PE: Introduce yourself and let our readers know who you are and a little about yourself?
Shawn: My name is Shawn Daley, and I’m a cartoonist from Toronto Canada. I write and draw comics for a living, but I’ve been writing and recording music for more than twice as long as I’ve been making comics.
PE: What's your background in music?
Shawn: I have a degree in Sound Technology, and I’ve spent a number of years as an engineer in recording studios around Toronto. I’ve been in and out of bands over the last 17 years as well, but my affection for music in general all started with video game music in the 80’s.
PE: How did you get into making video game music?
Shawn: My friends and I would make loops and video game-style tracks in various audio programs when we were a bit younger, and I kind of never stopped! I experimented with various plugins, instruments, and digital audio workstations, and eventually settled on a set number of sounds and programs I enjoyed. All the compositions were for fun, and after posting a bunch online, people began asking for more.
PE: What titles have you contributed music to?
Shawn: I’ve composed for Super Blood Hockey, Just Shapes and Beats, and more recently, two upcoming titles that haven’t yet been announced.
PE: In addition to music composition, you're into art, how did you get started in that?
Shawn: I began enjoying comics in around 2012, and thought it would be fun to branch out into alternative storytelling methods that weren’t music. I bought some books, watched some videos online, and began practicing every day. It took a lot of work, and I still feel like I’m learning something new every week.
PE: What comics/graphic novels have you drawn?
Shawn: My books include TerraQuill, Samurai Grandpa, Better Place, OGRE, OGRES, Shiners’ War, The Bridgebuilder’s Creed, and various anthologies as well.
PE: What video games have you contributed art to?
Shawn: So far, it’s just been Super Blood Hockey, but I’m hoping for the opportunity to contribute art for other gaming projects in the future. Designing characters for a game is one of my dream jobs, so hopefully I can check that off the list soon.
PE: What piece of art/comic are you most proud of should someone want to check out your work?
Shawn: I would recommend Samurai Grandpa, for a full-length adventure story that draws inspiration from most of the books and shows that have influenced me over the years. It was a blast to work on, and we have a follow-up planned for later this year.
PE: What song or song selection would you recommend someone listen to in order to hear what you're all about?
Shawn: Well, the Super Blood Hockey soundtrack is always at the top of my list! I usually recommend visiting my Soundcloud account, and listen to the tracks from newest to oldest. I like to think I learn something new or try something different with each new track, so my most recent work is currently the best representation of my songwriting sensibilities.
PE: If you could design the art and the music for any video game series, what would be your dream gig?
Shawn: Good question! For art, I would love to design characters for a Xenoblade game sometime in the future, or any indie RPG with an ensemble cast. World building is one of my favorite aspects of storytelling, so I’d love to contribute to that as well.
For music, a Mega Man game would be my dream gig, should they ever return to the old 8-bit style.
PE: Thanks so much for your time Shawn! Last question, where can people follow you to hear and see all your wonderful creations?
Shawn: The best places would be SoundCloud (soundcloud.com/shawndaley) for music, and Twitter (twitter.com/shawndaley) or Instagram (instagram.com/shawn_daley) for artwork. Thank you!
