“It’s for ages 9-14, and shows positive values through stories,” said Outridge. “The Pride in Pride Junkie stands for Passion, Respect, Integrity, Dignity, Excellence.”

In Pride Junkie, truck driver Jack Gonsales magically becomes the Pride Junkie. While he may look like a monster, he guides children away from gangs, drugs and violence.

“Comic books are a great way to get messages across to kids. It’s about the message.” said Outridge.

Similar in look to Ghost Rider, the Marvel comic book recently brought to the big screen starring Nicolas Cage as the unlikely hero, Pride Junkie also makes good use of the genre’s love of the antihero.

“It is very hard to make a unique character these days, and my character is a mesh of many characters and experiences,” Outridge said, referring to Jack. “Each power has been brought in for its own specific reason so the result was not necessarily planned. The idea came based upon the principles and values that I have lived by all of my life.”

Outridge describes his art style as traditional.

“It is characteristic cartooning, happy cartoons. They’re not superheroes, although the main character [in Pride Junkie] is more of a superhero,” Outridge concedes.

While he maintains a preference for cartoons, Outridge also does fine art and illustrations.

“I’m freer with illustrations and mixed mediums,” Outridge said. “I’ve done painting on canvas, and it’s a long process.”

He works with pen and ink, as well as watercolour and acrylic, and uses the computer for his illustrations and lettering on Pride Junkie.

Outridge says that he likes the influence of Japanese anime and manga on North American artists.

“It’s mainstream art. It’s a nice, different style,” he said. “It doesn’t change the view on art. It doesn’t change the process.”

When asked what he thought of critics of cartooning, Outridge notes, “it’s not easy. It is art. It’s a fun style, where you can create whatever you want. If anything, it’s harder since you use your mind, and you might not have a reference.”

Like many artists trying to balance a creative life with making a living, Outridge said that the biggest struggle he had when starting Pride Junkie, was the timelines.

“As the project is a personal project, many times it gets set aside for other illustration work on the table.”

Outside of writing Pride Junkie and illustration work, Outridge runs a consulting business.

“I talk to groups on leadership, entrepreneurship, and consulting within the transportation industry,” he said.

For more information about Bruce Outridge and his work, visit his website at www.bruceoutridgeproductions.com.