ABOUT THE CREATOR

I’m Artsume Shae—an artist, comic creator, and content maker. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, and I officially began my professional art journey shortly after graduating from college.

I describe my style as “east meets west.” Growing up, I was deeply inspired by Japanese anime and manga, alongside the magic of Disney animation. Those influences continue to shape the way I design characters, compose scenes, and tell stories.

My journey into comics began in 2020. Like many people searching for something creative to dive into while staying indoors, I discovered Webtoon—and that’s when I launched my first series, Underdog. In 2022, I helped develop and color Golden Blocks Legends, a grant-funded educational comic highlighting historical figures local to Augusta.

That same year, I debuted my webcomic Space Ultima, which follows a hardworking convenience store employee searching for deeper meaning in life.

Working on comics has become my true passion. They allow me to merge my love of art with storytelling in a powerful way. I once imagined I’d pursue filmmaking—I even minored in TV/Film studies at university. In many ways, comic panels feel like film frames, capturing moments in sequence. Comics have become my creative outlet.

When I’m in my office, you’ll usually find me with a cup of tea or coffee, YouTube videos playing in the background, and my dog, Willow, keeping me company.

For Graphic Design Portfolio & Work samples: click here

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ABOUT THE SERIES

Space Ultima follows a hardworking convenience store employee searching for meaning in her everyday life. But after a strange incident during one late-night shift, her world is suddenly turned upside down.

My series draws visual inspiration from ’90s sci-fi anime like Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion, along with the smooth, atmospheric world of Toonami. I’ve always connected deeply with stories centered on strong, compassionate & racially diverse female protagonists.In many ways, telling Sophie’s story feels personal. While Space Ultima isn’t autobiographical, I believe that weaving pieces of ourselves—our experiences, lessons, and emotions—into our work creates something honest. And that honesty can help others connect with the story.

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Q & A

What inspired the story/plot/What was the initial spark for Space Ultima?

Space Ultima grew out of my years in retail, when I felt ready for something more but didn’t know how to reach it.

I started writing about a girl who longed for change yet feared leaving her comfort zone. Then I asked myself: what if something extraordinary forced her to take that leap? From that question, Space Ultima was born.

What inspired you to make Space Ultima?

I felt the story I wanted to tell wasn’t really out there yet, so I pulled together the different things that inspired me and blended them into something new. I wanted to create a world that genuinely excited me—something I would have fun bringing to life.

Do you have any early concept designs for the characters that ended up being changed?

As you can see, my original designs look very different from how they do now.

I initially started with a more traditional Western comic style, but as development went on, I shifted toward a stronger anime/manga influence.

From the very beginning, though, I had a clear vision for the supporting cast—I wanted a wide variety of distinctly intergalactic-looking characters.

In the process of working on SU, was there anything you learned about creating a webtoon that you didn’t anticipate learning?

I didn’t realize at first how important pacing is in comics—especially in vertical scrolling webcomics. In my early episodes, I didn’t use negative space very effectively.

Over time, I learned that the spacing between panels can tell its own story, and that it’s okay to slow things down by adding transitions between scenes.

Mastering that sense of flow can be one of the biggest differences between a beginner and a professional.

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