ABOUT

2020
Already having an online teaching presence made it easy for me to slide into ONLINE only classes as Covid raged across the world. God threw so much work at me that I started using the phrase, "blessed till it hurts", because there were four solid months where I didn't have a single day off, and I did hurt, a lot. All work and no play makes Todd twitch a lot. I also started teaching online classes to residents of Canada at this time.

2021
Due to Covid I had to convert all of my Girlscout Badge Classes to an online format, extending my reach Nationally as well as Locally. Within the first three months of this year I TIED the total number of GS classes for all of 2020 (which itself had 5 more classes than 2019) and by end of May I DOUBLED the number of classes compared to the previous year. This made me tired.

2022
With the pandemic mostly over, my ONLINE classes dwindled, and I'm currently in the process of getting back into in person classes around town. In many ways it feels like I'm starting over from scratch.

At the very end of the year, I released an ART KIT service where I would take children's drawings and comics and convert them into professionally printed mini 5.5"x8.5" booklets. The first two kits (out of four) were released at this time.

I always know when I work on something that God wants me to do, Satan is not far behind trying to destroy it. The very night of the release date, a hacker bad guy infiltrated my email server, and was able to reset the password on my FB account. They then changed the name/pic, accepted a friend request from someone I don't know (to scrape my data) and then posted something so horrible that the FB bots completely shut the account down and banned it.

Under normal circumstances I would just create a new account, but where this cripples me is that my FB class page is now orphaned as a result. My one mistake was not having a backup admin account attached to the page. So my reach to get news out about my art kits and classes is crippled, but I am absolutely not down for the count as God will forge a new path for me to get the word out.

2023
Released the third and fourth ART KITS. I started teaching classes at the GREEN DOOR GALLERY after the teaching space was removed at the bookstore I was teaching at post pandemic. I took part in a group art exhibit in October, which was the first gallery exhibit in six years following my self imposed art hiatus at the Old Orchard Gallery. And lastly, started slowly getting back into creating comics, releasing issue #4 of my NORMLINGS comic as an ebook to be bought on this site. (print version coming eventually.)

2012
Attended my first comic convention where I was sitting behind the table selling my FRIK comic. (RIP Project Comic Con)

2013
As my son was growing up, he would often say or do quirky things, and I would write them in a notebook. Over time I had enough material where I created my next comic, HOLES IN IT, a story about an artist dad and his quirky son. Half of the comic is actual real events that happened, some word for word.

2015
Earlier in the year God popped in my head suggesting I start teaching a comic class to kids. I completely dismissed it because at the time I was trying to get back into the workforce now that my son was a full time student. "Stay at home Dad" no longer applied, and I was freaking out about finding a job.

A week or two later my son bragged to his school's art teacher about me making comics and she emailed inviting me to teach a one hour class to each of the third grade classes. At that point I said, "Ok God, I get the hint!" A meager six months later, I started teaching my KIDS COMIC WORKSHOP around town and my very first two classes sold out!

Within weeks of these classes, I was literally and figuratively thrown to the lions and was hired as a long term substitute art teacher for a Charter school while the real art teacher was on maternity leave. I had no teaching experience at all, but working at the school made me realize that that was NOT my calling.

2016
I released my third comic line called THE NORMLINGS, in print and online. I also expanded my classes and teach after school and homeschool classes.

2017
Expanded my teaching empire and created several new classes. I also created a base camp for my classes that was centrally located in town and started having a regular schedule there, effectively tripling the number of classes I taught in 2016.

2018
Spent a LOT of time geting my STORE onto this site as well as created the EBOOK versions of my comics. I also started teaching classes at various St. Louis public libraries.

2019
Very early in the year I started teaching live ONLINE versions of my classes to kids all around the country. I also started Birthday Parties / Group Events around the St. Louis area in person.

2001
Created my first digital mixed media abstract piece of art, titled, "Define Your Reality", for my desktop background. Unfortunately the low resolution makes it too small to print. Five years later I would start to create more with the intention of showing/selling.

2006
Became a stay at home dad, and during several nights of sleep deprivation, I focused on creating digital mixed media abstract art.

2007
Some of my digital artwork was displayed in a handful of galleries around the country. Back then people didn't consider digital art prints "real art", but now you find them in galleries everywhere. I was ahead of the curve on that one, despite not selling a single one.

2009
Comics were the furthest thing from my mind when God planted the entire concept of my first comic in my head towards the end of the year. Everything was there, I just had to get it on paper. FRIK is a medieval warrior who is forced to work at a medieval fast food restaurant and fights goblins and ninjas on the side. It was released online early 2010 and soon after in print. This was what eventually launched me into teaching children's DRAWING CLASSES.

1990
Attended art college for a short time but dropped out due to financial reasons. Biggest thing I learned there was I didn't need art college to learn how to make art. Saved a ton of money.

1993-1999
Worked at a video/film production company and learned script writing, story telling, shot composition, and character design. These are skills that became useful later in my life creating comics. Also started teaching myself to be a graphic artist.

1999
Became a graphic/web designer and left the production company to work for a couple of design houses. That went great till the IT bubble burst in 2001, causing me to lose my job twice.

1983
Started winning art awards and was youngest person ever admitted into continuing education art classes at a local college.

1984
Created knock off comic strips of several 1980's cartoons. Only classmates in my Home Room class saw it. No copies exist. I wouldn't create more comics until 25 years later...

1976
I'm in preschool coloring the sky purple in my Snoopy coloring book. Teacher told me I chose the wrong color because, "...the sky isn't purple, it's blue." That really struck me, why must my art be based on reality? That teacher's comment planted the seed.

1978
It's my birthday party and I snuck into my parents room to watch the "Star Wars Holiday Special" on TV. I was already obsessed with it before this, but something "clicked" in me watching that show. I started drawing everything Star Wars... a lot... you know, to suppress memories of watching that horrible show.