How long have you been making your art? How did you get into it?
Linnea Gabbard: I’ve been involved in making art for about 13 years, but really didn’t start actively and regularly creating art until the last 5 years or so. I was a musician for most of my teen years, and then when I moved at the end of high school from Chicago to the center of Arkansas, I started looking for other ways to express how I felt about the move and how it had changed my life.
What are your influences? Who or what inspires you?
Linnea: My direct aesthetic influences are artists/creators like Moebius, Mike Judge from the ‘90s, Richard Corben, Salvador Dali, and Junji Ito. The more meta influences that drive me to create art are the stories of Alan Moore, literature in general, my own daily experiences (simple or prolific), and topics I’m ultimately passionate about, like political activism and animal welfare.
Do you create art with a specific message? Or do you prefer art for arts sake?
Linnea: Both. I’m a huge storyteller with my art; I love creating illustration and graphic novels/comics, I like conveying all sorts of allegories, comedy, and tales. I also really enjoy creating for aesthetic purposes…sometimes I just really want to make something silly or something I like looking at.
What is your creative process like? What tools and methods do you use to make your art?
Linnea: I kind of take the Stephen King route with making art; I spend the first 6 hours of every day creating. It helps exercise my flow and keeps me on good time management. Every day I either wake up and tackle an idea I already have archived, or I’m inspired by something entirely decided in that moment.
I do digital illustration, graphic novel writing, and I’m a traditional painter. My tools really depends on the project, but for digital work I get daily use out of my IPad/Apple Pencil using Procreate for software, and I also do at least one oil painting a week. I also paint with acrylics, and do printmaking when I have spare time.
How long have you considered yourself a libertarian?
Linnea: I’ve been a libertarian since 2018. Before that, I was deeply entrenched in all sorts of activism, but didn’t really know libertarians existed to the degree they did. I operated in a pretty apolitical fashion, focused mainly on coalitions and local politics.
What do you think the role of art should be in the libertarian movement?
Linnea: Art in the libertarian movement doesn’t always have to plainly portray libertarian topics, but it should be a channel through which libertarians take more seriously, and one in which more of us commit higher quality art to. Art has positive and life changing implications in communities where people throw art fundraisers and shows to raise money and awareness. Art is also dominated by left wing politics, and it’s important that libertarian artists come mainstream into the fold. We need to speak on a larger platform and alter the perception of what kind of people libertarian creators can be and that we too value the benefits and impact art has on society.
Where can people go to view and purchase your art?
Linnea: You can view my work on Instagram at @minnealunch, and my website at linneagabbard.com. My works can be purchased at
I also run a biweekly comic called Officer Sprinkle, a very new comic about an incompetent, donut-headed police officer, which you can find on Instagram at @officer_sprinkle.
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