bugs, snails and bad puns.
Hi there!
My name is Léa Gérard and I am a short, tattooed nerd currently in her twenties. I love all things nature: with my keen interest in insects and snails earning me the nickname The Bug Lady in comic convention circles.
Ever since I can remember I have been interested in nature. My brother and I were raised to respect and conserve wildlife, and when we weren’t in the garden digging for worms or begging our mum to keep the snails we found outside, we were glued to Steve Irwin and David Attenborough documentaries.
Growing up I knew I wanted to turn this interest into a career. I attended Nottingham Trent University and got my FdSc (Hons) and after my BSc (Hons) in Wildlife Conservation. Throughout my time in university I learnt that conservation isn’t stopping poaching, saving the whales and banning plastics, but rather analysing ecosystems and deciding which species need to be managed, conserved or removed for the good of the environment.
When university came to a close I wasn’t able to find volunteer positions and build on my experience further as I had no choice but to knuckle down, move out on my own and find a fulltime job that would pay my rent. Thus I stumbled into the retail sector and I have struggled to find my way back into conservation as something more than a hobby.
I couldn’t just sit on the interest and knowledge for too long though and whilst I couldn’t find a paid position I could, to some extent, make my own. In 2017 I decided to produce a comic-type of booklet, affectionately titled Pandas Are Assholes. It was really well received and soon enough I was invited to table at a number of comic and art conventions.
Since then, I have turned my hobby into a successful online store, Leaftail Studio, where I design and sell comics, pins, stickers and other items. I annually table at festivals such as Malta Comic Con, Thought Bubble and Nottingham Comic Con (pandemic permitting).
