Meet this year’s Fluff Festival Graphic Designer, Jen Gubicza!

Published August 2024

You may recognize Jen from vending at Fluff Fest as the maker behind Zooguu. Together with her husband Brian, who is an illustrator, Jen sells her work at fine art + craft shows, conventions, online, and in small shops throughout the United States. Jen has contributed soft sculpture to gallery shows, designed and produced custom toys and sculptures for corporate clients, and created the Lockheed puppet for the X-Men New Mutants film.

Working out of the Zooguu Studio, a 1200 sq. ft. space located on the island of Nahant, Jen took a moment to share her design inspiration.

Have you always wanted to be an artist?

Yes! I always drew on every surface I could find, much to my parents' delight! I went to art school for graphic design and did that for ten years. I started making my own toys as a hobby, and then in 2008 turned that into a full-time job making faux taxidermy. Definitely a career path I didn’t see coming, but play and art making has always been a through line.

What motivates or inspires you to create?

There are so many cool and weird animals out there. The natural world is always inspiring! One of the things I keep around to inspire creativity is a list of 100 things I like. I update it every year, and it can work as a list of things to draw or sew or write about, especially when you combine two random things on the list for unexpected results!

What was your favorite part of creating this year's design?

I loved making an “all ages" design that still had a mature sense of humor. When I found out the theme for this year was Somerville Over the Rainbow, this one stood out immediately as one I had to draw.

What are you most looking forward to at this year's What the Fluff? Festival?

I’m also a vendor at the festival, and I love getting to chat with people, sampling tasty treats and soaking in all the weirdness that people bring to celebrate this sticky, delightful food.

Fluffernutter or Fluffy Coke?

Fluffernutter! I grew up in Somerville, which means I was raised on Fluff. There’s definitely a nostalgia for a Fluffernutter that can’t be beat.

Follow Jen on Instagram to see her whimsical designs and stop by her booth at Fluff Fest September 21!