This is the bit where I tell you all about me.

My name is Paul Cowan and I'm an artist/animator/writer living and working in Wrexham, North Wales.

I grew up in Liverpool and my earliest influences were the films of Ray Harryhausen and Doctor Who and it was because of them that I wanted to get into the 'industry'. I was born in 1969 and as a kid, I was a voracious reader (still am really) and used to regularly get The Beano, Dandy, Beezer and Topper. Then as I got a little older I increased my comics intake with Whizzer & Chips, Whoopee, Cheeky Weekly and Jackpot, with the occasional Buster thrown in for good measure. I would also 'borrow' my older brother's comics and would immerse myself in the worlds of Victor, Warlord and Hotspur every Sunday.

My brother also introduced me to 2000AD and from there I started to get Tornado - until it was 'absorbed' into the former. And he also gave me access to the 'Holy Grail' - his collection of Marvel comics. At first it was The Defenders - I couldn't get enough of the Hulk - and Sub-Mariner. But my favourite was The Silver Surfer. As I grew up I moved away from the IPC mags and embraced the world of Stan Lee. I started to get the UK reprints of Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk. I got Spider-Man and moved on to DC with Green Lantern and Batman.

It was a world I dreamed of being a part of. But being an artist wasn't a 'proper' job. My family had always supported me in everything I wanted to do; but this would be going a bit too far - wouldn't it? So I studied electronics instead. There was good money in it my father said, it was the future. Well, actually, as far as I was concerned the future altered irrevocably in 1977. My future contained Star Destroyers, Droids and a Galaxy far far away!

My regular comic intake now consisted solely of Marvel's Return of the Jedi weekly. I collected it for over a hundred issues - still have them - until I discovered that there was a magazine dedicated to my favourite telly programme. Not only that, but it had already been going for a hundred issues before I knew of its existence. So, I started to collect Doctor Who Magazine from issue 100.

But what of my lofty ambitions? Was I destined to a career in technology? Well, I stuck at it for a year once I'd left school but quickly realised that it wasn't for me. I wanted to make my own films and comic books - and Doctor Who. Fortunately, my family was very supportive of my decision to drop electronics and switch to art and design. It was much better - I could be creative and I went on to get a HND in design.

I then went to see if the pavements in London were really paved with gold - but discovered that it was just concrete like back in Liverpool! I still managed to get a job as a runner with a TV company that specialised in gameshows. I became a researcher, sorting out contestants before turning freelance and jobbing around arranging audiences among other things. But it wasn't what I wanted. So I packed up and went back up north and got a degree in animation (see, that reference to Ray Harryhausen at the start was going somewhere!).

Now, I'm trying to launch a new career as a comic book artist and writer, with a little portrait and cartoon work on the side. So, please feel free to take a look around and don't forget to drop me a line telling me what you think. Some of my work is for sale - so if you see something you like, then let me know.

Thanks,

Paul.