About the Artist

If ther’s any truth to the idea that an artist has to suffer to be successful, then I’m in trouble. I’ve been very fortunate to have wonderful people in my life who have encouraged my creativity.

Born just south of Pittsburgh, I was the youngest of five. While my father loved to preach the virtues of common sense, both he and my mother encouraged me to dream. My imagination was nurtured every day but was especially fueled by family get-togethers at the holidays. Gathered around the patio table, my family could spin yarns about everyday life that would leave you breathless from laughter.

My imagination was not always well received in my conservative grade school. It was there that I discovered cartooning. As my mind would wander during class, my pen would wander to the margin of my notebook to create monsters, aliens, sharks, and castles.

Over the next several years, I fell into a sense of complacency with my career. Although I liked my job, I knew that selling insurance would never satisfy my creative longings. I credit my wonderful wife, Kristen, for giving me the jolt I needed. She encouraged me to take evening classes at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh where I studied graphic design. I was inspired by the drive, dedication, and creativity of the other students. I renewed my commitment to cartooning and began developing several ideas for comic strips.

The idea for Home Fries came to me from the conversations I enjoyed with my older customers. Many of them would make a special trip to just sit and chew the fat for a while. While several tried to appear gruff on the outside, I could tell by the twinkle in their eyes that inside each beat the heart of a mischievous child. So while many great comic strips focus on the lives of children, I thought I’d center mine around an old man who stayed a child at heart.

I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read, and hopefully enjoy, Home Fries. While it is certainly my dream to one day be syndicated, I believe that success is a journey, not a destination. I already feel successful just being able to pursue what I enjoy. This may be just a small step in my journey, but I’m having a wonderful time so far.

 

The first comic

Home Fries is hosted on Keenspace, a free webhosting and site automation service for webcomics.