About the Artist

Drew Torchia, CD served 21 years and 11 days in the Canadian Armed Forces(CAF). Starting as a Naval Electronics Technician (Tactical) he was commissioned from the ranks and finished his career as a Naval Combat Systems Engineering Officer. For 16 of those years he was heavily involved with the base Medium Urban Search and Rescue (MUSAR) team, rising to become the team’s Operations Chief. After his left shoulder dislocated for the 25th time he learned about Hypermobile Spectrum Disorder (HSD), a condition that affects collagen, the glue that holds us together. Physical health issues and the combined stress of experiences in the military lead to a mental health crisis that ended with a diagnosis of PTSD and a medical release from the CAF. Finding himself oddly retired at 41 years old, he chose to explore creative pursuits that he previously didn’t have the time or energy to indulge in. He lives with his amazing wife, children, and a 17 pound dog that is the destroyer of worlds.

Drew Torchia has championed geek culture since the word was purely derogatory. He has been playing PC games since they could be found on 5 1/4 inch floppy disks, and still has two weekly sessions with friends. He has built and painted models ranging from childhood car kits to huge armies, and is part of a regular TTRPG group. Growing up listening to his father, Darryl Torchia perform as a roots blues guitar player, Drew Torchia has always had a deep connection to music. He has an appreciation for the artistry that goes into films, movies, tv shows, video games, music, comic books, short stories and Books. He ran a webcomic series called Chamber of the Arcanum, a short story blog called Multiversal Yarns, and wrote a self-help book about stress management called Appropriate Detachment, which should be approached with caution considering the author now has PTSD. He recently released some geeky literature-based music of his own under the name Bark Mater. He hopes to continue this creative journey to build worlds that other people enjoy geeking out on.