Stories
about Monsters, Mythology, and American/Irish Culture
Recent Books
Stories for Every Age, Wonder for Every Heart
From playful picture books to haunting tales and globetrotting mysteries, these are the stories that shape my bookshelf—and hopefully yours.
(Middle grade) Man Grooves: Flight of the Fenghuang is more than a globetrotting monster mystery—it’s a fun, heartfelt celebration of friendship, folklore, and the music that moves us.
Tiên is the only human in the Man Grooves, a folk band of monsters who travel the world playing gigs and getting into trouble. When someone—or something—steals a priceless necklace during a society party in Hong Kong, the police suspect the band. Now Tiên and his friends must prove their innocence to keep their next show in Ho Chi Minh City from slipping away.
Blending the spirit of fiddle tunes with the wonder of world mythology, this first adventure strikes a chord for readers of all ages. With humor, heart, and a few broken strings, Man Grooves reminds us that our differences don’t divide us—they’re the rhythm section of something greater.
From the artist of Big in Japan, Black Chaos Comes Again, and Marrow Man.
(Ages 4-8) Written by Keira E. Barnes when she was in the first grade, Korny the Caticorn is a delightful picture book about finding friendship and joy in our differences. Korny is a playful caticorn who longs to fit in with the unicorns down the road—but no matter how hard she tries, she just doesn’t play like a unicorn. After one too many mishaps, Korny sets out on a globe-trotting adventure to find another caticorn. Though she never does, she meets wonderful new friends on every continent who teach her fun new ways to play. When she finally returns home to Georgia, a little sad and still the only caticorn she knows, Korny gets the happiest surprise: all her friends from around the world come to visit, showing her that you don’t have to be the same to belong.
A heartwarming story that celebrates curiosity, resilience, and the magic of being uniquely yourself.
About the Author
Keira E. Barnes dreamed up Korny the Caticorn when she was just six years old. A spirited storyteller with a boundless imagination, Keira wrote this book in the first grade, turning her love of magical creatures and faraway places into a joyful tale of friendship. She lives in Knoxville with her family (and plenty of art supplies), always ready to create her next adventure.
(Teen and Adult) Black Land (Black Chaos Comes Again Book 1)
In the shadow of a bleak, half-forgotten countryside, Black Land spins a dark, hypnotic tale where horror and folklore collide. When a mysterious fog rolls over the land, long-buried terrors stir awake—monsters that may be more human than we dare admit.
Told through stark, haunting visuals and razor-edged prose, this first volume in the Black Chaos Comes Again series explores the primal fears and fragile hopes that bind us all. It’s a journey into the heart of darkness that asks: What do we become when the monsters are real, and they are us?
A chilling, atmospheric story perfect for fans of gothic horror, mythic dread, and tales that leave their claw marks on your soul.
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Drawing Studies
In this playlist Alan takes you from the absolute beginning of drawing to the ability to make comics and storyboards. New videos weekly on Mondays
Audio Studies
In this playlist Alan takes you from the absolute beginning of recording sound to writing and recording music. New Videos on Tuesdays
Motion Studies
In this playlist Alan takes you from the absolute beginning of animation through animating text, shapes, and characters. Eventually this is the video series where we will study cameras, lights, and all things motion media. New videos every Wednesday.
Story Studies
Alan has trained several published authors and screenwriters. In this video series Alan talks about writing story for media. New videos every Thursday.
Design Studies
In this video series we discuss all things design. Print, web, products, etc.
New videos every Friday.
Business Studies
In this video series we discuss all things business. Time Management, branding, marketing, management, money management, etc.
New videos every Saturday.
Alan O.W. Barnes
I’m a storyteller at heart—whether through words, music, or pictures, I’m always chasing the next tale. Most of my stories just happen to be about monsters.
From childhood, I was hooked on creature tales: Frankenstein and Dracula, the Minotaur and the Kraken, even Tolkien’s dark armies and C.S. Lewis’ talking beasts. Later, I found myself drawn to characters like Cyborg, Raven, and Frank Miller’s Elektra—figures who live on the boundary between humanity and monstrosity.
I gravitate toward these stories because monsters give us a playful, flexible way to explore hard truths. Through them, I tackle messy topics—things that often derail into shouting matches or stale political debates—and hopefully make them approachable, even entertaining. For me, monsters are a kind of Trojan horse for empathy and understanding.
Along the way, I’ve scored films and stage productions, taught at music and art schools, and created visuals and stories for countless clients. In 2018, after years of circling other people’s projects, I finally doubled down on my own. The first results of that decision showed up in 2019 with the publication of Man Grooves. I’ve been telling my own monster stories ever since.
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Alan O.W. Barnes is a storyteller from Damascus, Virginia, now living in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife Kim and their daughter Keira.
Alan is, by most reasonable measures, slightly over-educated—holding master’s degrees in Music Composition from Belmont University and Sequential Art (that’s a fancy way to say comics) from SCAD. Over the years he’s created ads for big-name clients, taught at sprawling art schools, built curricula for colleges across the Southeast, and currently serves as an Associate Professor of Digital Art at Johnson University.
But titles aside, Alan mostly tries to find new ways to spin tales about monsters—because he still believes they’re the best mirror we’ve got for ourselves.
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