual representation and seek to explore serious themes in creative ways, such as identity outside of trauma, prejudice, and breaking the cycle of violence, which are all themes in my Starlight Circus graphic novel. This project is also a celebration of many art forms, including theater, acrobatics, and fashion, and draws inspiration from different cultures and time periods.