Meet Sasha Matthews — Teen Artist Who Has Raised Almost $10,000 for the ACLU
Sasha Matthews loves to draw and at 13 years old, she’s turned her passion into something that can help others. In January, Sasha began raising money for the ACLU by commissioning her “Everyday Superheroes”-themed art and has almost reached her goal of $10,000!
Her project highlights the work of “Everyday Superheroes” and the idea that anyone can change the world.
The ACLU has recognized Sasha’s efforts telling The Huffington Post that “they love this project because it shows that everyone has a role to play in fighting for our rights, not just lawyers who work at the ACLU.”
But Sasha is no newbie — she has self-published three comic books (under her Rumble Comics banner) in her career, which is clearly just getting started. She was awarded a NYC Council citation in recognition of her ACLU fundraiser and has also been recognized for the hero that she is by the amazing Senator Kamala Harris.
In 2017, Sasha was invited to present at the Clara Lemlich Awards — which honors women in their 80s, 90s, and 100s, who have dedicated their lives to activism. Sasha introduced Holocaust survivor and civil rights activist Ingrid Frank.
In addition to her own work, Sasha has donated her time to teaching cartooning to other students. She ran her own workshop at a public school in Queens — sharing her experiences and encouraging other kids to express themselves through comics.
Smart Girls had the opportunity to chat with Sasha about her ACLU fundraiser, what she loves about art, and advice for other young artists.
Smart Girls: When did you first start making art?
Sasha Matthews: I’ve always liked to draw. A little-known fact: my first coherent comic wasn’t Sitting Bull, it was another I made in 5th grade about a group of superheroes, headed by Plantgirl, the woman who controls plants.
You did a really cool project to raise money for the ACLU. How did you come up with the idea and why did you think it was an important cause to support?
I started the project soon after the election. I knew that I wanted to use my art to support a charity like the ACLU that protected basic constitutional rights from the ravages of the Trump Administration. It’s also a little deeper: We picked the superheroes theme because the project is about helping everyday people find their inner superhero.
“I like to think that it shows people who think they can’t do anything to prevent the bad things happening in the world that they can and are by supporting the ACLU.”
What’s your favorite art to make and what do you like about making it?
Drawing is my favorite form of art, because it’s not messy or complicated like sculpting or crafts, and it’s much more easily controllable than painting. My favorite thing to draw would be people (any kind) or cool sci-fi machines (most kinds). I like that you can have an idea that’s just in your head, and then clarify it so it can exist in real life, and you and everyone else can see the idea more clear than ever.
It’s so cool that you self-published a comic book in 5th grade. What is it about and how did you come up with the idea?
Thanks! The first comic (Sitting Bull) is about the Native American chief Sitting Bull, who lived in the mid-1800s, a time when westward expansion was picking up. He had to keep fighting against the Americans who were shunting him and his people to live on smaller and smaller reservations without any fair trade of land. I got the idea because my teacher that year put up lots of different options for getting extra credit, and one of them was “comic book.” I already liked to write and draw, so I chose to do a comic about a historical figure from the time period we were studying (the mid-1800s).
The second one, Pompeii, is about a fictional Roman family vacationing in the city of Pompeii at the time of Vesuvius’ eruption. They escape (as did 95% of Pompeii’s residents, but leave behind a golden bracelet which is later excavated by archaeologists (in the book and in real life — search Google for “Pompeii snake bracelet”). I got the idea for this one in a very different way: Book Culture, the bookstore that was selling Sitting Bull, invited me to do a speaking event with comic book author George O’Connor.
Finally, Steve Harvey, my most recent comic, is about the life and times of comedian TV show host Steve Harvey. I wrote it after being invited to be on his show, Little Big Shots.
What advice do you have for other kids who want to get into comics and art?
My advice is not to be afraid or self-conscious. My art isn’t that good, but it’s now being sold in a bookstore. All I needed was a good story, a good imagination, and an overconfident father.
Sasha is currently excited about getting into editorial cartooning and studying for the Specialized High School Admissions Test. You can check out her work (and commission an “Everyday Superhero” piece for someone you know) on her website and follow her exciting adventures on Twitter.
