Growing up, my cousin Freddy and I were inseparable, bonding over our shared love of drawing and storytelling. We’d spend hours tracing characters from our favorite comic books and creating our own stories from scratch. As we honed our skills, our own unique style began to emerge, influenced by the legendary artists we admired – Jack Kirby, John Buscema, Jim Steranko, and Steve Ditko, to name a few.
Despite our passion for comics, we didn’t pursue careers in the industry as adults. Instead, we followed in our family’s musical footsteps. Our grandfather was a talented multi-instrumentalist, and Freddy’s dad was a skilled guitarist. We both learned to play instruments – I picked up the guitar, while Freddy became a master drummer.
Freddy went on to achieve great success in the music world, winning a Grammy (nominated twice) and other numerous awards, including a CMA. He’s perhaps best known for his work with the Oak Ridge Boys during their chart-topping years.
Meanwhile, I found myself on the business side of the music industry, working for a company in Hollywood that specialized in clearing and licensing music for film and television productions. It was a fascinating role, as I got to navigate the complex world of music rights and negotiate deals with composers, publishers, and artists to secure the necessary tracks for various projects. Eventually, I was hired as a contractor for Twentieth Century Fox, based out of the Fox Tower in Century City as a liaison between the IT department and the legal team.
Years later, we rekindled our childhood dream of creating comics together. We dusted off an idea we’d started working on as teenagers and began brainstorming. It was as if no time had passed at all – our creative chemistry was still there, and we fell into a comfortable rhythm.
Around this time, Freddy met USA Today best-selling author, CG Cooper, at a business meeting. CG was looking to adapt one of his books into a graphic novel, and Freddy saw an opportunity. We joined forces with CG, and the rest is history. We successfully adapted his first Corps Justice book into a graphic novel and published it.
Now, we’re back to working on our original project, and it’s exciting to see it take shape. Collaborating with Freddy is a unique experience – we push each other to new heights, leveraging our individual strengths and talents. Freddy’s creativity is unmatched, while I bring a more technical approach to the table. There are moments when we’re completely in sync, sharing a déjà vu experience that’s both exhilarating and unsettling.
I’ll be sharing updates on our big project soon, but for now, it’s still under wraps. Let’s just say it’s going to be something special, and I’m thrilled to be working with my cousin and partner in crime, Freddy.