McCann may be reached via email at his CompuServe account, <102256.2042@compuserve.com>.
McCann isn't related to the cartoon series' John P. McCann, whose writing he enjoys very much.
McCann supplied the following:
To me, being in comics is just another extension of the entertainment business, which I've been involved in since high school. As a Theatre Arts major at El Camino College in So. California, I learned how to write scripts, direct and scene design.
After college I worked as a stand-up comedian and wrote comedy for radio, stage and television. Highlights include co-writing a Showtime Comedy special with Ed MacMahon and collaborating with William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist, on a stage version of his book The Ninth Configuration.
In '89 I had been working three years for Alan Bernard, sound mixer on Star Trek: The Next Generation, at his sound company, Cell Communications when I was laid off. Hollywood jobs were getting harder and harder to come by since the Writers' strike the previous year. So, when I saw that Diamond Comics Distributor's Los Angeles branch was hiring, I applied.
Diamond is the largest supplier of American comics in the world. After my first year with them I was promoted to Products Manager, a sort of buyer. One of my new duties was to write a weekly retailers' newsletter. I've always loved to write in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek manner and create silly cartoons, so I attacked this new task with relish.
The newsletter got a lot of positive attention, not the least of which was from Robert Graff, who's family owned the two popular Comic Cult comics shops in the L.A. area. He was thinking of starting a new small press publishing company called Cult Press and wondered if I was interested in being involved. I said yes and joined on as Editorial Director.
For the next two years I worked closely with Robert and Art Director Tom Berg. We put out 21 issues of Wiindows, (yes, two "ii's") The Anthology of the Bizarre- a sort of Twilight Zoneish series. I wrote and/or drew several issues of Wiindows (issue #'s 2,3,4,6,7,16 & 21), in addition to my Editorial Director duties.
Other titles we put out were Raggedy Man, Roadways, Billy Cole and Door Man. Our comics were highly praised by the likes of Wizard, Comics Buyers Guide and Indy Magazine. Unfortunately, they were not highly profitable in the comic industry's competitive marketplace.
In the meantime, I helped create a new position at Diamond when I became one of the first two local Customer Service Representatives- a position that has since grown to be full-fledged departments in each Diamond location. This position has helped me network with other industry professionals and I count among my friends many comic creators, editors, retailers, distributors and fans.
At the beginning of '95, Robert took the position of Associate Editor at Warner Worldwide Publishing and recently asked me if I'd be interested in submitting material. This is a lifelong dream come true! When my story The Ice Cream Man Cometh saw print it was a proud day. Hopefully, there'll be many more!
I now work as a Sales Representative for Acclaim Comics, a position funded in conjunction with Diamond, and write and draw in my spare time. Recently I had a three page story printed in Burrito, Jack of All Trades #4 from Accent Press and in February, my artwork appeared in a comic called Plastic Soda #1, from Dramenon Studios. Later in 1997, Chaos! Comics will publish a one-shot story for all ages I wrote.
I live in Los Angeles with my two children, Jesse Jr. and Amanda, and our three cats, Mel, Herbie, and Matilda.