Melody Often is a cartoonist and painter who just released the 5th issue of her ongoing 10 issue romance, adventure comic, Trinadot. The series has been described as both poetic and fantastical, combining sensual visuals with philosophy. The first five issues are currently available in print at Bear & Bird Boutique + Gallery on Jay Street and via their online shop. To stay up to date on recent developments follow her on Instagram @melodyoften and to get an insiders look into her process and to support the creation of projects like Trinadot become a member of her Patreon.

Her first graphic novel, In the Hands of Boys, was written by her mother, Janet Tangirala, on the echoes of war, which won a Xeric Grant. She organized two issues of The Baltimore Time Travel Anthology and illustrated for Amazing Forest, 1001 Knights, and Corpus Anthologies. She’s exhibited in Washington DC, Baltimore, Upstate New York, Brooklyn, Illinois, Los Angeles, and Spain. Her murals are in various places in Baltimore including the Maryland Science Center, as well as in Ithaca, NY. Propelled by a deep love of nature, she explores the patterns that are evident in both the physical and spiritual realms. She lives in Schenectady, NY with her husband and son.

EDUCATION & HONORS
BFA, Illustration & Lit, Maryland Institute College of Art 2005
Xeric Grant as Melody Shickley, In the Hands of Boys 2006
Best Comic, Best of Baltimore, Baltimore City Paper 2005
Presidential Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art 2001

MURALS
Clouds, Mouse Party, Flat Barry & Community Board Murals, Bear & Bird, Schenectady, NY 2022
Aikido Mural, Dryden Rd Parking Garage, Ithaca, NY 2019
Keep Families Together Mural, South Hill Recreation Trail Fence, Ithaca, NY 2019
The Laugh Garden Mural, Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, MD 2016
Jellyfish Storm Drain Mural, Belair - Edison Neighborhood, Baltimore, MD 2016
Cuttlefish Storm Drain Mural, Belair - Edison Neighborhood, Baltimore, MD 2016
Nautilus Storm Drain Murals, Belair - Edison Neighborhood, Baltimore, MD 2016
Adult Coloring Book Mural, Baltimore Book Fair, Baltimore, MD 2015
Octopus Storm Drain Mural, Artscape “Water” Theme, Baltimore, MD 2015
Seahorse Storm Drain Mural, Artscape “Water” Theme, Baltimore, MD 2015
Sea Turtle Storm Drain Mural, Artscape “Water” Theme, Baltimore, MD 2015
Dolphin Storm Drain Mural, Artscape “Water” Theme, Baltimore, MD 2015
Great Blue Heron Storm Drain Mural, Artscape “Water” Theme, Baltimore, MD 2015

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
BEX Salon, Schenectady, NY 2025
Return To Trinadot, Dwightmess, Silver Spring, MD 2025
Shadow Friends, Bear & Bird Boutique + Gallery, Schenectady, NY 2023
Jay St Apothecary, Schenectady, NY 2020
Maria’s, Schenectady, NY 2018
Gimme Coffee, Roebling St, Brooklyn, NY 2017
Saratoga Coffee Traders, Saratoga, NY 2016
Trinadot Art Show, Romans Place, Baltimore, MD 2014
eMotion, Gordon Performing Arts Center, Owings Mills, MD 2014
Godmother, Sunlight Natural Health Clinic, Baltimore, MD 2014
Skullflora, Station North Arts Cafe & Gallery, Baltimore, MD 2009

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Drawn Into Life, Bear & Bird Boutique + Gallery, NY 2025
Cranial Mementos, Paint Cohoes, NY 2024
Kingdom Plantae, Bear & Bird Boutique + Gallery, NY 2024
Abducted, Paint Cohoes, Cohoes, NY 2023
ALL IN, Bear & Bird Boutique + Gallery, Schenectady, NY 2021-2025
Art For The Holidays, Paint Cohoes, Cohoes, NY 2021
Spring Show, Bear & Bird Gallery, Schenectady, NY 2020
Living Resources Arts, 70 Beekman Street Gallery, Saratoga Springs, NY 2018 & 2019
August Featured Artist, Weathered Wood, Troy, NY 2018
The Comics Process, Tectonic Space, Baltimore, MD 2018
Uticon Comic Show, Utica, NY 2018, 2019 & 2022
Electric City Comic Con, Schenectady, NY 2018, 2019 & 2022
Tintero, Bayamon, Puerto Rico 2017
5 Maicanas, Galeria Ormolu, Pamplona, Spain 2017
Direct Action Comics: A Political Graphic Novel Art Show, UMass Amherst, Herter Art Gallery, MA 2017
Equal Means Equal Screening, Leimin Space, Los Angeles, CA 2017
New York Comic Con, Javits Center, New York, NY 2016, 2025
Anime Expo Los Angeles, Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA 2016
F-Word, Oliver Specks, Baltimore, MD 2013
Paranormal, Charles Theatre Art Wall, Baltimore, MD 2013
Station North Salon Show, Joe Squared, Baltimore, MD 2012
Winter Salon Show, Metro Gallery, Baltimore, MD 2012
C A R T, Current Gallery, Baltimore, MD 2011
Salon Show, Windup Space, Baltimore, MD 2011
Vision, Falls Road Studios, Baltimore, MD 2011
Mysticism in America, Charles Theatre Art Wall, Baltimore, MD 2010
Love and Loss (I miss you, Hugh Grant), Tatem Gallery, Hood College, MD 2010
Noetic Justice, Charles Theatre Art Wall, Baltimore, MD 2009
Small Press Expo, Bethesda, MD 2009, 2010, 2011, 2020, 2025
Out Of Sequence Exhibition, Krannert Art Museum, Champaign, IL 2008
BFA Thesis Exhibition, Pinkard Gallery, MICA, Baltimore, MD 2005
Alumni Show, Niskayuna High School, Niskayuna, NY 2004
21st Congressional District Exhibition, Holland Tunnel, Washington DC 2001

SKILLS
Painting, Acrylic, Oils, Murals, Comics, Storytelling, Drawing, Graphite, Charcoal, Digital Color & Ink, Wacom Tablet, Clip
Studio Paint, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustration, Writing, Character Design, Thumbnails, Hand Drawn and Digital Lettering,
Typography, Caricature, Live Painting, Face & Body Painting, Polymer Clay Modeling, Publishing, Book Binding, Screen
Printing, Art Facilitation, Performance Art Divination, Powerpoint, French, Public Speaking, Teaching Drawing, Painting,
Storytelling, and Basic Clay Modeling, etc.

VISUAL STORYTELLING
Created - Trinadot, Issue Five 2025
Illustrating - No Mud No Lotus, Colleen Quinn 2025
Illustrated - Canoe, Jim Gibbons 2018
Colored - The Snort, Storme Smith & Lime Robertson, Buño 2018
Illustrated - PB & J(IM), Jim Gibbons, Corpus Anthology 2018
Colored - Gamma, Ulises Farinas, Dark Horse Comics 2018
Colored - New Lieutenants of Metal, Joe Casey & Ulises Fariñas, Image Comics 2017
Illustrated - Maria & Arad, Mechanaflux, Shawn Murphy 2017
Colored - Santos, Judge Dredd Annual, Ulises Fariñas & Erick Freitas, IDW 2016
Colored - Chambers, Jonathan Rollins 2016
Illustrated - Artist & Model, Rammur, Charles Santino, Tops 2016
Illustrated - 2 Trinadot Illustrations, 1001 Knights Anthology 2016
Created - Imagine It, Magic Bullet #10, DC Conspiracy 2015
Created - Gravity Well, Organized - Baltimore Time Travel Anthology 2, Ltd Comp 2014
Created - Trinadot, Issue 4 2014
Illustrated - Ronnie the Robot, Amazing Forest, Ulises Fariñas & Erick Freitas, IDW 2013
Created - Allumette, What Weekly 2013
Created - Nullum Gratuitum Prandium, The End of the End of the World, The Comics Section 2012
Created - Toast and Tea, Mutant 3, Atomic Books 2012
Illustrated - In the Hands of Boys II, Janet Tangirala 2012
Created - Trinadot, Issue Three 2011
Created - Eventually Everyone Wants to Go Home, 
Organized - Baltimore Time Travel Anthology 2011 
Created - Trinadot, Issue Two 2010
Created - Wowonerdman Wonderwoman, The Unauthorized DC Anthology 2010
Created - Trinadot, Issue One 2009
Illustrated - In the Hands of Boys, Janet Tangirala, Xeric Grant 2006
Illustrated - The Coupling, Young Bottoms in Love, DeCorcy, Poison Press 2006
Illustrated - Ready to Roll!, Safe, Smart Women 2004

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Illustrator & Colorist 2002 to present
Curator, Bear & Bird Boutique + Gallery, Schenectady, NY 2025
Live Painter, Boston Revel, MA 2020
Caricaturist, Corporate & Private Parties, Upstate NY 2018 to present
Instructor, Paint & Sip, Boba, Siena College, Schenectady Public Library, Private Events 2018 to present
Artist Oracle, Fangirls Night Out, Earthworld Comics, Albany, NY 2018
Panelist, MoComCon, Silver Spring, Washington, D.C. 2017
Special Guest, Fangirls Night Out, Earthworld Comics, Albany, NY 2016
Gallery Organizer, Charles Theatre Art Wall, Baltimore, MD 2009-15
Community Supported Artist, Station North Arts & Entertainment District, Baltimore, MD 2014
Guest Speaker, Author, Maryland City at Russett Public Library, Laurel, MD 2012
Teacher, Cartooning & Comics, Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD 2009
Teacher, Comics & Storytelling, Summer Camp at Five Points Union College, Schenectady, NY 2008
Guest Speaker, Comic Creator, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 2007

SELECTED CLIENTS
Pixar, Entertainment Weekly, Dark Horse Comics, Stela, Image Comics, IDW Publishing, The Maryland Science Center, The
Baltimore Office of the Promotion of the Arts, Family & Children Services of Baltimore, Blue Water Baltimore, Colleen Quinn,
Bear & Bird Gallery, Schenectady Trading Co., GiveGab, Brendan Hall: The Love Therapist, Buño, Holland Brown Books,
MonkeyBrain Comics, OceanFront Books, Rhymes With Opera, Bmore into Comics, Analytic Press, Poison Press, Atomic
Books, The Clearing, Oherbals, Safe Smart Women, etc.

PRESS
Marshall, Rick, "All About Comics" Times Union, 2025
Mann, Rona, "Bear & Bird Boutique + Gallery Where Weird, Cute Stuff Meets Curated Curiosity" 2024
Jenks, Eric, "Comic Book Fans Converge on City Center" The Daily Gazette, 2021
Nash, Indiana, “Schenectady Illustrators Creating Comics and Careers” The Daily Gazette, 2020
Burdette, Chad,“Electric City Comic Con 2018: Interviews”, The Comics Multiverse, Times Union Blog, 2018
Swanson, Robert, “Spoiler Free Review: Gamma #1”, Undercover Capes 2018
Hollingsworth, Forrest, “Gamma #1 review: All Style, No Substance”, Adventures in Poor Taste 2018
LeBlanc, Philippe, “The SPX Interviews - Melody Often on Colouring & Self-publishing” 2017
Van Genderen, Drew, “Wuvable Oaf, Bloodshot Reborn, Melody Often”, For The Love of Indie 2016
Brooke, David,“Amazing Forest #1 Review”, Adventures in Poor Taste 2016
Stuelpnagel, Daniel,“Trinadot at Small Press Expo“, WhatWeekly 2014
Ramser, Em,“Check Out The Indie Comic Series ‘Trinadot’”, GeekSmash 2014
Aquino, Jimmy,“Episode 562”, Comic News Insider 2014
Eaton, Jonathan, “Episode 35: Hot Tub Blow Job Drownings”, This is 65 2014
Hanover, Nick, “Amazing Forest Might Just Be The Next Flight”, Comics Bulletin 2013
Gavin, Pat, “HEARD”, the b alternative weekly 2012
Mak, Gerry, “New Illustration/Melody Often”, Lost At E Minor 2010
Svetlik, Chris, “Art Featured”, Brightest Young Things, Washington DC Edition 2010
Murray, Kevin, “Review: Young Bottoms In Love”, Popimage 2007
Bloodgood, Acer, “In the Hands of Boys”, Comic Base 2006 Sablik, Filip, “Review: In the Hands of Boys”, Previews 2006

Quotes

“A fresh, gorgeous and unique voice that stands out in the testosterone-flooded field of American comics. … combin[ing] the best of Eastern and Western traditions of sequential storytelling.” -Jose Villarubia, Colorist & Professor, Commenting on In the Hands of Boys

“[Her] artwork is a joy to look at… alternating between both rich and subdued colors and an attractive visual style. Shadows are used sparingly, and only seem to exist to emphasize emotion… the pinnacle of the collection.” -Kevin Murray, Review on Popimage of “The Coupling” in Young Bottoms in Love

“[Her] artwork is reminiscent of manga, European artists, and the expressionism one finds in great animation.” -Filip Sablik, Review in Previews of In the Hands of Boys

“Melody prepared excellent sketches and renderings ahead of schedule, and adhered to all of the guidelines put out by the City. In addition, when another artist backed out of the project mid-way through, Melody absorbed that artists portion of the work, and doubled the number of mini-murals she was creating. It is not any artist who can perform and produce high quality artwork in public view, let alone during a very hot, very populated street festival in the middle of July. Melody did so without issue, spending extra hours to make sure each site was prepared, mural completed to the top quality, and then sealed for protection. Throughout the weekend, the beauty and quality of her work attracted the attention of on-lookers and fans who would sometimes decide to stop and chat with her for hours. Melody conversed with these folks in a friendly manner and never once complained about the process or circumstances. Beyond her friendly disposition, the style and quality of her artwork is generally inviting and attractive to the general public.” -Ryan Patterson, Public Art Administrator, Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, 2015 Artscape Festival, Storm Drain Murals

“Melody was so pleasant to work with and proceeded to do awesome portraits of seven eight-year old girls. The way she connected with each girl was amazing as were the portraits. She was a delightful addition to the party and I highly recommend her. Both for her personal style and her work as an artist. She deserves more than five stars!!” -Linda Macaluso via Gigsalad, November 2018, Caricatures