Maggie Whorf
Bohos is Maggie’s second publication. Her first work was Whore-Hey, a ’zine of expression that she and some friends wrote and sold at school to benefit MILEREPA ( an organization devoted to promoting civil rights in Tibet). Whore-Hey, a take-off on JFK Jr.’s George, was a hit with her fellow students but not with the faculty - she got suspended! The Los Angeles Times heard about this and exposed the incident because of the “importance of self-expression for young people.” That was it, until a few months later when Buzz Magazine named Maggie and her buds part of "L.A.’s 100 Coolest People." Next thing she knew, the phone was ringing with an offer to go big time, comic book style!
We’ve read about Maggie in every mag from YM and Jump to Entertainment Weekly, and we couldn't wait to meet this kewl hipstah. Over lunch at Jerry’s Deli, a hip diner hang in the Valley, Maggie and Katie got deep on art, the weight thang, and life in general. . .
Wow, Maggie! You blow me away! You are so cool and confident with yourself, and you’re only 18! Have you always been this way?
I think my confidence is a result of the weight-issue thing. I had to overcompensate for the fact that I wasn’t really comfortable with myself. It got to the point that I thought, This is really stupid. I should just be confident and project the image of myself that everyone should see. That way they could get over the weight-issue thing when they meet me.
I used to hate myself. I had no self-esteem whatsoever; people walked all over me. I went around wearing Dickies and a cardigan with my hair in a ponytail and didn’t care what I looked like. That was not a fun time in my life. I didn’t do anything! I would go out, but I wouldn’t interact with people. It was not good. I used to think, I am really smart. I’m talented. I’m artistic but I'm fat, so nobody likes me.
Finally it got to the point where I thought,ß I am being retarded. I have got to stop thinking like this. It is so self-destructive to do that to yourself, and you don’t get anywhere. Usually, when you are that obsessed with your body, you don’t lose weight anyway. You gain weight. The less obsessed I was with my weight and all of that the more confident I became. It became less, "I hate my hips and my ass" and more "People like me because I’m smart and I’m funny." It was less of what I look like and more about who I am, which totally changed the way I saw myself and the way I dressed. I think that is where the ’zine came from, me breaking out of everything that I had set up for myself. I was in a place where I said, "I’m gonna be pissed and mad and opinionated," and people accepted it. That helped me just be me.
How old were you when you came to this kewl realization?
When I was 16, I had a really strong group of friends who stopped wanting to hang out with me. So I went through a realization period and got real introspective. I asked myself what happened and why is this important in my life. I discovered that I was afraid to be myself around them or go shopping with them. They were thinner than I was, but they had more weight issues than I did. I didn’t get that. Finally, it got to the point where I decided that I didn’t want to be the one in the background anymore. I figured people will get over it, and they don’t really care anyway.
Did you notice any changes when you got self-assured?
Yes! The whole guy thing! I notice guys paying more attention to me, and I date a lot. Before I was so shy and really self-conscious. People didn’t pay attention to me. They thought I was strange because I didn’t talk. Like, "What is wrong with her?" [Maggie thought they weren't talking to her because she big.] When I got confident, I thought, "You know what? Screw it. If you don’t like me, you don't like me. Fine. Get over it.’ Overall, people are nicer to me now. They come up and start conversations with me where before they wouldn't because I was always in a corner hiding.
Girlfriend, you are stylin’! I love your jeans! Are you a fashion fanatic?
Totally! I went to private school and had to wear a uniform, but I have always a fashion fiend. I would express my individuality with my uniform by embroidering flowers on my skirts, and I would break the rules by wearing different colored shirts and black shoes. When you wear a school uniform, you either become clothes obsessed or you lose all interest in fashion. I am obsessed.
What are your fashion faves?
Looove really spiky heels—I'm tall too so my friends hate it —flared pants, form-fitting clothes. There is no point in wearing baggy if you are big. And that thing where they make big girls wear really bad prints, I hate that! You walk into a store and go, like, NO! And the sequins, why? Wearing simple colors and form-fitting clothes says your are comfortable with your body. Usually we have big boobs; play those up. Baggy is not attractive. It doesn’t even look good on skinny girls.
Your comic book came from rebeling at school. Are you a rebel?
Yeah, I buck the status quo. I am one of those people but not to the point of anarchy, like "Lets go steal something." But I definitely challenge the status quo. If there are things that I don’t really get, I will totally make my opinion known. I am very opinionated and very confident in my opinions, and that comes across as being rebellious because I am steadfast in myself. I don’t really allow people to be mean or try to change the way I think about myself.
What is the message behind Bohos?
To question things that are presented to you that you’re not exactly kosher with and to be confident in yourself. When you have those moments of not being sure of who you are, know that they are normal and that you are normal and you are not weird or strange. You are just questioning who you are, and usually you will grow from that.
It sounds like you have a super busy life. What do you do for fun?
I love to go see bands. Bands are my favorite! That’s the best. You totally lose all concept of yourself when you listen to great music. Plus the bands I like happen to be very cute boys! It really helps because you watch ’em and go "You’re so adorable. I love you!" And then you can just walk away, no big deal.
Do you date musicians?
Yeah, they are fun, kind of insane though. Usually they are really self-absorbed with their music, and if you don’t understand, like, the chord changes, they get mad at you. I’m like, Dude get over it, please. I like all sorts of music, but the musicians I’ve dated tend to be rock musicians. l like pop music enough, like ’Nsync. They are fun. They’re entertaining, but my boyfriend would tease me for it. So we don’t discuss my musical tastes anymore.
Have you ever felt competition from thin girls movin’ in on your man?
Totally! All the time! I think bigger girls attract different kinds of guys. The guys we attract are usually more secure with themselves, too. I notice that the guys who are attracted to me aren’t into the skinny girls with glitter and skimpy clothes that try to glam for attention. The biggest complaint from bigger girls is that boys don't pay attention to them. I don’t know where you are looking for boys then. If you are looking for 13-year-olds that are so shallow and superficial, just wait until you are 18, when boys don’t care at all. Especially older guys. I get hit on by 24-year-olds all the time.
Do the guys ever say anything about your weight?
I had a boyfriend who said, "It’s not really a big deal, but sometimes I would like you to be thinner because I want the beautiful girlfriend to follow me around and all that." I said, "I’m not going to change myself for you, but it’s good that you said something. I would rather you tell me than not tell me and just be bitter and mean about it." So it’s been discussed, but it has never broken me up with someone.
Got any advice for your sistah Hipstahs?
Totally be secure with yourself. Because of the media and the way a lot of women are portrayed in fashion, especially in big metropolitan cities, you feel really conscious about your body. You shouldn’t because a majority of America is overweight. The average size is a 14. Hello! That is not incredibly skinny! Be proud about parts of your body, and if you really have issues with it, try to change it. But don’t be extremely drastic and become anorexic or obsessed with it. Be aware—if something bothers you, try to change it. If you can’t, then that’s probably going to be your body type for the rest of your life. So you better just embrace it and learn to love it and not hate yourself for it.
Have you dieted much?
Dieted? Yeah! I went up and down and up and down. I was a size 12 once, but that didn’t last long. I am secure with the size that I am now [an 18], and I have pretty much stayed this size—it’s fine.
Has your artwork helped you to be confident with who you are?
Yes! Because I have that outlet, my insecurities and anger can come out of me in my art. It makes me a more peaceful person. I’m more comfortable with myself because I have an outlet for all feelings. The bad feelings, the angry feelings, and all the really happy feelings, they all go into my art, and that way I have a concrete version of it instead of those feelings floating around in my head, driving me insane. Art is really important to me.
What are your plans for the future?
I don’t know. Something big! I want to do something big. I love writing, but I also love the technical aspect of creating art, like the producing aspect. So I have no idea of what I want to do. A lot of the people who have gone to the school I’m going to are power players. One I’ve had many conversations with is the head of Castle Rock Entertainment; she is one of the few women studio moguls. I have a lot of really good people to aspire to.
No doubt chicka, you will definately be a major in whateva you choose! Rock on!