When asked about the comic book he’s writing, Travis immediately launches into the intricate world he’s been creating for the last seven years. He’s been working on writing and drawing a comic series called Father MidKnight that takes place in Half Moon City—which, he says, is really just a front for a giant goblin market.

In Father MidKnight, the titular character is a detective who solves small crimes as the many plot lines and characters unfold around him—some of whom are pictured below. The world that Travis describes is rife with goblins, gods and goddesses, and complex characters that transform as they interact with each other and with their world.

As Travis talks about Father MidKnight with his counselor Abby, a non-comic book reader, it’s clear that he revels in the complexities of stories and of life in general. As backstory for the world he’s creating, he tells us about a force that’s called “the Void.” This force consists of three goddesses—the goddess of blood, the goddess of destruction, and the goddess of desire. The Void represents the “negative aspects of humanity,” which Travis says, you can’t live without.

“Let me just say this as a service announcement. It is okay to be sad. You do not have to be happy 24/7.” -Travis, ATC client for one year

And then, in the middle of explaining the importance of these positive and negative aspects of humanity, he immediately switches gears and gives the following PSA: “Let me just say this as a service announcement. It is okay to be sad. You do not have to be happy 24/7.”

Listen as Travis, ATC client for one year, talks with his counselor Abby about his comic book (sketches below!), mental health, and how to embrace the positives and negatives in life.