▁Jeff rey ▁Brown , ▁A riel ▁Sch rag ▁and ▁Anders ▁N ils en . ▁The ▁book ▁appeared ▁amid ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁tr end ▁in ▁aut obi ographical ▁alternative ▁com ics , ▁and ▁Brown ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁prominent ▁tri o ▁of ▁Toronto - based ▁aut obi ographical ▁cart oon ists , ▁with ▁S eth ▁and ▁Joe ▁Matt . ▁Brown ▁originally ▁set ▁the ▁pan els ▁against ▁black ▁page ▁background s , ▁which ▁he ▁replaced ▁with ▁white ▁for ▁an ▁annot ated ▁" New ▁Def init ive ▁Edition " ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Brown ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Ch âteau gu ay , ▁a ▁Montreal ▁sub urb ▁with ▁a ▁large ▁English - spe aking ▁minor ity ; ▁he ▁does ▁not ▁speak ▁French . ▁He ▁described ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁" ner dy ▁te en ager " ▁attract ed ▁to ▁com ic ▁books ▁from ▁a ▁young ▁age , ▁and ▁sought ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁super h ero ▁com ics , ▁but ▁was ▁un success ful ▁in ▁finding ▁work ▁with ▁Marvel ▁or ▁DC ▁after ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁high ▁school . ▁ ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁Toronto ▁and ▁discovered ▁ ▁and ▁the ▁small - press ▁community . ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁he ▁self - pub lished ▁a ▁min ic omic ▁titled ▁Y ummy ▁Fur . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁Toronto - based ▁Vor tex ▁Comics ▁began ▁publishing ▁Y ummy ▁Fur . ▁ ▁After ▁making ▁a ▁name ▁for ▁himself ▁in ▁alternative ▁com ics ▁with ▁the ▁sur real ▁serial