1. What initially drew you to comics?
My grandma Nurock gave me my first comic book when I was six or seven, and I was instantly hooked. This was a late-50s Jimmy Olsen comic, and tales about this heroic flying Superman who could lift cars (while bullets bounced off his chest!) really fired up my young imagination. I’ve tried to keep some of that magical feeling in my own work.
2. What do comics allow you to do as a storyteller?
I work hard to combine words and pictures to manipulate (in the best possible sense!) the reader's emotions. I try to make them care for my characters.
3. Please tell us more about The Complete Wraith and any other work you'd like to share about.
The Complete Wraith collects all the stories featuring my canine detective, The Wraith. That was my very first series from 1976, when I was first starting out, (which I both wrote and illustrated). The Wraith was my funny animal version of Will Eisner’s The Spirit, my favorite comic book series.
In addition to reprinting the art (scanned for the first time from the original art), I also detailed the stories behind the stories. In the process, I discussed my first years trying to break in as a professional cartoonist.
4. Are there any storylines/characters you'd like to tackle next?
Right now I’m happy working on a possible book series reprinting my Doc Stearn...Mr. Monster comic. Doc is the world’s greatest monster-fighter, (and a character I created in 1983).
5. Where can we find more information about your work?
Wiki has it, and my Facebook page. I also have mostly a regular series in Alter Ego magazine devoted to arcane comic book history. I’ve been writing my Mr. Monster's Comic Crypt column since 1998, and sometimes discuss my own history as well.
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