ARTIST: HBO's Game of Thrones, Ridley Scott's "Prophets of Science Fiction on The Science Channel, Random House, DC Comics/Vertigo, Marvel, Image, Borderlands/2K/IDW Publishing, THE RL.Stine! +@PETERPANComic with wife @RenaeDeLiz!

Wow...

I grew up poor and fat (and clearly with great fashion sense ... psst, I wore pink biking shorts and my mom's shirts and had no idea that was weird) in a rural Kansas town with a population of about 1,800 people. Needless to say, childhood didn't go great for me.

Childhood Home ... spacious.

But some strong creative influences got in there and helped me escape. The Chronicles of Narnia BBC movies from the 80s, for one instance, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for another, and of course Superman, Batman, Disney, Garfield, etc. Though I didn't pick up my first comic book or take art seriously until I was around 15, I always knew I wanted to accomplish a lot in life and had endless energy to do so, just needed an outlet.

Thank goodness for the internet. It wasn't easy, I had to teach myself how to draw (I'd read a professional artist draws 8 hours a day in Wizard Magazine I think and so from that day on I drew for 8 hours a day or more!), but I've now been a professional artist for 15 years and even married a professional comic book artist, Renae De Liz (DC, Vertigo, IDW, Random House, Archie)

My wife, who was from Oregon, and I met online on the Digital Webbing Comic Book Forum about 10 years ago, then soon after in person at San Diego Comic-Con. A few years later we were married there! Yes, at the convention. Well, in back by the water and ships. And by comics writer Tony Lee, of all people.

Met and later married comic artist Renae De Liz AT San Diego Comic-Con!

We now have 3 sons and have lived in Kansas (where I grew up), Maine (wonderful place we both wanted to try) and now on a mountain in Southern California. We have had an incredible adventure together. I'm a lucky man! Making up for that childhood, I suppose. ;)

"Get a life, dad!"

Our Boys, Tycen (12), Drake (5), Porter (0)

Where we live now! Yes, this is in Southern California!

Now that things have gone well from a freelance standpoint,

I want to get back to what REALLY inspired me to become an artist and that was creating my own worlds and characters and having an insane amount of fun doing it!

I'm anxious and hungry for it and ready to take my career in that creator-owned direction with help from you wonderful patrons!

If you have any questions, hit me up!

~RAY DILLON