A St. John’s-based comic book artist has been nominated for the highest honour in the industry.

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles tackles LGBT issues in a conservative 1950s US. The book has already received a GLAAD Media Award, and is now up for an Eisner; the ‘Oscars’ of comics.

Mike Feehan is the artist of the book, which was released by Superman and Batman publisher DC Comics. He told VOCM’s Sunday Drive with Darrell Power the nomination made him think about all the teachers that encouraged him… and those who were not so encouraging.

He says it’s funny to imagine all the teachers who told him to stop doodling hearing that he’s now a professional comic artist. On the other hand, his CNA instructor Ray Fennelly was the first person to suggest he consider comics as a career and also one of the first to call with congratulations at the nomination.

The Eisner’s will be given out on July 18 at San Diego Comic Con, but Feehan is a featured guest at the Pure Comix Festival at the Anna Templeton Centre in St. John’s starting June 27.