WINTERPEG is coming

You can follow me on Instagram at @M.D.Art

Follow me on Instagram at @M.D.Art

It’s been an especially slow news week for comic book movies, with the summer blockbusters wrapped up and no new digital releases to speak of. So, I’m going to write an off topic blog post and talk about a project that I’ve been working on since August.

And, guess what!

It’s a comic book.

I’m writing and illustrating my debut comic book for an early 2016 release date. It’s called Winterpeg and it follows the last surviving residents of Winnipeg following a major ecological disaster. Oh, and they run into some marauding cannibals! (I’ve been having a lot of fun drawing cannibals this week.) This is not a professional comic. It’s dirty, underground and independent with lots of character and some local appeal woven in — think Heavy Metal but with a Canadian twist.

So, why make a comic book (other than my obvious love for comics)? I’ve been drawing my entire life. It was my favorite hobby as a child and a passion that’s come and gone in waves over the years. I love it, but I’ve always felt that I don’t have the level of talent it takes to do it on a professional level. I knew I wanted to have a career that was creative, but my wheels kept spinning and my confidence reached an all time low.

So fine... so young...

Things began to change after I applied for the Creative Communications program at Red River College. I started to seriously consider becoming a professional writer. And when I discovered that part of the program involved a yearlong independent project — and students had done graphic novels in the past — I immediately knew what I wanted to do in my final year of school.

And, here I am: incredibly stressed, over worked, and damn lucky to be making this thing. It’s been a dream of mine for years, and all I can ask for now is less schoolwork and more time to draw.  

I had to do quite a bit of research and planning in order to get this project accepted, and I’d like to thank local comic creators Scott Henderson and Scott Ford for their advice and encouragement — especially Scott Henderson, who was incredibly generous with his time answering all of my little questions. These guys are great talents.

Check out Scott Henderson’s work here: https://scotthendersonart.wordpress.com

And Scott Ford’s work here: https://scottaford.wordpress.com

Eventually, I’ll set up a new website specifically for Winterpeg and to show off some of the local comic books I pick up. But for now, you can track my progress on Instagram at @M.D.Art.

I’ll be back next week for some more comic book movie action. Peace