Building a comic kingdom

Local woman sells designs online

"Nikko feels the furry little creatures approaching. She knows just the right way to get rid of them. Behind her goggles are spellbinding eyes that will put them in a daze and cause a state of confusion."

Nikko is one of 15 characters featured on Gohgirl.com, a T-shirt and stationary business created by Anthem resident Liz Goh. Goh said her Web site will run sales and introduce new characters for the holiday season.

Each of the characters is a secret agent from a different country who possesses a secret power she uses to get herself out of sticky situations. Goh said she updates her Web site monthly with a different comic, such as Nikko's confrontation with the creatures who are attempting to kidnap her.

Goh's comic cast of characters serves as the subjects of her shirts and stationary featured on the site.

"I wanted to add humor to them," Goh said. "I came up with the story around the characters."

Goh, who launched Gohgirl.com in 2005, said she has been drawing all of her life. Drawing was not something encouraged by her parents, and it was not until after receiving a bachelor's in psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz that she realized she could make a living by drawing.

"I felt like I wanted to go after what my dream was," Goh said.

Goh showed her drawings to her friends, who liked the simply drawn characters she created. That served as the turning point, Goh said.

"I always wanted to do something in fashion and creative arts," she said.

Goh started with four characters. The number has grown to 15, with six more characters to be released over the holiday season. Four of the six new characters will be baby secret agents, she said, which is part of a new line of baby apparel she is creating.

Most of the agents are women, although Boden from Sweden currently is the lone male. Kyoto, Goh said, is an androgynous character.

"I wanted to give girls empowerment," Goh said, although she added that she plans to add more male characters in the future.

Each of Goh's characters is distinctly different.

Agent London from England must have some seriously strong hair gel -- her bun doubles as a pogo stick.

Skara from Sweden can "deliver a mean sucka punch" when her hands grow to the size of basketballs.

"She'll whisk away and not mess up her hairdo," Goh said of Siena, who can detach the circles on her skirt to create an oil slick.

Goh said she loosely based the characters on people she knew, as well as someone she knows a little bit better.

"There's a little bit of me in all of them," she said.

Goh's personal favorite is Tokyo, whose hidden helicopter blades carry her away from danger.

Goh said she has several characters in her head, but she only selects the ones she thinks will work. She said her boyfriend, who acts as a "silent partner," helps her choose the characters and with the business aspect of Gohgirl.

Goh said she draws her inspiration from different shapes and nature.

"I start drawing freehand and it just kind of flows," she said.

Goh said she has been approached to write a children's book. She has considered it, she said, but it's something to do in the future.

Mainly, Goh said, she would like to put a smile on people's faces.

"I just want them to laugh. I want to add a little humor so they'll smile and laugh," Goh said.