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Spotlights » Paul D. Storrie, '88
Paul D. Storrie, '88, has the kind of job that millions of children dream about having when they grow up. He spends his days immersed in the worlds of superheroes, vigilante outlaws, and mythical legends. But it's not exactly the job he thought he would have as a child. "The funny thing is I'd been drawing since I was a kid," the award-winning comic book writer and graphic novelist explains, "I always had aspirations to become an author, it's just that I wanted to draw comics and write prose."
Storrie earned a BA in English from Grand Valley in 1988 and was just a couple of classes shy of an art minor. After graduation, he spent several years doing odd jobs all the while trying to break into the comic world receiving a number of rejection notices along the way. "Eventually I discovered that I could work extremely hard to be an okay artist, or I could concentrate on my writing. I was diffusing my efforts trying to do both and it was slowing me down."
"Tenacity," continues Storrie, "is the 'secret' to making it as a freelance comic author. It takes a lot of work. There isn't some magic key, as people tend to think, that gets you in the door. I was simply too stupid to quit. I wouldn't accept the rejection letters. I always kept plugging along."
His concentration and tenacity eventually paid off in 1998 when his first professional publication, Robyn of Sherwood #1 was released from Caliber Comics. He did four issues of this series about the adventures of Robin Hood's daughter and moved on to pen several stories for Moonstone Books. His introduction to a broad audience came through Batman Beyond #23 for DC Comics in 2001. He worked with DC on several other publications as well as with Marvel Comics, who recently re-released the Captain America: Red, White & Blue 60th Anniversary anthology in softcover. Paul considers this to be the one work in his extensive bibliography that he is most proud of. "I've been a Captain America fan since I was little. That combined with the ability to work with and learn from the exceedingly talented David Lloyd, who drew my story for the anthology, was amazing."
Not only Captain America, but comic books in general, meant a lot to Paul as a child. "They opened up a world of adventure and gave me stories of people I could identify with who were doing the right things for the right reasons, not necessarily for the praise or glory." It's one of the things that drives Storrie to stay in the field. "The thought of providing a similar experience to a new generation of children is very rewarding to me. Above all, if I can give someone - a child or an adult - a story that makes them laugh, or ponder something or just entertains them for awhile, I can be proud of that at the end of the day."
Storrie credits GVSU for helping him hone his talents and feeding his passion for writing. Although the genre he was pursuing was unique from other writers he went to school with, the ideas and theories discussed about writing and the impact authors can make was great. "There were many individuals at Grand Valley who were very encouraging of writing professionally, and the art classes I took really enhanced my visual sense. The college is still with me in many ways." Two of his stories, Revisionary, and "Wolf Whistle" from Werewolves: Dead Moon Rising take place in part or in whole on the campus of Great Lakes State University, a fictional school inspired by his time at GVSU.
For more on Paul D. Storrie and to view his full bibliography, visit www.storrieville.com.
Added October 2007
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