I am a major Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon freak and have grown up watching animated shows on these programs for as long as I can remember: The Amazing World of Gumball, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Hey Arnold, The Loud House, and so much more. I also grew up watching YouTube animators like Jaiden Animations, Domics, Daidus,” Emirichu, and Cypherden, just to name a few. But I can honestly say that no single artist or group of artists inspired the concept I had for this cover. Instead, I just went with a feeling—I envisioned writing as more than putting words to paper (or screen), but as a state of flow that does not stop until everything is said and/or conveyed exactly as the writer envisioned it. I am saying this as both a writer and artist contributing to this publication.

I wanted to capture that essence in my artwork— to capture City Tech’s creative striving for innovation, via colors that grab people’s attention and never let them go, in one of my many art styles. (I’ll settle on one eventually—probably.) I was thankful enough to know that my writing would be in this publication, but knowing that my artwork will be used too is the cherry on top of an already cherry-covered sundae.

Christine M. Retirado is a Communication Design student at City Tech. An aspiring illustrator and graphic designer of Filipino origin, she aims to bring smiles to people’s faces through her stories and artwork. She wholeheartedly believes in a bright future for artists and is committed to advocating against AI-generated art.