Learn a bit more about us and our day jobs. To find out more about what inspired us to start Mad Scientist Cat please see our The start of Madness post.

We are a UK married duo that now currently lives & works in Singapore.

Adam (Kat) Roberts

Researcher that specialises in Neuroscience

I completed my PhD in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Sheffield, UK. I examined how the brain responds to stressful work environments, and how we can use brain waves to adjust the relationship of human and computer control in automated work. After my PhD, I worked at the University of Oxford, and was a postdoctoral researcher in Neurolinguistics, looking at how mispronounced words are processed in the brain. In 2015 I started working in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. I look at how different environmental factors (like room size, lighting or desk placement) affect the way people think and behave.

Even though Jess and I grew up in different countries, we both had a fondness for classic newspaper comic strips like Calvin & Hobbes, Garfield, and Peanuts. I started reading webcomics as soon as I got an internet connection in 1997. It started with Sluggy Freelance, which I’ve been faithfully reading ever since, and expanded to Sinfest, XKCD, CTRL+ALT+DEL and many others. Now there is a phenomenal amount of amazing comics online. It never occurred to me that I could write a webcomic.

You can also find Kat on:

twitter.com/adamcroberts
www.researchgate.net/profile/Adam_Roberts2

Jessica Emmett

Freelance Illustrator & Artist

I haven’t always considered myself an illustrator and comic artist. I originally studied photography and film, and came from more of a contemporary art background.

After university I became involved with international transracial adoption communities, especially those from Asia. I did art workshops, talks and took part in international community committees. I had originally got onto an arts PhD looking at adoption in the media. But for personal reasons I had to withdraw a week before I was due to start. Having thought that I had the next 3 years planned, I suddenly found myself with nothing to do. I enjoyed drawing, but had never really done that much of it. That didn’t stop me thinking “hey, I’ve always wanted to do a comic”. So I created Adopted the Comic and collaborated with Bert Ballard, an academic who often explored adoption issues.

Despite my lack of drawing ability at the time, it was quite well received in the adoption community and I was asked to my surprise to do commissions. People were asking for comic commissions and separate illustration commissions. It led to me working on two education books in a comic style with adoptive parent Karine Jones, Learn Thai books 1 & 2. After the education books were published I knew I wanted to do illustration full time. I decided to start my own occasional comic, called Geeky Adoptee (originally Stray Thoughts Comic).

Though i already had 2 webcomics under my belt, it’s only since working on Mad Scientist Cat that I’ve actually admitted to myself that I’m a comic artist. This comic has really allowed me to be expressive and try fun and new things. And best of all I get to work on a project with my husband, something I’ve always wanted to do.

You can find Jess’ other projects and portfolio here:

www.jessica-emmett.com
www.geekyadoptee.com
www.adoptedthecomic.com

www.facebook.com/JessicaEmmettArtist (most active)
www.twitter.com/jessica_emmett/