Writer spotlight: Ronald Montgomery

Another writer in Outré’s first issue, about responsibility, is Ronald Montgomery:

Who are you?
Wow, that’s the question the Vorlons ask everybody in Babylon 5. Don’t freak me out like that.

I’m Ronald D. Montgomery, a small press comics writer. I’ve written for FUBAR from Alterna Comics, the Womanthology 2012 Valentine’s Day Special, Tribal Stories from TRIBE Comics, and Horror Haikus from Black Ship Books. I have an upcoming webcomic on Greyhaven’s The Gathering website and two Greyhaven anthology stories.

Why do you write?
In kindergarten, on class bathroom breaks, I began climbing on the handrail in the toilet stall. I’d perch my arms on the partition wall to watch my classmates use the bathroom, horseplay, wash hands, line up. I was hypnotized by the final order arising from the self-directed behavior of the other kids; it was an endlessly replaying symphony of silent music. After a week, one of the boys ratted me out to the teacher, Mrs. Hooper. She busted me hard. She sent a long note home, pinned to my shirt. My father read it and told me that I was a bad kid, and that if I kept being bad, no one in first grade would like me. I cried all night.

I now see that six-year-old me was an observer of simple systems and human behavior, but for years I couldn’t figure out why I did it. In college I had a cultural anthropology class and read Marvin Harris. BING! The clothes dryer in my head told me my shirts were ready.

Writing helps me understand the world better without committing bathroom crimes. I probably should’ve been an anthropologist too.

Where can one find you?
My site: http://www.ronaldmontgomerycomics.com/blog/

My email: Ronald.Montgomery [AT] gmail.com

Ronald’s story is set in Russia during war, where malicious soldiers train a farm dog in a most hazardous game.