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Dahlia Gallin Ramirez is a cartoonist, writer, and musician based in San Francisco. Her sharp, quirky humor shows up in one-panel comics that have been featured in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, and other publications.

Her cartoons often blend everyday observations with surreal twists, poking fun at modern life, relationships, and human behavior. With a clean drawing style and punchy captions, her work might make you laugh and maybe cringe at how weird we all are.

More info: Instagram | dollyonpaper.com

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We reached out to Dahlia Gallin Ramirez to learn more about her journey as a comic artist, her creative process, and the inspirations behind her work. The cartoonist shared that she began drawing comics as a teenager, then put it aside for over 20 years to pursue other paths. “During the pandemic, I picked it up again. I had forgotten how much pure fun it was,” she added.

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Curious about the behind-the-scenes of cartoon creation, we asked Ramirez about her creative process and whether she has any routines or rituals that help her get into a creative mindset. She explained: “My creative process is 1) ideation, 2) procrastination, 3) self-loathing until… 4) creation. I aim to do a handful of cartoons each week, usually all in one day. I keep a list of every ridiculous idea that pops into my head, and then I review the list to see which ones seem worthy of drawing.”

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It’s no surprise that the cartoons we fall in love with as kids can stay with us forever. Ramirez remembers being especially drawn to the work of Saul Steinberg, Hilary Knight, and Gary Larson while growing up—artists who left a deep impression on her early creative life.

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At some point, nearly every artist encounters a creative block. Whether it’s a lack of inspiration, self-doubt, or simply mental exhaustion, these moments can be discouraging. Ramirez, however, sees creative blocks and off days as simply part of the process. “Sometimes you have to marinate,” she says.