I spotted Lizzie Heath’s work on Instagram and instantly thought it was incredibly rad. Inspired by Japanese comic books, but with an undeniably British character, her art sums up the experiences of being a skateboarder on this rainy island – with relatable situations and locales. Somewhat autobiographical, Lizzie’s comics and art pieces stood out as an awesome and unique voice in UK skateboarding’s art world, and she’s even managed to bag some collaborations with the likes of Vague Skate Mag & Salon Skateboards! I was super stoked when she agreed to put together a Top 5 for the blog, and if you are unfamiliar with her work, she’s crafted a list of her favourite pieces for your perusal. – Ade
5. When’s Boys Night (2019)
I made this comic strip in 2019 and a lot of people have said how much they love it and laugh because of having experienced the same thing. I love making comics about shared experiences that people can relate to and connect with.
4. Sights of Japan (2019)
My first short comic book that I printed and bound myself (100 copies). When I made this, I felt I was sharing a super personal part of myself with the world because it’s a work of fiction, completely made up from my own mind and heart. It surprised me how well it was received by people. I’ve sold copies both directly to friends and online through Palomino which has connected my work with people that I wouldn’t have met on my own.
3. Vague Cover (2020)
Guy at Vague skate mag saw my Sights of Japan comic through Nick at Palomino and then asked me to do the cover artwork for the next issue. When I picked up the first issue of Vague a couple years ago back, I daydreamed about getting artwork featured so I was hyped to get asked to do a cover plus art interview inside! I was given the photograph of Tom Delion photographed by Masahiro Yoshimoto to base the cover artwork on. I knew the photo was taken when Tom went to Japan so I managed to find a few photos online of him and his friends from his trip and made a comic based on them. As much as I appreciate commissions, I am always a little apprehensive when taking on a job wondering whether I’ll be able to do a good enough job. So I was super pleased with all the positive comments.
2. Welcome to Palestine: 40 Sheks (WIP)
In 2019 I volunteered with SkatePal and skated with kids in Palestine for a month. This is my next short comic book that I am working on, 12 pages long and about the time when Sedra Sawalha dropped in on a wall called 40 Sheks at Asira skatepark. This comic is just a small taster before I make the lengthier comic book about the whole month I was there, what I learnt about Palestine, its people and life in general.
1. Self-Portrait (2020)
I made this for the art interview I had inside Vague skate mag. As much as I love colour and working with colour, I find colours quite tricky sometimes but this one has a nice pallet and overall soft look to it. I’d also recently made the change from fine liners to a dip pen with a Tachigawa G nib, used mostly by manga artists. Making the change to a dip pen has been the best thing for levelling up in my manga work! I feel more like a manga artist now, investing in the right tools.
The Terrible Company 