20-year-old dream of creating a comic book is now a reality for Brockton man

BROCKTON – One Brockton artist was able to draw his reality and literally accomplish a life goal with just an iPad and drive for a creative future.

Klay Mckenzie was like most naturally artistic children, drawing on anything whenever he had free time. Art was his favorite subject, and life was fun and easygoing as long as he had a drawing utensil in his hand.

As a kid, Mckenzie found art as a way to express himself and also to escape the real world by getting lost in the one he created.

“I’ve always been into comic books since day one. I feel free when I draw. I get to express myself and create a story with its own universe. It makes me feel like I’m in control, and it’s a pretty good feeling,” Mckenzie said.

The comic book illustrator had this idea of creating a comic book for over 20 years, he said.

What inspired Mckenzie as a kid was watching cartoons on Saturday mornings and indulging in the true nature of art.

Attending art classes in a Brockton school also nurtured the idea of becoming a self-sufficient artist.

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Some of Mckenzie’s fondest memories came from art class. His art teacher let him dive into his imagination and let him become his authentic self.

Mckenzie knew one day he would design his own comic book with his original drawings and ideas.

“I didn’t know where to begin at first, but I purchased an iPad and started drawing,” Mckenzie said.

Through trial and error, he finally finished his prototype for volume one.

Once the drawings were complete, Mckenzie decided to self-publish, promote and market the comic book.

The artist would show up at events and set up a table and let customers see the vivid images of the comic book.

People were intrigued and purchased the book and kept coming back for more.

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For weeks the self-taught artist sketched his life away to create a science fiction world that was brewing in his brain for over two decades.

Mckenzie now has three volumes in the R.I.F.T series about Adam Rift, an inventor.

In the series, Adam’s planet gets attacked by dangerous aliens known as the Nentians, and amid the attack, Adam loses his only daughter, Nayla Rift, in space.

As a result Adam needs the help of a group of super-powered aliens known as the Legend Elite.

Adam travels to space to find his daughter, no matter the cost.

So far, Mckenzie has been able to quit his full-time job and focus on his comic book business entirely.

The end goal for the young artist is to create many books and create a franchise similar to Marvel.

“My advice to the young artist is to follow your passion and follow your intuition. Then, anything is possible,” Mckenzie said.

To purchase a comic book, visit Riftanime.com.

Enterprise staff reporter Alisha Saint-Ciel can be reached by email at stciela@gannett.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @alishaspeakss and Instagram at Alishaatv. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.