QUANTUM PROBABILITY

Quantum Probability is a short sci-fi horror comic I drew some time ago. Written by Phil McClorey, the eight page story can be viewed at Furious Comics. It's a lot of fun and I encourage one and all to check it out along with all the other great horror tales available on the site.

I recall first meeting Phil and how I got to be lucky enough to work on one of his scripts. Allow me to tell you all about it...

The year was 2009 and it was bangin'. Life had grown contemptuous of my "takin'er easy" and decided to kick things up a notch: my lady love and I learned we were having a baby. Meanwhile, I was hard at work on The Vampire Conspiracy and attending comic conventions to seek advice from established artists. It felt vital to be told not just what I was doing right, but what I was doing wrong and how to do those things better.

On my quest I met some swarthy gents, but none so swarthy as Phil McClorey, writer of the horror anthology The Book of Methuselah and founder of the Canadian comic imprint, Furious Comics. I was strolling through Artist Alley when I came upon Phil's table. He very cordially reeled me into his stories and I was impressed by what he had to share. Reading Phil's brand of comics, you are reminded of a time when boys read scary stories under their bed covers; when ordinary shadows seemingly reached for your ankles from the edges of your bed. I had no choice but to purchase his comics.

I asked Phil if he would look at my portfolio and share his opinions. That's when I realized my portfolio wasn't in my hands. It wasn't anywhere--I had left it somewhere in the convention. I don't remember what I said to excuse myself before speed-walking through aisles packed with fanboys slouched under the weight of their satchels. Now, perhaps Phil doubted my return--I can only assume his world grew significantly darker and a might bit smaller after my abrupt departure--but before long I was back at his table, huffing and panting, my portfolio square in his face. When it was all said and done, I thanked him and took his card, and ran to a quiet corner to hug my portfolio like a parent after finding their lost child in a supermarket (only more so).

Meeting my deadline for The Vampire Conspiracy was a lot like a jockey being dragged half-dead by his horse across the finish line. To reach it I had stayed up 36 hours straight and drank copious amounts of coffee while, foolishly, a myriad of Alex Jones "documentaries" played on YouTube just so I could learn what the fuss was about. In other words: I was fried. When I had crossed the finish line I was only happy to be alive. Yet somehow, after a few days crept by, I wanted more. That's when I dug up Phil's card and solicited my services.



Initially, the first project I started with Phil was his take on the Cthulhu mythos. I rather liked his script. It was fun and exciting and gruesome. I immersed myself in designing my own Cthulhu and took the Cloverfield route by studying the features of numerous animals. I felt like such a smart cookie. The project stalled on my end however, as making room for my unborn daughter eclipsed all else. When I finally got back on the horse and sent Phil some rough pages, he had moved on with another artist to create The Mask of Cthulhu. Together they turned out quite a good story.


Still, I had great admiration for Phil's writing and wanted to shake a stick at anything he'd be willing to give me. What he gave me was a script then titled QUORK. Our ill-fated plan was to get it up on Zuda to become superstars and the envy of all message boards. All of them, I say. Unfortunately, Zuda folded* due to an overwhelming number of creators who also wanted to be the envy of all the message boards.

[ * Let that be a lesson to you, kiddies: when things get tough, give up entirely and close your website! ]

Nevertheless, I forged ahead and very gradually worked away on QUORK while juggling the first issue of Teuton, a newborn, and classes at the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop. The fun never stopped! All the while, Phil sat at home with his brandy, stroking his roguish facial hair, patiently waiting the completion of his eight page materpiece:



Truthfully, Phil was hard at work on some more interesting and original material with other fantastic artists, this time focusing on web comics. It looked unsure whether Phil would continue printing single issues in the long run, but I convinced him with some smooth talk and thinly veiled threats that not only should he print at least one more issue of Methuselah, but that he should include QUORK in its publication. He politely agreed, and in that moment of weakness I demanded he let me draw the cover for said issue and asked for a huge sum of money. He had no choice but to pay, what with my threatening demeanor and all. Plus, I had taken the precaution of growing a mustache of my own, in case things got out of hand. When it was all said and done, QUORK was renamed Quantum Probability, Phil had himself one handsome cover, a fun read of a comic, and a bank account so empty it rivaled the vacuum of space after paying my ridiculous fees.



While some of that may be exaggerated just a touch, I did really enjoy working with Phil and expected to carry on with QP, but my commitment to Teuton and generally hectic life made that nigh impossible to do at a reasonable rate. In the meantime, Phil's writing just keeps getting better, as you can plainly see by checking out his Meta-Human Affairs or his thrilling contribution to the WWII zombie anthology, FUBAR.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more updates all month long!

TEUTON Issue Two

There's no denying it's been a very long time since my last update. Truth be told, so much time has passed that I almost forgot I started this blog. That being said, it's high time I reveal what I've been up to!

What now feels like an eternity ago I began my career in comics with the self-published book, The Vampire Conspiracy. Along with writer/director Marc Morgenstern, we launched the 120+ page OGN at the 2009 Toronto Fan Expo. What a time that was! Reaching that point was extremely important for me. Illustrating the book took about nine months, and during that period there were many sleepless nights where completion seemed impossible, my will to finish waned, and the idea of being a professional artist seemed unrealistic. Secretly I felt inadequate for the task at hand and would often be paralyzed in fear before a blank page. Nights would go by without much being done because of all that, and ever present was the sound of a ticking clock. Indeed, before landing the gig on TVC, I had only ever completed eight sequential pages one long ago summer. Suddenly I was charged with completing a staggering one hundred twenty pages--plus a cover! Was I up to the task? Well, yes, as it turned out, despite my troubling neuroses.

Like I said, completing the book was a big step for me personally. It takes a lot of discipline to finish any project and at that point I lacked any discipline whatsoever. Consequently, the book garnered some attention from other indie creators at my level of skill and experience--people just taking a stab at telling stories in comics with ambitions of moving on to grander things. I was lucky enough to meet many wonderful writers and artists, some of whom I've even had the privilege of working with. Chief among them are McHozer Comics, an indie imprint based in Mississauga for which I did an uncompleted short story titled To Whom It May Concern. I've also done work for a talented writer by the name of Phil McClorey who spins his own brand of pulpy horror with his imprint Furious Comics. My collaboration with Phil can be read in his Book of Methuselah #4; an eight page short called Quork. I think you'll dig it.

While doing these shorts, however, I had a constant craving for telling long form stories, or full issues in a series. I wanted my name on something big, bad and bold. As luck would have it, the opportunity to work on such a book was given to me by none other than Fearless Fred of 102.1 The Edge. Fred had recently moved to Toronto to start his new gig at The Edge, and one of the many goals he had upon settling in was to establish his own brand of comics. Little did he know I would be here to welcome him with open arms.

I loved Fred's antics on his afternoon broadcast. When I heard him mention his love of comics I decided to contact him about checking out The Vampire Conspiracy. In truth it was shameless self promotion, but that same afternoon he surprised me with a job offer: art chores on a Medieval epic about the knights of the Teutonic Holy Order. The guy was just so plainly cool I almost wanted to poke him to be sure he was real. Very modestly he shared with me his story idea and his vision of a brand called Big Sexy Comics. You see he had this story in mind that pits mortal men against a pantheon of gods that was yet untapped in comic books, or so we think. So Fred welcomed me to BSC, and together we created Teuton. Nearly a year after starting work on book, we launched the title and the brand at the 2010 Toronto Fan Expo, a convention that attendees will remember as an unholy cluster-fuck of greed and comic book geekery.

I encourage you to read the entire first issue of Teuton for free at www.bigsexycomics.com

During the time it took to complete my big, bad comic I did a very smart thing and enrolled myself in the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop. Dear Reader, if you have any interest or aspirations to create in the field of comics, I highly recommend checking out the TCW. Under the tutelage of Ty Templeton, I learned the fundamentals of storytelling in comics, as well as the ins and outs of the business itself. Investing myself in the TCW's programs sharpened my skills beyond what they were merely months before.

Not long after finishing my program at the school I was contacted by the faculty to participate in their first ever publication. The aim was to showcase students who advanced in the TCW's numerous programs, as well as to promote the school itself. Thus Holmes Inc was created: conceived and edited by Ty Templeton and featuring original stories written and drawn by TCW alumni. I worked on a story called The Fingerless Prince with scribe Heather Emme, and it was an absolute blast to draw. That 52-page giant issue was also launched at 2010 Fan Expo.

There, I think we are pretty much caught up. Currently I am working steadfast on the second issue of Teuton, which will be available online for free by December. I promise to post some sneak peeks soon!

Until next time...