It all began with...

...comic books. Like so many other children of my generation, comics were part of every day life. They were the console games of the time. It was through comic books that you'd escape the day, the hassle of school or the taunting of some snotty-nosed kid. For an hour or so you could lose yourself in an amazing world where the bad guys got their butts kicked by guys who could stretch, climb walls or burst into flames. In short, it was inspirational.

And it wasn't long before I decided that I wanted in on the action. It was through copying characters like Captain America and Spider-Man that I learned to draw. And not only did comic books teach me to draw, but they tought me to enjoy drawing.

Soon I was ready to start making my own comics. Using the reverse of my Dad's abundant letterheaded paper (and the seamstress talents of my ever encouraging Nan who would sew them together) I was soon producing my own comics. And my first attempt was The Living Flame, a shameless rip-off of The Human Torch, brought to you by K Comics - an umbrella 'publishing' title which stuck for a long time.

Soon returning home on a Wednesday night with a new comic was a weekly occurence. From Blue Lightning (featuring Spider-Man and Captain America) to other more established franchises such as Star Wars and even A Nightmare on Elm Street, the comics just kept on coming.

It was here that I first began to experiment with ideas too. Aliens of 2000 was my attempt to create a Star Wars-style soap opera, while Matt Target was a play on the likes of Knight Rider and Airworlf. As I grew older, so the comics slowly became more sophisticated. I even managed a small run of annuals at one point!

Even now, while I don't read comics any more (although I can't wait for my own boys to start reading them), they're still an important part of my life. To some they may be nothing more than a child's passtime, but to me they were - and still are - the doorway to an infinite galaxy of ideas. 

Were it not for the characters created by the likes of Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and Bob Kane, I wouldn't be where I am today or have created the body of work that you can find here. Not only did they inspire me (and teach me to draw) but they opened my imagination.

It may have all started with comics, but their effect on me will never end.

Click here if you fancy having a look at a small gallery of early 'K Comics'