Meet the Team Behind "Boy Meets Hero"!

Chayne Avery (email: creators@boymeetshero.com)
Creator, Writer, Penciller, Inker, Letterer and Colorist

I have lived in New Mexico, the "land of enchantment," my whole life. I grew up in Roswell and no, I've never been abducted by aliens, (that I know of!) I attended college at ENMU Portales and settled in Albuquerque after graduation in 1995 where I currently own a home with my life-partner, Russell.

I was named after the western movie "Shane." My parents decided to change the spelling to have my name start with a "C," though it's still pronounced "Shane."

Growing up, I loved to draw and my interest usually skewed toward drawing people. Science-fiction and comic books quickly became my inspiration. After taking art classes throughout middle-school and high-school, I decided I would make art my career.

I attended ENMU Portales which offered the best art program in the state. It was there that I met Russ thanks to the fact that we shared the same classes and the same enthusiasm for art.

After graduation, Russ and I moved to Albuquerque and started our art careers. I struggled through various agency positions that didn't quite fit me but paid the bills. In 1997 I obtained a position at Qwest Dex designing ads for the yellow pages.

In 2000 Russ and I met Jason and Jona Kottler and created a four issue comic book mini-series called The Wonderverse. In 2001, the four of us attended the San Diego ComiCon and our work was well received for being an unknown, independent title.

Working on The Wonderverse was one of the most challenging and rewarding projects I've ever been involved with. Russ and I were in charge of all of the art and it was quite a task. I owe the experience I have gained in the comic book field thanks to this project.

In 2001 I was down-sized from Dex, so I decided to work as a freelance artist. Since then I have found that freelancing fits me very well. It does have its own set of challenges, but I do enjoy the freedom it gives me. For one thing, I now have the time to work on Boy Meets Hero!

About Boy Meets Hero

My inspiration for Boy Meets Hero comes from all the super hero comic book characters who have a separate and secret romance in their normal lives. Spider-Man has Mary Jane, Superman has Lois. Dealing with protecting a secret identity for the sake of a loved one has been a common theme for these characters for years.

One day I wondered, "what if a super hero had a same-sex romance?" That hero would not only have one secret to protect, but also the added pressure of keeping his sexual orientation a secret. I've seen gay characters portrayed in comics before such a Northstar from the pages of X-Men & Alpha Flight. However, I haven't really encountered gay characters that have a close and meaningful relationship along the same lines as what Spider-Man and Superman have with their partners.

So I decided to create the tale of a hero who had these two secrets to protect, and thus, Boy Meets Hero was born!

The world in which these characters exist is based on the light-hearted comic books of my youth. I've always loved the adventurous spirit that comics had in the 80's and 90's and so I felt that I wanted to represent that in my story. I want my characters to be fun and really enjoy the colorful world they live in. I also felt it is important to include sensuality in the character's intimate moments by showing that their love-making is a positive experience, neither explicit nor pornographic.

The basic focus of Boy Meets Hero is the positive relationship that Blue Comet has with his boyfriend, Justin, the people in their lives, and the ups and downs they experience along the way... Enjoy!

Russell Garcia (email: creators@boymeetshero.com)
Writer, Digital Effects Colorist, and Web Designer

Russell is a New Mexico native and after graduation from Eastern New Mexico University in 1995 began his graphic design career in Albuquerque. First as an in-house designer for a bookstore and then moving into Web design and photography, Russell has applied his skills to many artistic endeavors. In 2000 along with Chayne, he began work on "The Wonderverse" a comic book penned by Jason and Jona Kottler. The acclaimed four issue mini-series was completed in 2004 and in 2005 Russell began assisting Chayne with story and art development for "Boy Meets Hero". In addition, Russell has continued with his career as a graphic/Web designer and jewelry photographer. Russell is an avid music collector, movie fan, and enjoys drumming as well.

©2005 Chayne Avery. All rights reserved. All characters featured in this issue and the distinctive names and likenesses thererof, and all related indicia are trademarks of Chayne Avery. No similarity between any of the names, characters, persons, and/or institutions in this story with those of any living or dead person or institution is intended, and any such similarity which may exist is purely coincidental. We do not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories, or artwork.