Press Release Annoucing Wolf's Head

Ottawa, Ontario: Von Allan, an Ottawa-based artist and comics creator, is writing/drawing a brand new comic series, ‘Wolf’s Head.’ The story follows a newly created artificial intelligence (AI) on the run from its creators with the unexpected help of a janitor, her ex-police officer daughter, and their dog. Digital issues of the series recently became available world-wide on Amazon's Kindle devices and their Kindle app.

“It was important to me that ‘Wolf’s Head’ be a fun, thrilling, escapist adventure, but I also wanted my characters and their experiences to feel real,” said Allan. “My favourite stories, even the most imaginative and fantastical ones, have always grounded themselves in reality. Spider-Man heroically saves the world but, then turn the page; he’s home, staring into an empty cupboard because he didn’t sell enough photos in today’s gig economy and can’t afford groceries. This is what I’ve tried to do in ‘Wolf’s Head’; it’s a fun, action-packed science fiction adventure but my characters are living in contemporary America. And contemporary America can be a hard place.”

‘Wolf’s Head’ features Lauren Greene, a young woman who quits her job as a police officer in Metro Detroit after becoming frustrated with growing police violence. At the same time as Lauren is quitting, a secretive corporation across town has managed to create a seemingly perfect AI for war and profit; however, before the corporation can use the AI, Lauren’s mother, Patty, a janitor at the corporation accidentally finds it. Patty is literally the kindest person the new lifeform has ever met and, as a result, it bonds to her, rejects its purpose and creators, and orchestrates a huge accident to cover an escape. Patty, overwhelmed, asks her daughter Lauren for help. Despite being broke and a bit lost herself, Lauren agrees to help; two humans, an AI, and a dog versus a warmongering corporation. ‘Wolf’s Head’ is part action-adventure and part sci-fi drama. It also features strong women of colour as the main characters.

“One of the things I love about ‘Wolf’s Head’ is that it’s about a different kind of AI,” Allan added. “We’re used to seeing evil computers and post-apocalyptic storylines; I wanted to flip that cliche on its head and have an AI that loves humanity. And it’s fun to contrast the AI’s compassion with the flawed people who created it.

About Von Allan: Von Allan was born red-headed and freckled in Arnprior, Ontario, just in time for “Star Wars: A New Hope.” The single child of two loving but troubled parents, Von split most of his childhood between their two homes. Additional information about Von Allan can be found at https://www.vonallan.com/.

Von has led workshops at schools; was featured in “The Exhibitionists,” a CBC Arts profile (https://www.cbc.ca/arts/exhibitionists/as-a-kid-his-mother-s-illness-scared-him-now-he-s-using-comics-to-come-to-terms-1.4281356); was featured in the documentary film “I Am Still Your Child” (http://iamstillyourchild.com/); and was the recipient of the Corel Endowment Fund for the Arts Award in 2014 and the CBC Trailblazer Award in 2019.