Origin
Martin Courtney is the protagonist in issue five of the Drawn & Quarterly series, Optic Nerve.
Creation
Martin was created by Adrian Tomine.
Character Evolution
Martin Courtney is a writer who is stuck in a rut. Following the unexpected success of his semi-autobiographical first novel, Martin struggles to write, feeling pressured to equal – or even best – the sales and acclaim of his previous work. In the meantime, he makes a living writing articles, and ghost writing for celebrities. After receiving a postcard from his high school crush, Samantha Kinzel, Martin decides to take a trip to Sacramento, to find her. He goes to her old house, only to discover that she has left town and is unreachable. Martin immediately hits it off with the girl’s teenaged sister, Jenna Hayden, who is a big fan of his work.
As work on his next novel grinds to a halt, Martin begins to spend more and more time with the young girl, and the two bond quickly, despite Martin already having a girlfriend at home. Eventually, the age difference between them becomes apparent, and her immaturity begins to irritate him. While he boasts otherwise to his best friend, the relationship is not physical in any sense, and when Jenna does eventually kiss him, he realises he is not even attracted to her. But it is too late, as his friend has already told Martin’s partner everything, albeit the skewed, exaggerated version of events. She leaves him and, although he reluctantly breaks off all contact with Jenna, initially refuses to take him back.Typically for the Optic Nerve series, whether his later attempts to reconcile are successful or not is left unspecified. At the end of the story, he pitches a new idea to his publisher, his inspiration having finally returned.
Major Story Arcs
Martin does not appear in any major story arcs.
Powers And Abilities
Martin is a human character with no special powers or abilities.