Bryan Kelly ('08) and his son, Milo, often grabbed toy rubber dinosaurs by the tails when Milo, now 10, was younger. They called them Terrific DinoSwords.

And Kelly, a lifelong artist, knew he had to create a comic out of this.

"I got jokes, I got stories, I got things I want to say. And for me, comics are the skillset I developed to do it right," he says. "This is how I like to tell stories, in this medium I fell in love with when I was little."

Kelly's vision is seen throughout the city of Denton, where he celebrates comics as an art form through several projects, including organizing the Denton Comic Art Expo. He also drew a Denton cover for the Archie Meets Jay and Silent Bob comic book, featuring the characters at the Denton County Courthouse on the Square, and he designed a T-shirt for Denton's Arts & Autos event, which takes place Sept. 13 this year.

Many of his projects are created with the intent of building community, helping people in need and having fun.

"Working on things I care about fuels me in a way that other things do not," he says. 

Having the 'Most Fun'  

Kelly's biggest project is the all-day Denton Comic Art Expo, which brings together independent creators and vendors.

The idea came in 2021 when Christine Sanders ('99), formerly of the Greater Denton Arts Council, wanted to bring more young people to the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center. She turned to Kelly, who along with several others, including Alexis Walther ('22), turned it from concept to event in three months.

"Denton came out and supported it the way Denton comes out and supports art," he says.

In fact, it outgrew the original location and now takes place at the Denton Civic Center.

From there, Kelly founded an LLC for the expo and its projects. In the winter, there's Attack the Page, in which cartoonists produce their own 6-page stories in 12 hours. The comics are compiled into an anthology with proceeds going to Health Services of North Texas.

"It's one of my most fun days of the year. I'm always the last one to finish my comics, but it's joyous to spend time doing something you love around people who also love doing what they're doing."

For Free Comic Book Day in May, he visits 25 comic stores around Dallas-Fort Worth to distribute a comic book created by local artists.

In October, he creates a free mini-comic book, paid for by sponsorships. One thousand copies are distributed to households to give to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. The books also will be available for free on the website and at a booth at Denton's Day of the Dead festival.

"It's a way of getting the art form into the hands of the next generation," he says.

'Let Them Find You'

Kelly was a kid when he took up drawing.

When he came to UNT, he majored in international studies with a minor in art. He worked as a communication designer for the NT Daily.

After graduation, he worked for UNT's Center for Learning Experimentation, Application, and Research (CLEAR), where he helped develop learning materials, then worked as a freelancer creating logos and ads for businesses and illustrating children's books.

Around 2011, he began working as a bartender, serving customers at the Garage on Fry Street. This led to "True Tales from the Bar," a weekly comic strip that's garnered a worldwide audience. He's about to publish his fourth volume of comic strips, which are available on his website, on Amazon and at his booth at the Denton Community Market.

His latest gig is the Archie comic book. The makers of Archie comics give booksellers the opportunity to sell a version with local art on the cover. Tim Stoltzfus, owner of More Fun Comics in Denton, thought Kelly's style fit with the Archie gang.

Kelly's advice to aspiring illustrators is to keep working.

"Develop your skills like everything else. It just takes a lot of effort, a lot of discipline. But prioritize the future. Don't worry about producing something for somebody else. Make what you like and let them find you."

Denton Comic Art Expo
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 27
Denton Civic Center