Comic Strips
The Adventures of FreshMAN
The Adventures of FreshMAN was my first published comic strip. Created during my junior year of high school (2000-2001) The Adventures of FreshMAN did not make its official debut until the Fall of 2001 in the Burleson High School NewsRack student newspaper during my senior year of high school. Unlike the Power Potatoes, FreshMAN was a comic strip and not a full book. Encouraged by Ryan Harwell, who was a staff member of the student paper when the strip was developed and then the Sports column editor when the strip debuted, The Adventures of FreshMAN was the only comic strip to be published in the student paper during my four years of high school.
The story centers on two high school freshmen and some of their experiences as, well, freshmen. The concept was originally developed as a super-hero comedy strip. The title gives evidence to this. Originally, the story was to be about a young high school freshman who’s alter–ego was a costumed super–hero who would fight the injustices of a corrupt school district superintendent. The super–hero idea was scrapped due to my assumption that the general high school audience would not be interested. The published format, centering on two freshmen, provided a platform for political–like school jokes and stabs at silly and ridiculous social stereotypes and practices. Click to view comic strips.
From the Hart
From the Hart was another attempt at a comic strip for a school publication. This time however, my target audience was college students. When I graduated high school and began my undergraduate career at Texas A&M University, I hoped to bring my Adventures of FreshMAN comic to the university student newspaper. I was, however, unable to adapt the strip to a college setting in a manner that was suitable to my liking. Unfortunately, Adventures of FreshMAN never made it passed my high school days. More unfortunately, I was unable to develop a successful comic strip for a college audience. However, during my four and a half years at A&M I did begin to develop multiple strip ideas; From the Hart being the most successful.
From the Hart is a collection of strips inspired by daily gags and situations that were presented casually by my friends and myself. I would take either funny moments acted out by friends of mine and myself, or situations which I thought were funny or awkward. Some were successful in the comedy being liked by multiple readers, while other strips were unable to be understood due to the jokes being of an "inside" nature. The title is a play on words combining the sound of "from the heart", of which every comic was from my heart, and the name of my college dormitory, Hart Hall, in which I lived when I wrote and drew the strips. Disappointingly, when I moved off campus the creative free flow of ideas stopped and From the Hart ended with some thirty odd strips. Click to view samples.
Growing Up Green
Growing Up Green is my most recent strip. I have wanted to create a new strip since From the Hart ended. Growing Up Green centers on a young man who is at his beginning of fatherhood, husbandry, and adult life. Based off some of my own experiences, I hope that this comic will reach a larger audience than Hart or FreshMAN with a story which more people both young and old can relate to. The title provides indication to the fact that the characters are new to the situations they find themselves in. Click to view samples.