Tell us a little bit about you and your background.

Art has been a passion of mine as far back as being able to properly hold up a pencil. I picked up on drawing from watching my dad do it, but growing up on 90s superhero animations, such as Batman, Spider-Man, and X-Men, served as my gateway to pursuing a career in comic books. After high school, and gaining an Associate’s Degree in Digital Media at The College Of Westchester, I applied to and was accepted in what was a childhood dream school: The Joe Kubert School Of Art. I would see the ads for it in comics, and was already a huge fan of the Kuberts. I graduated from the school in 2014, and landed my first professional art job working on trading cards for Cryptozoic Entertainment’s “The Hobbit Trilogy” sets. That led to more trading card work for the early stages of my career, ranging from various Marvel sets for Upper Deck, polybagged inserts for Valiant’s “X-O Manowar,” and several sets for Dynamite Entertainment. After various stints with short stories in indie comics, I landed my first full comic with Source Point Press, starting with “The Winchester Mystery House #3,” and followed up with a Free Comic Book Day one-shot “WMH: The Hundred Year Curse.” From there, I’ve done variant covers for Dynamite’s “Red Sonja/ Hell Sonja #1,” and “Vampirella vs Red Sonja #3.” Other clients include Aspen, White Ash, Space Between, Sinopa Publishing, Iron Age Comics, and SomosArte. I’m also an artist on Atomic Mass Games’ “Marvel Crisis Protocol,” and have produced art for the Netflix docuseries “The Family,” HBO Max docuseries “Generation Hustle,” and a soon to be released National Geographic documentary.

What attracted you to work at One River School?

A former teacher of mine happened to also be a teacher at One River Hartsdale, and he had seen how I interacted with kids and other aspiring artists during art events we both worked as colleagues. At the time, Hartsdale was looking for someone to teach a Kids Focus On Cartooning summer camp that specifically focused on sequential art. My colleague recommended me, I was interviewed and got the job. I’ve now been a teacher at One River Hartsdale for five years.

How would you describe what it is like to teach here?

It’s been one of the most humbling and rewarding experiences of my life so far. I never really considered teaching much before, but it’s become something I love and truly enjoy passing on what I know to new generations of artists. In turn, I learn a lot from the students as well, and it helps me reconsider going back to the basics and resetting myself as an artist from time to time. I’ve made so many memories and connections with the students, and the staff throughout the years. The current staff runs a really tight ship, and their presence and feedback helps inspire me to give my best.

What has been your favorite project to teach and why?

There’s been several, but the one most fresh on my mind is “The Root Of The Story.” I enjoy so many different mediums of art, but basic drawing fundamentals and storytelling are pretty much the heart of all that I do, and this project fluidly combines both. Showing the students how using nature, composition, and figures in a single image to tell a story and seeing them pull it off…there’s just nothing more exciting as an art teacher than to see a project smoothly come together and the students display full understanding of it. I must also admit I’m slightly biased because featured artist, Charles Vess, is a personal favorite of mine.

Is there a special One River moment that stands out for you?

There’s many, but the standout is a personal one. A student I’ve taught for nearly five years straight was accepted into SVA and starts in September. I’ve watched this student grow, seen their ups and downs, and saw so much of a reflection of my younger self in them. One of my greatest honors as a teacher was to write their letter of recommendation, and I couldn’t be more proud to see them now chasing their dreams. Saying goodbye to a student you’ve had for so long was never a thought that crossed my mind before. It’s a bittersweet moment, but ultimately this is what it’s all about, and I can’t wait to pick up the comic that will have their name on the cover.

What do you enjoy outside of One River?

Outside of the other work I do, just being able to hang out with friends, traveling when I can, attending conventions, winding down with video games (which I have zero time for these days!) LOVE catching a movie, and I think I just might try and pick up directing at some point.