Eric B. Tigley (or ERCTigz) is a person who is obsessed with the power of ideas. He grew up in Jane and Finch, one of the most multicultural neighbourhoods in Toronto, Ontario. In this setting of few resources, his exposure to the visual arts through comic books and cartoons sparked his interest for imagination and storytelling. Fulfilling his dream to work in education, he became a certified teacher after working extensively as a Graphic Designer and Illustrator. Early in his career, he found time to work on a number of publications such as Ricepaper Magazine, BrownScene Magazine, and Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture.
Motivated by the lack of Filipinx representation in publishing, he participated in the University of Toronto Press anthology “Filipinos in Canada: Disturbing Invisibility”, and later established his own boutique publishing company to produce “Hoy! A Philippine Islands Activity Book” and the children’s picture book “Round Brown Blues“.
Eric still lives in the bustling city of Toronto and continues to participate in art creation. He has won a number of MARTK’D art battles which led his talents to promotional work for KFC, NBA Canada, Adidas, and K-SWISS. After everything is said and done, Eric finds comfort under his showing alias is ERCTigz. It stands for “Everybody’s Really Creative, Tigz!” It is a reminder that everyone has a voice, and it deserves the opportunity to be heard.
Follow Eric on Instagram @erctigz and visit erictigley.com for more information.