My name is Michael Greear, and I compulsively self-publish comic books.
When I was young, reading comics captivated me in a way that nothing else could. I loved movies and video games and music, but comics were different because you could make them right “now,” during math class, and show them to your friends.
My earliest memories contain drawing. Trying to recreate the cover of the TMNT ’89 movie VHS case while my mom and baby brother watched, or drawing Batman over and over again in preschool, knowing that if I let the green grass of the background go really high up it looked like there was a horizon. I’m still terrible at perspective.
When I went to college I didn’t find much in the way of comic artist degree programs, at least none around me. I took a bunch of studio art and graphics design classes before getting a print journalism degree with an art minor. I figured this would cover all the bases regarding the publication of a comic, and that turned out to be the case. Along the way I won the 2008 Best Comic Strip Award from the Florida Community College Press Association for the comic, “The Chronicles of Mark Question.”
Unfortunately, I didn’t have much luck getting a career going in print journalism. I chose comics instead, and decided to move to New York in 2012 to pursue them wholeheartedly. After several years of creating an 8-page mini-comic each year for NYCC and getting nowhere, I decided to go back to school and become a registered nurse. This allows me to be totally independent as a creator.
While in pursuit of my nursing degree, I worked hard to become the artist I wanted to be. I reached the point of familiarity with drawing and comic book making that video game players might call, “getting good.” After amassing a gigantic new collection of comics from around the world, as well as every kind of pen, paper or brush that caught my eye, I finally knew what I liked and how to execute the stuff that brings me joy.
When I was a kid, the most exciting thing about comics to me was the drawing aspect. I didn’t enjoy seeing a lot of dialogue on a page (as much as I’ve always loved reading), and none of my favorite artists were the photorealistic guys. I liked stuff with expressive brushstrokes and hyper-animated line art. Years later, I would learn from my drawing teacher that the thing the eye enjoys most is moving around the page and following all those delicious lines around.
I hope that my work provides you with an ample amount of said eye candy, and I hope that your eyes develop a real sweet tooth for it. Enjoy!
Mike
Contact: mikegreear@gmail.com
Mike Greear Comics 