Panel power

For Glenn Hares, comic books — specifically, superhero comics — have always been a refuge, a way to both understand and escape the world.

Now, he’s prepared to release his own into the world.

“When I was in high school, I started creating characters, like this guy here,” says Hares, 40, showing a reporter a copy of the self-published Tytanium No. 0.

“Originally, he was just named Jerry Wolfe. Recently, my aunt suggested I make him neurodivergent because I based him on myself. A lot of superheroes have extraordinary, fantastic, out-of-the-ordinary powers, but they’re also just people. They live imperfect lives.”

Only recently diagnosed as autistic, Hares admits to having struggled through school, without knowing exactly why.

“I just knew certain subjects in school were more difficult than others, but art was always something I seemed to be good at,” Hares says.

Drawing inspiration from comic greats such as Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Todd McFarlane and many others, Hares will be launching Tytanium at the Prairie Comics Festival, which runs this weekend at the Manitoba Museum.

A market with more than 70 tables featuring the work of over 100 comic artists and presses is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., while panels on subjects ranging from “What makes an Indigenous comic?” to “Comics and social change” and “Creatively cutting corners without using AI” will be held in the auditorium across from the science centre. The festival is free for all ages.

Hares first came across the Prairie Comics Festival at the organization’s booth at Winnipeg Comiccon a number of years ago, a chance encounter that inspired him to pursue the DIY route to getting the superhero stories he was working on out into the world.

“It’s a great environment because there are so many different kind of stories out there,” Hares says.

Rhael McGregor is an award-winning two-spirit/queer comics artist who has been mentoring Hares over the past couple of months.

“Glenn is a very passionate person,” says the local Métis artist. “Every time I would talk to Glenn, there was a new character and storyline. I’ve seen the amount of work Glenn puts into everything.”

A lifelong fan of comics, McGregor has been working in the medium since 2018 after attending the second annual Prairie Comics Festival in 2017, and is now a member of the board.

“I never really realized it was an option for a career, but the comics community is very open and excited to be around new people, I think especially because a lot of the roots of comic culture comes from zine culture. Like, wow, here’s a new person with a new perspective,” McGregor says.

That spirit of mentorship, inclusivity and discovery is an important aspect of the Prairie Comics Festival, explains artistic director Sam Beiko. So much so that the festival has a dedicated mentorship program intended to support new and emerging artists, such as Hares, getting involved in writing and publishing their work.

“Folks who want to apply come in never having exhibited at a show in their lives. They apply, they get in for free, and we spend the year kind of coaching them on how to build their brand, best practices for printing, pricing their stuff, point of sale,” Beiko says. “Scott Ford runs our mentorship program, and he coaches them on how to be a comic artist at a comic con. They get support all weekend.

“If they need other help developing their project, we’re very well connected with our communities and can get other mentors on board.”

Throughout the year, the Prairie Comics Festival also runs Comic Coven, a weekly drop-in session where artists can get together in the studio to work on projects every Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the PCF offices in the Exchange.

“It’s basically a supportive space where people of any age and skill level can come and make art,” says Stephanie Guest, who runs the Comic Coven each week.

“They’re welcome to come and chat with other creatives or come and put their headphones on and work. It’s been a very good environment.”

Hares has been taking part in both the festival’s official mentorship program and the weekly Comic Coven sessions for the past year.

“That’s been really fun. I get to meet other people who make art and make comic books and who draw superheroes. It’s been fun meeting people with common interests,” he says.

“It’s been really cool to watch him grow and come into his own,” says Guest, who has known Hares since the two were students at Fort Richmond Collegiate.

“Seeing him draw every week and show me pages, asking me questions, to see that all come together as well as these one-off drawings. It’s nothing short of inspiring how much creative work he turns out and how his artistic style is so unique and eye-catching.”

Hares also volunteers once a month at Cobra Collectibles, a gig he secured via Steps2work, a non-profit training centre that assists people living with disabilities in gaining work experience.

“Volunteering here has also been a great source of inspiration,” Hares says. “It’s also been good to learn self-control because I’m a passionate comic book collector, and it’s not easy to not want to buy every shift here.”

The support he’s received has come at a crucial time in his life, after his mother died a year ago. Being able to tell his story by way of his favourite medium has helped him not only with the grieving process, but in connecting with others.

“This is a great creative outlet when you have problems,” Hares says. “I’m hoping there are other people out there like me who’d like to see a character like this in Winnipeg. My aunt always tells me there are a lot of other people on the spectrum; there’s gotta be a few people out there who would love to see a character like Tytanium who is also very similar to them.”

sheldon.birnie@winnipegfreepress.com