I first saw Agapi (@johanna_agapi on Instagram) at The Comic Con Thessaloniki — her table instantly stood out: a joyful explosion of color, nostalgic shapes, and characters that seemed to be pulled straight out of a dreamy Saturday morning cartoon. After seeing the warmth she radiates through her work, I knew I wanted to hear more about her artistic world.
She was kind enough to answer a few questions about her inspirations, process, and what keeps her creating. Here’s what she shared:
How would you describe your art style and the themes you’re drawn to?
Kid literature illustration meets anime is the best way I could describe it! I use tons of bright colors, geometric shapes and mixed media, all while the characters I draw retain more of an anime-ish silhouette.
I’m very drawn to themes of hope, community and love! So naturally, I gravitate towards media that I find nostalgic and showcase such themes, such as old cartoons and video games!
What are your biggest sources of inspiration — visually, emotionally, or culturally?
Retro videogames and the Vocaloid community! These two are easily what have shaped me both as a person and an artist.
There’s something so charming about games that are light-hearted, yet leave such a lasting message, such as the MOTHER series!
And vocal synthesizers, such as Hatsune Miku, are basically blank slates with a base design and a voice you can use to your liking. So the songs and art that come from that freedom are simply astounding to see and they always inspire me to create something exciting!
Do your personal or cultural experiences shape the stories you tell in your illustrations and comics?
It took me some time to realize it, but each one of my characters represent a different part of myself. And despite some of my stories having more of a fantasy setting, there’s still quite a few elements of my culture (Greek) peeking through.
So in a way, my stories are like a big salad bowl: my life experiences are the vegetables, my inspirations are the sauce, and the little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper garnished on top is my cultural background! I hope that makes even a little bit of sense.
How did you start creating and selling your own art?
I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember myself! Started out with drawing tons of dragons and Crash Bandicoot fanart, then went on to mythical creatures like fairies and mermaids, and I’ve been unstoppable ever since! In other words, I kept discovering things I love, so I expressed my love through art!
As for selling my art? My friend Konny (@konnyart on Instagram) sent me a message one day, asking me if I had applied to ComicDom Athens — despite having a finished comic to show, it hadn’t even crossed my mind that I could get accepted at such a large-scale event. But still, she believed in me, and I had nothing to lose, so I sent an application, just a day before applications closed. And to my surprise, I got in!
How was your experience at Comic Con Thessaloniki this year?
It was lovely! I’ve never been at such a multicultural convention before; there were so many people from so many different parts of the world visiting and tabling, and I absolutely loved it! I do wish I had more time to interact with my fellow artists, though.
Have you had any memorable or funny interactions at events like this?
Too many to count! One thing that always warms my heart though, is educators and mothers that buy my prints to display in their classroom and their kid’s room — it makes me so incredibly happy!!
How do you usually prepare for conventions?
I don’t do anything that’s out of the ordinary, I have a very detailed list of things that I need to take with me, and I just re-check it tons of times!
But also, one thing that is worth mentioning is that I always take with me a tiny teddy bear that fits in a tiny, rectangular tin. Her name is Molly, and I refer to her as my economics assistant/manager!
What are you currently working on or focusing on?
I’m currently juggling quite a few things at once — trying to find illustration jobs (mainly for kidlit illustration), work on my portfolio and a new comic book, and tabling at conventions such as The ComicCon Thessaloniki whenever the opportunity arises!
Do you collaborate with other artists? Any local artists you’d like to shout out?
I absolutely do, I love doing collabs! My personal favourite thing to do though is trades. Trading merch, comics, and sometimes even making original art for each other!
One artist that I’d like to give a shout-out to is my sibling Len Agapitou (@cockroach_kid on Instagram) — they have some of the craziest selection of merch, a banger personality and one of a kind art style — you just have to see it for yourselves!
What’s a piece or project you’re especially proud of?
I’m very proud of my Vocaloid sticker series! Making them was an impulse decision, but they turned out to be some of my best sellers. I’m thinking of expanding the series even further this year!
Is there anything else you’d like to share — about your journey, your art, or the community?
It’s difficult to be an artist out there at the moment. Generative AI, tariffs, mass layoffs… And yet, the art community is standing strong, because we love to connect with people, by sharing stories and experiences that people can relate to and/or sympathize with. And that’s something none of the above can take away from the community!
So lastly, here’s a message to conclude: Support your local artists, read more comics, and create something to express your love, anger, or anything that you’d like to get out of your system — it’s cathartic!
✦
Agapi’s work feels like a gentle but powerful reminder of the joy and resilience that comes from creating with heart. Whether through nostalgic characters or heartfelt comics, she continues to invite us into a world where community, creativity, and color go hand in hand.
You can find her on Instagram at @johanna_agapi. Go give her a follow — and maybe bring a bit of her bright world into yours.
Bluesky of Agapi: https://bsky.app/profile/johannaagapi.bsky.social
Twitter (X) of Agapi: https://twitter.com/JohannaAgapi?t=t1lQXLbHdFcIFZzOpc3vGw&s=09
