Guest Post: Avery K Tingle

Avery K Tingle is also known as The Gamer Author. As part of his college course he profiled me with contributions from people involved with the project. Learn more about his fantastic work here

Drawing Through the Storm: How Relentless Determination Built An Enduring Web Comic
By Avery K. Tingle

First published – November 14, 225

Please note- barring a couple of factual updates this is all Avery K Tingle’s work and we’ve done our best to minimise any editorialising

When Robert Turner was a kid in middle school, a friend played Sonic the Hedgehog beside him, and something clicked. The colors, the energy, the sense of motion, it all lodged somewhere behind his eyes and never left. Years later that spark became Reynard City, a vibrant superhero web comic that has lasted more than a decade and outlived countless creative setbacks.

Turner’s story is a quiet master class in perseverance. For eighteen years he has written, produced, and coordinated Reynard City, a project that began as a hobby and evolved into a full-fledged independent franchise. Through personal criticism, production failures, and financial uncertainty, he refused to quit. He proved that creative dreams don’t survive on luck but on endurance, community, and the willingness to begin again.

Turner never expected his fox-masked heroes to become a long-running series.

“Heck no,” he laughs. “The idea just came from watching Sonic. Then it grew with every influence I loved: Disney’s Robin Hood, Asterix, Ninja Turtles.”

Early on, the web comic format made the most sense.

“You can instantly reach people,” he said. “Even before we had print issues, digital meant anyone could see it right away.”

Artist Dane Ike remembers when Turner first asked him to help. “I was still in college,” Ike said. “I drew one of the covers for an art-gallery project, never imagining I’d be back years later to help wrap the finale.”

Over time Turner built a small, loyal creative network of artists, writers, and fans who felt ownership in the universe he’d made.

For Turner, creativity is equal parts inspiration and structure. His days start with coffee, a newspaper, and a list scribbled onto a wall calendar.

“I scrawl what I need to do and cross it off,” he said. “It’s low-tech, but it keeps me grounded.”
He treats consistency as survival. “If I don’t plan rest, I’ll burn out,” he said. “Often my best ideas come walking back from the café.”

Collaborators see that discipline firsthand. “He’s constantly editing, checking over other people’s work, keeping the whole machine running,” Ike said. “That kind of stamina isn’t glamorous, but it’s what gets a project finished.”

Ashley Tyler, a fellow creator who knows the grind, recognizes the same mindset. “The best way to deal with burnout,” Tyler said, “is to take a step back. Learn something new, play games, come back fresh. Robert gets that. He builds rest into his process instead of waiting to collapse.”

There were moments when Reynard City looked finished. Artists left mid-story; the visual style became inconsistent; an online video harshly criticized the comic. “It hit me personally,” Turner admitted. “I had to stop and figure out what I was doing.”

What brought him back was a local business network in Norwich called Norwich Kitty. “Talking with them reminded me this was bigger than me,” he said. With their advice, he relaunched the project as Reynard City Chronicles, a nine-issue graphic-novel series that condensed the sprawling story into a focused arc.

To fans like James (IW Fan), that decision defined Turner’s character. “When things started going wrong after issue 26, he didn’t just try to patch it up,” James said. “He went back to the drawing board to create a better version. That says everything about his determination.”

Turner’s perseverance came from family example. “My dad ran a business from home, and my siblings are self-employed,” he said. “I’ve seen how hard it can be, but also that it can be done.”

He recalls one rejection that stung: making the final three candidates for a radio scriptwriting job and being told, “We didn’t think you’d be good at promotion.”

“I was gutted,” he said. “But I’d made it through two interviews and a presentation. That meant I had something.”

Each failure became fuel. “You’ll usually put more work in than reward you get out,” he said, “but if you stick with it, amazing things come from nowhere.”

Turner’s world isn’t just his anymore. Ike helped redesign planets and characters; Tyler praises how he welcomes others’ input.

“He doesn’t micromanage,” Ike said. “He trusts people to add their own spin.”

Fans feel that openness too. James stumbled onto Reynard City while browsing DeviantArt.

“It mixed superheroes with heart,” he said. “Even the silly stuff had emotional weight.” The comic inspired him to write an entire year’s worth of fanfiction. “It reached me like Final Fantasy VII did,” he said. “That doesn’t happen often.”

Turner calls that his proudest reward. One reader once told him, “Your comic helped me through cancer.” He still pauses when repeating the story. “You can’t top that.”

A decade in, Reynard City has wrapped its main storyline, but Turner is far from finished. “We had our best sales at Norcon,” he said. “Now I want to build an animated series.” With a trailer underway and indie animators joining, he’s planning the next chapter.
Still, his view of success has shifted.

“At first it was about money and recognition,” Tyler said, echoing her own growth alongside his. “Now it’s about loving what you do. If it makes you happy, that’s success.”
Turner agrees. “People ask, ‘What’s next?’ I just want readers to keep loving the characters. They’ve taken on lives of their own.”

Every interviewee offered the same message: don’t stop.

“Keep moving forward,” Ike said. “It’s difficult but rewarding. If you’re passionate, it’ll work out.”

“Don’t,” Tyler added bluntly when asked what she’d tell creators ready to quit. “Keep going. Success doesn’t happen overnight. If you’re only chasing fame, you’ll burn out. If you’re chasing creation, you’ll last.”

Turner’s own advice mirrors theirs. “Believe in your story, but don’t bankrupt yourself,” he said. “Listen to feedback but don’t be governed by it. Everything’s a balance.”

The Reynard City saga, foxes, villains, and all, has become more than a comic. It’s proof that creativity survives through community and persistence.

Fans still quote AK Girl, debate plot twists, and wait for the next evolution. Turner, ever humble, still starts his mornings with coffee and a to-do list.

For anyone chasing a fragile dream, his story offers a blueprint: structure your days, rest when you need to, and keep believing long enough for the dream to believe back.

Thank you Avery K Tingle for your interview and all your support. Find out more about his work here

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