Richard: Where were you born and raised and what was it like growing up there?

Nick: I was born and raised in Grimsby, Ontario. It was a great place to grow up, with its friendly, small town atmosphere. It's located between Toronto and Niagara Falls, so I had easy access to everything from Toronto Maple Leaf games to authentic Buffalo chicken wings. I moved to Port Moody, British Columbia for the milder climate, ocean, and mountains, but I still love to visit Grimsby whenever I can.

Richard: Did you have fun entering the Comic Book Challenge with 'Monster Geeks'?

Nick: Creating 'Monster Geeks' has been nothing but fun. The main characters are typical fanboys who collect comics and toys, and play MMORPGs, and there's the hot blonde sister who mocks them, but it's more loving tribute than parody, and the geeks become the heroes! And the coolest part has been working with artist Peter Fairfax to create both new and familiar giant monsters. Being chosen for the Comic Book Challenge's top 50 out of thousands of entries from around the world was a wonderful confirmation that the story has what it takes to be a hit.

Richard: What is 'Paula Peril' about and how did you get onboard writing it?

Nick: 'Paula Peril' is about a newspaper reporter who finds trouble wherever she turns. She's always knee-deep in some sort of mystery and regularly finds herself in near-death situations while battling gangsters and the supernatural. The comic has a pulp adventure feel and is often described as Nancy Drew meets Indiana Jones. A few years ago, I sold Atlantis Studios an epic fantasy project called 'Queen of Thieves' (co-created with John Heeder).

For financial reasons, publisher James Watson put that project on hold, but he hired me to adapt a novel and a screenplay into comic scripts for a couple of Atlantis' clients. James was impressed with my work, so he asked me to write a six issue arc for the 'Paula Peril' series (which he created). My arc starts with issue 7, and they've just published issue 4, so hopefully my issues will start hitting the shelves next year.

Richard: What was it like working on a book called 'Lets Be Perverts'?

Nick: Editing that book was unusual, to say the least. It's a coming of age story, so it's not as perverted as the title implies, but more about the confusions and misunderstandings of puberty and first loves. But it deals with heavy issues like rape and suicide, too, so while there's a fair amount of situational humour, it's not exactly a light read.

Richard: What can you tell us about the story of 'Mind Crimes'?

Nick: It's a suspenseful near future crime noir that asks the question, 'What would you do if you could leave your body and slip into someone else's mind?'

Richard: How did you join Zeroes 2 Heroes?

I first read about the Zeros 2 Heroes Comic Creation Nation initiative in the Vancouver Sun newspaper. I was interested in their contest aimed at Canadian comic creators, but what really struck me was how close their name was to the tentative title I'd given one of my works-in-progress, 'From Zeroes to Heroes'. So I checked out their website, joined the free online international community, and have been having a blast interacting with the other comic creators and fans who hang out there.

Richard: Who are the major characters in 'Mind Crimes'?

Nick: The protagonist is Byron Reborr, a personal trainer by day, gambling addict by night. He's a very likeable, ethical guy, but he loves living in the big city, which he can't afford, and first illegal gambling and then mind merging seem like victimless crimes to him...until the bodies start to pile up and there's blood on his hands. The antagonist, David Caine, is the requisite wolf in sheep's clothing, only instead of a naive little lamb he comes off as a big trustworthy teddy bear. Byron has complicated relationships with his best friend Shank, who's also his bookie and mind merge dealer, and his love interest, Nadine, who might be trying to turn him over to the cops.

And then there's the exotic beauty, 'Soul Priestess' Shandria--Byron really doesn't know what to make of her...

Richard: How was the idea for 'Mind Crimes' created?

Nick: I was trying to think of a 'perfect murder' scenario, and foolproof crimes are really difficult these days because of all the tech that the CSI types have. So I figured you'd have to have someone else commit the crime, but even then there's always the chance that someone would videotape you hiring the killer or record your phone call with the killer, etc. That left me with mind control...and from there I came up with the idea of merging one person's consciousness with another's. The basic premise is that the host gives up control of their body to the occupier, but is supposed to be able to regain control instantly if they don't like what the occupier's doing, such as committing murder...

Richard: How would you describe the world of 'Mind Crimes'?

Nick: 'Mind Crimes' takes place in the near future, where not much has changed. With the proliferation of cell phone cameras, traffic cameras, and security cameras, the authorities have capitalized on the general acceptance of the video era by placing cameras on every corner, and citizen watchdog groups wirelessly transmit tips the moment they spot any suspicious activity. Aside from the utter lack of privacy in public places, it's a safer world. Problem is, when you're falsely accused of murder, it gets pretty tricky finding a place to hide...

Richard: How did you join GlassHouse Graphics and what do they do for you?

Nick: To be honest, I don't recall for sure how I learned about Glass House. I think I'd seen a press release where it was mentioned that the artists had come from Glass House Graphics, so I checked out their website. It looked like they had a lot of talent in their stable, so I contacted David Campiti about joining his studio as a writer. He thought I'd be a good fit, so offered to represent me on a non-exclusive basis. So far he's gotten my name on the table for some great projects, but nothing's panned out (due to projects getting cancelled or delayed, and Hollywood producers and screenwriters getting hired instead).

Right now I'm working on some original proposals that David will market to publishers after having his artists create some samples.

Richard: What do you have planned next for your career?

Nick: I'm hoping to keep developing Mind Crimes beyond the first issue, which Jazma readers can play a big part in by going to www.mind-crimes.com , clicking the 'BECOME A FAN!' button, and sticking around to participate in the discussions that'll shape the story's future. I have about a dozen exciting projects in the works with various artist partners, including 'Monster Geeks', which I plan to submit to publishers by the end of the year. And over at Zeros2Heroes, I'm participating in a friendly challenge to upload one new comic book pitch every week for a year, which will hopefully get me some notice in their ongoing 'Direct to Development' contest. Outside of comics, my Supernatural work keeps me very busy. (Under my pen name, Nicholas Knight, I write the official companion guides to the cult favourite TV show and I'm a regular feature writer for the official magazine).

Also, I have two animated TV series pilots in production, so if either of those get picked up by a network, I will be extremely busy next year!

Richard: What is the most important thing in your life now?

Nick: My wife and sons, Eli (2) and Owen (6 months); I work at home, so they are a constant and wonderful distraction.

Richard: How can someone contact you?

Nick: I can be contacted at genrewriter@gmail.com or via a PM at www.mind-crimes.com .

Richard: Any final words of wisdom?

Nick: Time passes too quickly; spend as much of it as possible with the people you love, doing the things you love to do.