DD HISTORY: 1997-1999

The remaining part of the '90s would see Josh follow the moderate success of Minotaur with the humorous sarcasm of the indy cult favorite, Penguin Bros. A story about three anthropomorphic punk rock, skater penguins (all brothers), who carry the of burden of protecting Chill City as super heroes, well received by audiences. All in all three issues were published, although a final fourth issue featuring the band GWAR was canceled, eventually released nearly 10 years later in graphic novel format. Although never selling more than a couple thousand copies per issue, the Bros. also graced the pages of numerous indy publications of the era in cameos and short stories (Josh's mom still refuses to throw away the back-stock of inventory in the attic), and it allowed the creator to expand his convention circuit to Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, and other parts of the Midwest. In Pittsburgh especially, as fans of the local Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team were said to have plastered the arena with the comic's "Mean Penguins Suck" promotional stickers.

This continued the growing education of the ins-and-outs of the comic book business, but meanwhile Josh was learning of a whole other industry - the business of licensing and apparel. 

After completing a two-year course at the Cincinnati Academy of Design (an acclaimed, although portfolio, school), Josh landed a job as a low level designer at a huge T-shirt conglomerate that produced Disney, Looney Toons, and various Sports licenses, only to be laid off a few months later. The experience however landed him a similar job, this time at a small 3 man operation that produced mostly tie-dyed apparel for the Grateful Dead crowd, and shirts with funny sayings. Here he was able to operate as an art director with input into product decisions, and shortly thereafter an entire line of '80s retro apparel was born. Within months, t-shirts, stickers and accessories for all things cartoon and '80s were selling in malls across America (despite the echoing of reluctant, perplexed retail buyers who wondered "Why would anyone want something from the '80s?"). 

After a couple short years things were going well, but Josh wasn't happy. In every waking spare moment, if not at the punk rock show of the week in the college part of town, he was drawing, writing, and selling comics or doing freelance for local clients. Comics was the dream, and he was tired of Cincinnati (having moved around often in earlier years), and Chicago was becoming more of an allure. The windy city would have to wait, but with a small $15,000 credit line co-signed by his Step Dad, he quit the awesome T-shirt job and formed Devil's Due. A new business that would offer creative service needs to local businesses full time, and publish comics on the side.