D.W. Howard is a Riverside, California-based writer who pens gritty supernatural thrillers and science fiction under his own name, while unleashing comics under the pen name NeM. For the past seven years, he's been juggling prose and panels, bringing to life stories like The Long Game (his debut novel and an Indie Ink Awards finalist), alongside comic titles including OPSEC, Phoenix Throne, and Space Monkeys-where he also serves as colorist and letterer.His love for the craft started early: a sick day turned magical when his father brought home that first comic, igniting a lifelong obsession, while his mother fueled endless nights lost in science fiction pages. Influences run deep and eclectic-Edgar Allan Poe's shadowy dread, H.P. Lovecraft's cosmic unease, Douglas Adams' absurd wit, Mel Brooks' irreverent humor, and Orson Scott Card's emotional precision all collide in his work, creating tales that are equal parts haunting, sarcastic, and unflinchingly human.When he's not staring down deadlines or sketching twisted worlds, Howard unwinds with video games, war gaming, role-playing sessions, long walks with his dogs, and yelling at the TV during any sport worth watching. He's most proud of earning that Indie Ink Awards finalist nod-proof that persistence (and a healthy dose of caffeine) can turn "maybe someday" into something real.Self-deprecating? Absolutely-he'll joke that his plots are just excuses to scare himself at 3 a.m. But dig a little deeper, and you'll find a writer who thrives on the mysterious pull between light and dark, always chasing the next story that refuses to let go.