I’m the author of GEORGE’S RUN and I’m a visual storyteller
I’m a visual storyteller. That’s basically what it amounts to, even when I think I’m being something else, like a writer. I’m always thinking visually. That’s what led me to focus on working with words and pictures which developed into comics and other forms of visual storytelling like graphic recording.
Now, let me say that graphic recording, the way I do it, is not something you just hop on and do. It takes time to develop and a desire to do it in the first place. Some people may have some of the skills but not the overall interest. I bring a lifetime of working with words and pictures, in the form of comics, along with my finely-honed sketchnoting skills. What can I say. It’s fun!
My work is fun. One of my favorite persons in the world, the writer George Clayton Johnson, was fond of saying that he daydreamed for a living. I feel the same way. Of course, that’s a big part of it along with a dedication to the final results whether it’s a painting, a photograph, film or a novel. What sets me apart, if I need to distinguish things a bit, is that I love all sorts of artistic disciplines as well as respect them. Every endeavor takes time. Every project takes time. And, once I’m working on a project, I give it my all.
My Story
Around 2003, I decided to start a long and organic process of focusing on comics as an artform. I come from a creative writing and a fine arts background. In fact, I can honestly say that I’ve created comics all along, as far back as I can remember. I had a comic strip in my university newspaper. I took that format as far as I could in my youth and finally, after various attempts to break into the market, I had to move on to other things. And then, at some point, I embarked upon my first graphic novel and subsequently to serious comics criticism.
Fast forward many years later, in 2023, I had a graphic novel published by Rutgers University Press. George’s Run is a unique book in many ways. It is the culmination of all the techniques I’ve picked up in how to effectively tell a story in a graphic narrative. And it is undoubtedly my tribute to the art of storytelling. It is in the form of our story’s guide, George Clayton Johnson, a writer who, although not a household name, ended up creating some of the most iconic work in popular culture. George wrote some of the most beloved episodes of The Twilight Zone and he set the tone for Star Trek with his episode, the first one released that kicked off the series.
I’ve concluded that the best use of my time is to continue with my own storytelling, whether in a graphic novel format, prose novel, script, play or whatever else. That said, I leave a lot of room for any other related activities. Within the wider umbrella of possibilities is public speaking events. The more I talk with folks, the more I realize I assume a shared knowledge that just doesn’t exist anymore. And that’s totally fine. It makes me all the other sensitive to not taking anything for granted. I am more than happy to let you know what I know or at least set you in the right direction. Research is a big component to creating a longform work of comics, especially nonfiction. I find myself sometimes reading a book or two just to better inform a single panel. When I complete a graphic novel, the result is a work of comics loaded with a lot of information that is sometimes only implied in a concise or minimal manner. So, I’m happy to clarify anything I didn’t cover in the endnotes during a live event. I’m also happy to share what I know about making comics. I even do live illustration and graphic recording.
That should be enough for now. I just wanted to flesh out the human behind all this a little more. Yes, I am a real person with feelings and opinions and flaws and regrets. If you would like to find out more, well, there’s my ongoing blog at Comics Grinder and all sorts of interviews and assorted videos at my YouTube channel. I do what I can. I would be delighted to hear from you and, who knows, maybe we can work together.
