Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Dave is an award-winning writer who has worked with content in a wide range of roles.

Comic book writing

Dave is the creator and author of Killtopia, a five-part cyberpunk series published by Glasgow-based publisher BHP Comics. 

The series as won a Creative Edinburgh Award, three Scottish Independent Comic Book awards and an Edinburgh Comic Con Yancy Street award. To date the series has raised over £80,000 in Kickstarter funding.

In 2021, the series was announced for an 8-part animated adaptation, developed by Los Angeles studio Voltaku, written by Philip Gelatt (Love Death Robots) and directed by Ruairi Robinson (Europa Report).

Dave’s other comic works include BPM: Beatdowns Per Minute, Vessels, Deadliner and Bust.

Video game writing

In 2020, Dave worked with independent game company, Alien Pixel Studios to write the script for their Metroidvania platform game, Unbound: Worlds Apart. 

The project encompassed writing all of the game’s lore, NPC dialogue, HUD elements, quest hints and more. The game will release in 2021 for Steam and Nintendo Switch.

Dave is also writing the rogue-like Loot River for Xbox Series X/S and Steam.

Book writing

In 2021, Dave will release his first video game book, Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat ‘Em Ups through publisher Bitmap Books. It’s a 450+ page journey through the history of the side-scrolling beat ’em up genre, beginning in 1984 with Kung-Fu Master and following the evolution of the genre right up to Streets of Rage 4 in 2020. 

The book will release through Bitmap Books in February 2022.

Video game journalism

Dave has worked as a video game journalist in both an in-house and freelance capacity, having written by-lines for gamesTM, Retro Gamer, Play, X360, Vice, Nintendo Life, Buzzfeed UK. 

He was also Deputy UK Editor at Eurogamer Network’s news site VG247 and a Saturday gaming columnist for The Scotsman national newspaper – which scooped him three Games Media Awards.

Corporate & SEO copywriting

Dave’s 9-5 job is as a contracting consultant, working with a range of large corporations and smaller start ups to produce engaging, SEO led content.

From site-wide content audits and content strategy, to SEO optimisation to content marketing campaigns, Dave has worked for such clients as Standard Life, Virgin Atlantic, HMRC, Lloyds Banking Group, Scottish Widows, Tesco Bank, Radission Hotels, Europcar, Charlotte Tilsbury and more.

You can find out more about my consultancy work on LinkedIn.