This is probably going to be the more boring and least interesting post in this series, but let’s give it a try.

As mentioned, I was a young kid discovering comic books when I knew I wanted to be a comic book artist, and being an artist, I soon discovered that I was a story teller so that meant I was a writer as well. I emulated the artists and writers I loved in the comic.

I then began taking art classes in high school and then more focused course in college. Both at community college and at university.

While at Fullerton Community College, I took art courses including figuring drawing, illustration, and a class on Cartooning. Which was a fantastic class, especially the study of early cartoons from over a hundred years ago, and while we did our drawings in class the instructor would turn on recordings of Old-Time Radio programs, some comedy some adventures. Which of course fit perfectly with things I already enjoyed and loved.

However, there wasn’t a lot in the class that focused on Comic Book art.

While I was in this class, I learned that an alumnus of it was now a professional comic book artist. He even had some of the sample comic book pages the student had done, and they were fantastic. With a little persuasion the instructor gave contact information for me to reach out to him.

Brian Murray had gone through the same classes as I had a few semesters earlier, and I’d learn that other professional artists had gone to FC as well. I just wish I had gotten to know them better at that time.

I did reach out to Brian and got to talk with him on the phone, and later get to visit his studio. It couldn’t have been better from my point of view, because at that time he was the penciler on the main comic book that I was following. YOUNG ALL-STAR’S was the follow up comic to All-Star Squadron written by Roy Thomas. I’ve talked all about that previously. Where INFINITY INC was a spin-off of the series, looking at the children of those Golden Age heroes. YAS was how Thomas was having to readjust the story he was telling in the world that existed after CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS. Here Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, no longer existed, so Thomas created new characters and Brian got to help design them; Superman became Iron Munro, Wonder Woman became Fury, and Batman became Flying Fox. Each other of them were unique and new, but everyone new who they were replacing.

Brian did an absolutely fantastic job on the series. His covers were fantastic.

Years later, I had the opportunity to work as his artist assistant, on the first issues of Image Comic’s comic SUPREME. I even received a “special thanks” credit in issue one. I did background illustrations, and even some color comps for the book and a few other Image books.

It was a great experience for as long as it lasted.

Years would pass. All the while I was developing my own comic book series and universe of stories.

I took more art classes at university, which is a story unto itself. While there the rest of my professional career began. First as a storyboard artist on music videos. That experience led me to do story board work for a production company that was doing promotional materials for television series. One of a teen series for day time television, and the other was promotional title sequences for Cartoon Network.

I would continue to work on my own projects but in the background as I pursued other employment possibilities in comics and the rest of the entertainment industry. I would pitch comic book series idea which actually got some interest. I’ll be writing about that in my next post.

In 2003 my wife and I had the opportunity to do what had been her life time dream, to write for an animated series. We got to write for a Japanese series called MIDNIGHT HORROR SCHOOL.

We wrote, or co-wrote, several episodes of the first season of the series. The series has quite a fan following around the world, but unfortunately it has never aired in the United States so we’re unable to show off our work to friends, family, or potential employers.

Since then, I’ve gotten to write two novels, one of which is REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST. A story that pays respect to all those pulp adventure heroes and super heroes of the Golden Age that I loved so much as a kid and I still do.

Cover art for my novel Revenge of the Masked Ghost
Revenge of the Masked Ghost – a serialized novel inspired by pulp heroes and radio adventures.

Most recently I have had the opportunity to do illustrations for books in a genre called New Pulp. These types of stories also pay tribute to those original heroes of pulp and comics

At Pro Se Productions, I have written a couple of stories, and did cover art for their anthology NEWSHOUNDS.

At Airship 27 I have done illustrations for several of their published books. You can see a sample of these here on my website under Book Illustrations, and where to find them.

It was also at Airship 27 where I wrote and illustrated a comic book story about one of those Golden Age super heroes. This character, known as THE VEILED AVENGER had long been forgotten and fallen into public domain.

The problem with public domain is that anyone has access to this character to do whatever they want with them. See the currently hubbub over Mickey Mouse, and worse what was done to Winnie the Pooh.

But from time-to-time writers and artists take hold of these characters and treat them with honor and respect and grow their mythologies. One example is DOMINO LADY, several great New Pulp authors have written her and they’ve been excellent stories.

Cover Art for All Star Pulp Comics #4
Issue #4 of All Star Pulp Comics published by Airship 27 and Redbud Comics. I wrote and illustrated the Veiled Avenger story “The D.A.’s Dilemma.”

My Veiled Avenger story appeared in 4th issue of ALL-STAR PULP COMICS by Airship 27 and Red Bud Comics.

I hope to do more with this character if given the chance. I’m working on a novel about the character and giving them a proper origin that the comic never did. We’ll see if that happens.

I am completing illustrations for another anthology for Airship 27 as I write this.

Though my career in comics may not have been as great as I would have liked it as a kid, I can say that I have everything that I loved back then I still love today and it is the foundation of everything I have done since.


This is a continuing series on comic books as part of an assignment for Toastmasters which will result in a speech on the top of these blogs.