I've been drawing comics from a very early age, mainly because of art class assignments. In 4th grade I took an elective art class to make a 5 page comic book, and it just kinda stuck. I took the same elective the next year and this time did a 12 page monster comic, and this began my publishing career as well. After that my older brother Rick and I started to make our own comics, copy them at the library, and sell them to our friends. (at a nickel a page for copies, our 25 cent cover price taught us an early lesson in business economics!)

When I got to the University of Buffalo I was offered an opportunity at the beginning of my Junior year to draw a political comic strip in conjunction with the political column On The Sly Side,  for Generation, the student magazine. The next semester I was unleashed when I began my weekly solo strip Tales from the Dougside starting in February 1988! I spent the next year and a half poking fun at pop culture, campus politics, and just causing general mayhem.

I published a few zines after I graduated with new material like The Douglas J. Arthur Summer Fun-N-Games Newsletter (2 issues), and The Marital Bliss Handbook (4 issues). In March 1992, I was given a chance to revive Tales From the Dougside as a weekly comic strip for Nighlife Magazine (also in Buffalo) where it ran until November 1998 (we won't mention the ill-fated move to Metro Weekend that only lasted 3 months in 1993...oh, wait...oops!)

It was during this time that I started self-publishing, this time for real. Starting in 1994, I began to do appearances at some comic conventions in Buffalo. My brother (remember him from earlier?) had gone off to the Joe Kubert school and was riding high, at the time, on his recent stint writing and drawing for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He would come through town every so often to do shows. He asked the promoter if I could have table space, and it was the first time we shared a table...however, by the end of that day I realized I needed something to sell. All I could do was give away free copies of the paper my strip appeared in. Inspired by the then current indie film movement of Robert Rodriguez and Kevin Smith, I decided to DIY my first ever collection of my weekly strips.

I now have 15 books under my belt, and this project, Hardcore Dougside! will be compile a hand-picked collection of my personal favorites from the last 25 years...and because I am always challenging myself, this one will be hardcover, and in full-glorious-color!

I am influenced by the cartooning of Gahan Wilson, Basil Wolverton, Gary Trudeau, Charles Schulz, and Berke Brethead, the comics work of Frank Miller, Will Eisner, Steve Bissette, and Rick Veitch, among many others. I studied film and video production in college, worked in a movie theater for 14 years, and sidelined in a CD store for 3 years. I often describe myself as a cesspool of pop cultural knowledge. It all comes out in the art. As described below:

Robert Fripp of King Crimson called Tales From the Dougside as "A Hoot!"

Jeff Gilbert of Mansplat Magazine, and the Drinkin' and Drive-In blog described my early books as, "...a series of rather disturbed genius zines written and illustrated by the terrifically bent Doug Arthur. It's like he stuck his brain in a dishwasher with a TV Guide, every movie ever made, some UFO's, and beer. Cool Inkwork, loads of belly laughs, and pretzel logic."

Rick Veitch praised my dream comics by calling them "Great!"

Dave Sim  of Cerebus proclaimed, "More Dougside!"

Rick Geary  of Treasury of Victorian Murder fame wrote me on a postcard, "I've been having much fun reading your book!"

Paul Kazee  of It Came From Schenectady declared, "It's like the Far Side, only far-ier."