In 1997, he began to publish his cartoonist work through the small press publisher Alternative Comics. In the one-off "At the Seams", a romantic triangle is explored through three stories which each depict a different participant's point-of-view. The comic was a 1997 Ignatz Award nominee for Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection. His other work for Alternative Comics, the humorous and experimental "Detour" No. 1, was to be the first issue of a series, though only one issue was published. "Detour" was nominated for the "Best New Series" Harvey Award in 1998.