Created by Clyde
I landed on the pen name C. Clyde for my creative works. Clyde is my middle name - a name that I have seldom appreciated over the years. I have a new perspective on it in recent years, as it ties very closely to the relationship I had with my dad. My father, Clyde, and his father share that name. The book itself will be exploring this relationship heavily - as my father had passed away not long ago.
I look back on him with appreciation and love. The distaste I once had about the antiquated, southern flavor of the name Clyde have melted away. In its place are a deep appreciation for the man, and the man that he made me. I was Created by Clyde - and these creative works were created by me. I couldn’t think of a better signature, as it is also his signature - the handiwork of generations that celebrates our similarities and our many differences in a form that he likely never would have seen coming.
With that in mind, Created by Clyde is where this project will live - a disparate collection of artworks, writing and ideas orbiting this ambitious comic project of mine - Processing, and most recently STEPPERS.
Processing
It’s not that I’m unclear on what Processing is (a comic) or some of the key themes (psychology, mental health, belief systems) that differentiates it from other works. It’s not that I don’t have a feel for the genre (dark comedy).
It is that I know Processing blends these components into a vulnerable story for me, obfuscated around a high concept premise.
Processing is a dark comedy exploring the question, “what if every afterlife exists?” Having believed in nothing in life, Clyde must navigate the department of Processing, a bureaucratic agency established to give non-believers another chance at finding eternal bliss.
This book explores mental health, grief, identity, existential philosophy and societal issues through a story that borders on memoir at times.
STEPPERS.
After spending decades behind bars, Mickey has been released from prison. In a twisted turn of events, he must reckon with a public persona he does not recognize that poses an existential threat to all that he stands for.
“Most people go their whole lives stepping to the beat of the drum. They don’t question the rhythm or who made the drum. One foot in the front of the other, marching along thinking that’s what you’re supposed to do. The music is infectious and everyone loves to dance.”
-Oswald, The Lucky Rabbit
STEPPERS, Chapter 6
This book has been a blast to make. Despite the veneer of marketability of a book like this, we’re exploring some dark themes and taking a lot of risks. The readers will ultimately be the final judge of the veracity of those claims, so if you haven’t given it a chance yet, we’ve got 50+ pages out right now that you can read.
This’ll be our first Kickstarter campaign, too - collecting the first 6 chapters, roughly 100 pages of story to wrap up Act 1. If you’d like to support the campaign, head over to Kickstarter (they accept late pledges as well).
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