The Story So Far
Mark Toner has been living a number of parallel lives, although it is unconfirmed whether some time travel device has been used.
One life took him through the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, and to the Mauna Kea Observatories in Hawai’i. In this life he was an astrophysicist and got to play with giant telescopes and orbiting observatories.
Another life had him teaching programming and desktop publishing in an ITeC in Dumfries before training as a maths teacher and teaching maths and physics in Dumfries and Galloway College of Technology.
Another life is being chronicled by bandmate Noel Chidwick and saw the extradimensional creation of prog band Painted Ocean currently touring a universe near you.
Work has tended to settle on the artist’s life which has seen Mark hijack his school newsletter and make it into a comic, join in the 80s independent comic revolution with the ‘Humphrey’ cartoons, and now making electronic comics here at www.spacepilot.scot, including SF epic ‘Gail Scott: Space Pilot’ which is being reissued occasionally in Shoreline Of Infinity magazine.
Mark’s original, drawn on paper, art is displayed in the Yellow Door gallery in Dumfries.
He now has a proper grown up art job as art director for Shoreline of Infinity magazine where he tries to encourage younger artists to take up the noble work of illustration.
Mark says, “If you like my comics and would like to put one on your site, email me. I’m always happy to help other impoverished web content providers as long as they let me approve the use. If you’ve got commercial plans for my comics, I insist on my share of the proceeds. All artwork and stories are copyright © 2012 to 2017 Mark Toner, all rights reserved. If you have a need for illustration for your own site or publication, I am for hire. So contact me to discuss your requirements.”
Formal CV
Born: 23 July 1960 at Beckford Lodge, Hamilton
Schools: Our Lady Of Lourdes Primary School and St Bride’s High School in East Kilbride
University: Glasgow 1978 to 1982, BSc (Hons) Astronomy; Edinburgh 1982 to 1986, MPhil Astrophysics; Glasgow 2000 to 2005, PhD Solar Physics
Professional Qualifications: St Andrew’s College 1989 to 1990, PGCE Secondary Mathematics
Employment: Ladbroke’s, Clerk 1979; Dumfries ITeC, Supervisor (Programming and DTP) 1986 to 1999, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Supply Teacher 1990 to 1991; Dumfries and Galloway College, Lecturer 1991 to 2008; University of Glasgow, Part-time Lecturer 1992 to present, Research Assistant 2001 to 2005; New Curiosity Shop, Associate Partner 2004 to present; Freelance Comic Artist (and writer) 1982 to present (recently under Space Pilot Comics banner); Freelance Musician 1978 to present; Art Director of Shoreline Of Infinity 2014 to present.
More information about Mark’s working life can be found on Facebook and LinkedIn.
