Born a future middle classs white girl in the projects of Detroit to parents who broke free of their roots and helped start the Peace Corps in the 1960s, Kristen has struggled with "normal" all her life. Major influences range from the Great Books to Feminist Classics with a penchant for humor and sci-fi. Attempts to be a cartoonist in the 1980s and 90s solidified both her talents and outsider perspective. She learned the art of drag in San Francisco's Art Deco Society and began to write plays and musicals. The mother of a boy who wants to design race cars and the wife of a schoolteacher/artist/blogger, she still kind of wants to be a cowgirl when she grows up. In addition to cartooning, Kristen has co-written two books with her mother, Dr. Louise Hart, and has a musical on its way to the stage. She has a forthcoming novel and graphic novel, but her day job as a graphic designer also keeps her very busy. Kristen is also a passionate volunteer for public schools.