The sometimes stark but always beautiful sketches of Gabrielle Bell mirror the cartoonist’s tight halls and ornate windows in her two-bedroom walk-up above Manhattan Avenue. Besides writing the Michel Gondry contribution to the strange and fantastical collection of shorts, Tokyo!—about a girl metamorphasizing into a chair so as not to inconvenience anyone—Bell has penned many semi-autobiographical books since moving to the Greenpoint area, including, her latest, The Voyeurs. Given this impressive body of work, it’s no surprise this hard-working artist prefers to stay near her desk, in the sunniest room of the apartment.

What do you do?
I'm a cartoonist, or "graphic novelist."

How long have you lived in Brooklyn?
About twelve years.

Why did you move to Brooklyn?
To be with my boyfriend but also just to be in New York.

What's your favorite thing about your space?
It's spacious, and in a good location.

What's your least favorite thing?
(My bad habits.)

What're the three inanimate things you'd save first in a fire?
My laptop, my hard drive and my diary...

What's your favorite room in your space?
My studio.

Favorite time of day?
Early in the morning, drinking coffee and reading.

If you suddenly received a windfall of cash, what changes would you make to your space?
I'd get an assistant, or maybe a life coach.

If you could move your house/block/neighborhood to another city, which one would it be, and why?
If that kind of magic was possible, I'd keep my place exactly where it is, but have a couple acres of forest surrounding it, with lakes and streams and waterfalls and caves and bears. Friendly, crime-fighting bears.

Slideshow

Gabrielle Bell

Click to View 15 slides