Adrian Tomine (Optic Nerve)

Adrian Tomine (born May 31, 1974), a popular contemporary cartoonist, is best known for his ongoing graphic novel series Optic Nerve and his periodical illustrations in The New Yorker. Adrian Tomine had something of a head start working in comics. At 16, when he was still in high school in Sacramento, Tomine started writing and drawing a combination of fictional and autobiographical stories, self-publishing them in his mini-comic Optic Nerve, which he sold through local stores and mail order. In 1994, at age 20, Tomine began producing Optic Nerve as a regular comic book series for Drawn & Quarterly . He won a Harvey Award for "Best New Talent" the following year. In 1997, D+Q published Sleepwalk and Other Stories. Comprised of the first four D+Q issues of Optic Nerve, it remains a best-seller for the company. Tomine's art has graced numerous CD and album covers as well as magazines like The New Yorker, Esquire, Rolling Stone, and Time. His work has been greeted with much acclaim. He is often compared to his friend Dan Clowes for his signature clean-line style. Tomine has discussed his influences in detail, admitting that he was strongly influenced by Clowes but perhaps even more so by Jaime Hernandez of Love & Rockets fame. www.adrian-tomine.com