Expertise
I’ve been telling stories with pictures since childhood. Growing up in a family of artists (with a father who graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago, and an uncle from Herron), I’ve effectively been in art school my entire life. As a child I was obsessed by movies, animation, picture books, comics, toys—and that’s never really changed. I’ve always drawn constantly, but my first serious study was for film and animation. I made short films, won some attention from them, and found work in Los Angeles as a storyboard and concept artist. I eventually decided to finish my B.F.A. and focus my attention on illustration, but I know that I still approach drawing cinematically.
As a staff illustrator for AuthorHouse Publishing I’ve truthfully worked on about 300 children’s books. This has kept me in shape as a visual storyteller, and given me an invaluable education in the nature of the publishing world. However, my true passion at the moment is for sequential art (comics), and I’ve been able to work with publishers like DarkHorse and IDW, which I hope to continue. This work aligns with my personal vision and voice as an artist. I’m attracted to subject matter that might be strange, creepy, or silly—but hopefully in service of some poignant content. I enjoy using fantastical elements metaphorically, but I focus on reality as I see it, rather than being transported into pure fantasy. I’ve also started sculpting, creating what are essentially toys to flesh out my ideas and sell as promotional items for my books.
