As we keep on going with our coverage of MoCCA Fest 2025, we had the incredible opportunity to sit down with this year’s official badge artist—Olivia Fields! A phenomenally talented African-American painter and printmaker, Fields hails from Brooklyn, New York, and has made quite a name for herself in the world of editorial illustration.
Fields is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology and had gotten a BFA in illustration at SVA. She’s been freelancing ever since graduating, collaborating with top-tier clients like Cartoon Network Studios, Google, NPR, and The New York Times—just to name a few.
To get to know more, we chatted with Olivia, asking questions about her unique art style and amazing career thus far, as you can read just below.
CHRISTIAN ANGELES: Nice to meet you, Olivia! First off, tell us about the stunning new badge art you made for MoCCA Fest this year! It’s a pretty big deal.
OLIVIA FIELDS: Thank you so much! It was a great honor to be invited to create the badge artwork this year. Each design features a different type of artist that’s super focused on their craft, project, and presentation. I wanted the artistic process to be the focal point of these designs and highlight what goes on behind the scenes: the moments that artists are all too familiar with that others may not always get to see. The only exception to this is the single design of a person whose face we can see, immersed in the work of the artists they’ve supported. There’s so much time and care and work that goes into artmaking. It’s not easy. Every single part from start to finish is an extension of the artist and every part is beautiful! I had a lot of fun incorporating my love for creation and fashion into the designs. I also love that you can zoom into a piece and find hidden details that tell more of a story about the characters or environment it’s depicting. (One example of this is the time on the clock on the artist’s work table in one design says 3:15pm – This is a reference to the first day of MoCCA, March 15th!) The artwork is meant to feel like someone you know or perhaps to be a reflection of oneself when viewing it. My favorite design is the artist who is screen printing because it was heavily based on the time I spent at SVA’s Printshop!
When I was a senior in high school on the cusp of graduating, I went to MoCCA for the first time in 2015. It just so happened to coincide with SVA’s Accepted Students Day, and they encouraged us to attend. It’s no exaggeration that the experience completely changed my life. I had never been to a comic festival before, I had no idea what risograph printing was, and I didn’t know you could share your work with others in that way. The artists I met and the art I saw left me feeling so inspired and shifted the way I approached my own work. I wanted to be part of this world! It was my formal introduction to indie comics and illustration, so this has been nothing short of a full circle moment for me. It’s played a significant role in what I do today, and I am beyond grateful!
ANGELES: For those unfamiliar, can you tell us about more about yourself? Your art style or where you’ve been published?
FIELDS: Hello! My name is Olivia Fields, I’m an African-American illustrator + printmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Upon receiving my AAS from the Fashion Institute of Technology, I completed my BFA in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts. Since graduating, I’ve been working full-time as a freelancer, focusing primarily on editorial illustration. I’ve worked with clients such as Cartoon Network Studios, Google, NPR, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Warby Parker, XBOX, and many more.
ANGELES: Neat! Now is there anything you’re promoting or selling at MoCCA this year?
FIELDS: I’ll have prints, stationery items (stickers, washi), shirts, totes, and zines!
I’m planning to debut my Hourly Comics Day zine for 2025 this weekend. Hourly Comics Day is always one of the highlights of February for me! I try to participate each year as a form of practice. I find it helpful for getting me out of my comfort zone by telling a four panel story without thinking too hard about it. I enjoy taking the time to appreciate the little moments of my day to day life. I also gravitate towards making comics about my thoughts and feelings so it’s perfect for me. For anyone else who has never participated, I highly recommend it!
ANGELES: Next, what’s something you’re looking forward to in MoCCA? Any panels or exhibits in particular?
ANGELES: I hope so. Buying art from such amazing upcoming talents is something I love about MoCCA. But what’s something you like that you think is unique to the festival?
FIELDS: There’s always artists with such a range of mediums, styles, and themes to discover. Whether I’m an attendee or an exhibitor, it’s impossible not to gush with other creatives about the work they’re making. It really brings the best out of the community in NYC. A lot of us live here, but we’re really truly together during MoCCA! And at the end, one of my favorite things to do is share all the incredible work I’ve found with friends. We just go through our hauls together, shouting out the artists we’ve come to know and introducing one another to even more talented people in turn. It makes me want to push myself even more and have fun with my work!
ANGELES: And finally, the question I’ve been asking everybody: why do you think indie comics are so important right now?
FIELDS: When it is becoming more commonplace to conform, self identity, indulgence, and expression is key. We need more projects where the driving force is unbridled passion. We need unique perspectives! This stems from our own ability to think, reflect, and interpret the world around us. It is powerful to observe and open dialogues through art. Indie comics provide a space for such diverse voices to flourish because it is so expansive. Anything can resonate with an audience. It allows meaningful connections with other people that may not otherwise be possible. And now more than ever, we should be connecting and trying to understand one another.
Olivia Fields has her artwork featured on every badge at this year’s festival. She’ll be located at table 19 over at MoCCA ‘25. If you want to attend New York’s MoCCA Fest 2025 click here.
For more of our coverage of MoCCA 2025 click here.
