1. Why did you start a storytelling studio?

My main goal is to create fictional worlds that inspire and evoke wonder in audiences. The studio is meant to serve that purpose through collaborations with other creatives in gaming, animation, and beyond.

2. Why did you choose Greek mythology for your first two books?

I chose Greek Mythology because I believe that Greek myths are some of the most compelling, complex, and sophisticated stories humankind has ever created. So I wanted to do a deep dive to absorb them, and I hope to continue to channel those universal themes and archetypes into my own future fiction projects.

3. What are your plans for your fiction projects?

I have a vast variety of fictional genre stories in the works from fantasy, sci, noir, western, horror and beyond. You can explore them in the top navigation bar on the site under "Lockettopia Fiction."

4. What’s your favorite myth or hero?

I think Orpheus is probably my favorite Greek myth. I love that the story is about an artist trying to use the power of their art to impact their reality. I like that it has a dark and somber tone, and, I'll be honest, I'm a sucker for a sad ending. Having grown up on happy Hollywood endings, I now tend to enjoy dark or bittersweet endings to stories, as they seem more true to reality and thought provoking.

5. How long does it take to illustrate a book?

Oof. too long! haha. It took about two years more or less to do the art for Greek Gods and Heroes. I attempted to do 2 illustrations a week and succeeded for the most part. But there are many other tasks that take up time in the process of building up an ambitious book of this scope and manifesting it into physical form; page layout in Adobe indesign, research on historical content, ebook features, changes from printer, and the list goes on and on....

6. What are your future projects after Greek Gods & Heroes?

Well I've already mentioned my personal fiction projects, but lets talk about more mythic, cultural, education books. After the Trojan War Cycle I hope to tackle Britain's King Arthur's Knights, Japanese Gods and Heroes, Shakespearean Tragedy, The Haunted book of Halloween, and more...

7. Do you offer commissions or custom artwork?

At this time I'm not available for commissions or freelance work. I have to stay laser focused on my own book projects to make sure they get completed at the highest level of quality.

8. Can I get involved or support your work?

Absolutely! The best way to support us is to join the Newsletter so you'll be first notified when our Kickstarter book projects go live. You can join the discord for general chat, or the Patreon discord to chat and give feedback on our projects in progress. You can join our Patreon for exclusive artworks, behind-the-scenes photos, Hi-res art downloads, and more. And sharing our books or prints with friends and family is a great way to support our journey. Buying a print or sticker in our shop also helps us sustain our mission to create more stellar art and story content.

9. Where can I follow your updates?

In the top navigation bar you can click on "Newsletter" to subscribe to our monthly email updates.

10. Can teachers or educators use your books in the classroom?

Absolutely! It's one of my goals to make the Greek myth and Trojan war cycle content with educational value that is shared in classrooms. More on this soon!

1. When did you become an artist?

Since I was five years old, sprawled on that thick 1980's shag carpet, sketching monsters, warriors, and robot wars, I’ve been obsessed with world-building and storytelling. Inspired by the dark fantasy of The Never Ending Story and The Dark Crystal, the sprawling myths of comics, and the rich imagination of 1990's Japanese anime OVA's, I chased that passion all the way to New York City, where I received my B.A. in illustration from Parsons School of Design. From working as a senior concept artist on the Xbox360 title Alice: Madness Returns in Shanghai to traveling the world for the last 12 years, my journey has always been about cultural exploration and bringing stories to life through art.

2. what are your artistic influences?

It began with live action fantasy and animated films from the early 80's, to gaming and Japanese animated OVA's of the 1990's. More specifically for my illustration style, its a blend of flat graphic works inspired by Japanese Ukiyo-e prints and post-impressionist painters. I'm drawn to the colors of Odilon Redon, and the dark value shifts of Hugh Ferriss. Another huge influence is the golden age illustrators like Mary Blair, Kay Neilson, and Edmund Dulac. Alot of people have compared my style to Samurai jack, which makes sense, as it's in the vein of Mary Blair and animation production art.

3. What is your typical workday like?

In Chiang Mai Thailand, I wake up and drive my motorbike to a nearby coffee shop, and put in a 2-3 hours of writing/art on one of my fiction projects. Then after driving out to lunch, I'll go to another coffee shop, putting in about 4 hours of work on my mythic book project and logistics. After dinner Ill work out at the park for 1-2 hours for fresh air and exercise, and then At night I may relax, or sometimes i might need to do a little more work on some task that is needed. I typically work 6 days a week, and sometimes half a day on sundae. This early stage of building this start up business is requiring a lot of grinding, but I'm so excited to see it coming together!

4. Do you use AI in your art or stories?

In my art: no, not at all. For writing, I use AI sparingly as a preliminary research or organizational tool, but not for writing actual book text. Text prose is all written by me. As a traditional writer and artist, I hold onto the hope that audiences will prioritize human made arts and stories into the future.

5. Where do you live and work now?

I currently live in Chiang Mai, Thailand, which is in the mountainous north of Thailand. It's a medium sized city full of temples, waterfalls, tons of coffee shops, cheap massage shops, and insanely scrumptious Thai food. The people are warm and welcoming, and it has a good balance between relaxing pace and creative digital nomad lifestyle.

6. How do you manage a creative studio while living abroad?

Nowadays I think you can build a personal art brand anywhere on the planet with Kickstarter, print on demand services, and social media. there are some small pros and cons to being in Asia. For example, it makes it harder for me to offer personalized monthly items or signed prints, because i don't ship my items personally. On the other hand, my close proximity to China means i can fly to the printer and sign my book copies.

7. How many countries have you lived in? what are your favorites?

Over the past 15 years I have lived in around 13 countries. some for a few years like Japan, Thailand, or Mexico, others for just a few months, like Greece, Turkey, Vietnam, and more. You can explore my globetrotting adventures in the top header navigation button "World Travels."

8. How has traveling influenced your art and stories?

The ways in which travel has shaped me as an artist and human is almost endless. In addition to being exposed to that culture's arts through museums and galleries, It's hard to quantify the life experiences I've gained and the impact they have had on me. From visiting temples with monks, to exploring ruins in Greece, to being the only foreign guest at a Mongolian wedding in the countryside, and many more. In addition, living in a foreign country really gives you time to absorb the culture and see the world through their eyes, broadening your own world view in beautiful ways.

9. How do you create your artwork?

Below is my 4 step art process for each Illustration I make:👇