As a kid, his mother's illness scared him — now he's using comics to come to terms
Megan Durnford | CBC Arts | Posted: September 13, 2017 4:30 PM | Last Updated: September 13, 2017
'When you're going through difficult times, you find escape that keeps you sane. I found that through comics'
Warning: this video contains explicit language.
The odds were stacked against Von Allan. As a small child, he had to cope with poverty, bullying, loneliness and his mother's severe mental health problems. But just when it looked as though everything was lost, comic book superheroes came to the rescue.
Courageous comic characters inspired young Von to stay strong — and now they're helping him to become the superhero of his own life. Today, Von is a self-taught professional comic artist based in Ottawa whose acclaimed graphic novels include the road to god knows... and Stargazer. He has also created a digital series entitled Metal Gods.
In this video, Von takes us on a tour of his creative process, from how he first came to the art form to why he continues to express himself through comic illustration. It's a story about resilience, self-expression and the power of art.
(Note from the artist: Von Allan's methodology and artistic approach have evolved since the publication of the road to god knows... There is a variation between the illustrations featured in this film and the graphic novel's original illustrations.)
Von Allan's story is part of the documentary I am Still Your Child airing on Absolutely Quebec on CBC on September 16. After that, you can see I am Still Your Child online here. And you can find out more about Von Allan here.
Watch Exhibitionists on Friday nights at 12:30 a.m. (1 NT) and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. (4NT) on CBC Television.