I worked on this 32-page comic, off and on, from 2003 to 2009. Struggling to write an original story, I was only able to come up with a collection of characters and scenes I wanted to draw. So, I shuffled them around until a narrative fell into place.
My protagonist explored Union Square and Williamsburg in New York City, as he searched for inspiration and wondered if he should give up this particular creative pursuit.
The photography was meant to represent the world as it is, and the illustration was meant to represent how the protagonist not only saw the world, but also himself. Most of the illustrations started as blind contour pencil drawings, which I refined as I inked them in. Friends and family helped me out with the photography.
Building my pages on the computer allowed me to add and manipulate the panel art, alter the panel layout or replace an element in a panel, without having to remake anything else.
Flying Solo was first self-published in 2009. A new cover and logo were created for a 2023 reprinting.
