ENJOY BITE-SIZED COMICS!
Obituary was created by the sibling creative duo, The Barrytes.
MEET THE AUTHORS
Michael Barryte
(He/Him) - Layout and color
Michael is a freelance writer for video games and digital media.
He enjoys traveling, backpacking, and game nights with friends.
Zara Barryte
(she/her) - Line art
Zara is a Technical Director for DreamWorks Animation.
She is actively part of the queer comedy and improv theatre community.
OBITUARY'S HISTORY
Obituary was first conceptualized in 2014 as a cartoon series. Michael developed the initial idea with his sister, Zara. They both loved the idea of a teen raised by ghosts from different time periods. But the process of creation is one of experimentation. The world shifted. Characters changed. Elements were scrapped entirely. For example, did you know there was a time when June's parents were in stasis tubes? Or in earlier drafts June had a zombie brother? The creative process takes many twists and turns!
Once happy with their characters and story, The Barrytes self-funded this passion project. They collaborated with concept artist, Louie Zong, and then with Studio Yotta to produce an animated pilot "Obituary: A Grave Beginning" which released July 26, 2016.
Original Character Concept Art, Louie Zong, 2014
June Character Sheet, Studio Yotta, 2015
The Barrytes pitched the show to Cartoon Network, Disney, Nickelodeon, and met with development teams. When these studios passed, Michael and Zara decided to continue telling the story as an independent comic.
Since 2018, they have written 10 original "episode" comics following June, the ghosts, the other mortals – and also got to share some of the characters who weren't in the pilot like the phantasmic Faceless Abomination and B.E.E.P. B.O.O.P. the Party Robot.
Michael and Zara are incredibly grateful to be able to work together with a story that means so much to them. They appreciate the continued support of every Obituary fan and are always delighted to talk at conventions, online, or anywhere in between.
