David Towner
David Towner | |
|---|---|
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| Born | November 4, 1969 Maysville, Ky |
| Citizenship | American |
| Occupation | |
| Known for | Aztec Warrior God |
| Spouse(s) | Brandi Mendoza |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
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| Awards | Army Achievement Medal |
David Towner (born November 4, 1969) is an American entrepreneur, comedian, writer, and filmmaker. He is known for the feature film Our Scripted Life (2020) and for creating the graphic novel series Aztec Warrior God.
Early life and education
David Towner was born on November 4, 1969, in Maysville, Kentucky, to David Towner Sr., a United States Army non-commissioned officer, and Diana Towner (née McKee). At the time of his birth, his father was deployed to the Vietnam War. Following his father’s return, the family relocated to Eagle River, Alaska, where Towner Sr. was stationed at Fort Richardson.
After his parents’ divorce, Towner returned to Maysville at the age of 13, where he completed his secondary education. During his youth, he was actively involved in athletics and participated in local theater productions, which later influenced his interest in storytelling and performance.
Military service
Prior to his business and creative career, Towner served in the United States Army as a paratrooper. His deployments included assignments in Haiti, Somalia, and Cuba.
During his first deployment to Haiti, Towner led a multinational task force composed of Spanish-speaking troops. While conducting operations in Port-au-Prince, he led a mission that resulted in the release of hostages reportedly held by armed gang members aligned with the former Haitian military leadership. For his actions, he was awarded the Army Achievement Medal.
From 1993 to 1994, Towner served in Mogadishu, Somalia, where he participated in patrol, explosive ordnance clearance, and recovery missions. He later completed a second deployment to Haiti in 1995. Towner left active military service in 1996. He has cited his experiences in Haiti as an influence on his later creative work, including the screenplay The Fisherman.
Career
Business ventures
Following his military service, Towner founded, scaled, and sold businesses across the consumer product, energy, and service sectors. He has served on corporate boards and in venture capital advisory roles and later shifted his primary focus toward writing and film production.
Film and comedy
Towner gained public recognition with the release of the feature film Our Scripted Life in 2020. The film introduced his stand-up comedy persona Roscoe Turner, a fictional character portrayed as a Kentucky hillbilly offering observational humor and unsolicited commentary. The film achieved significant digital distribution following its release.
Literary work
Towner began writing short stories during his military service and produced several short films in subsequent years. He began publishing longer-form literary works during the COVID-19 pandemic. His major works include:
- Aztec Warrior God (2021–2023) – A four-volume graphic novel series published in English and Spanish. The series has attracted a large international readership and has been adapted into a 2D animated production featuring voice performances by Lou Diamond Phillips and Keith David. The series was optioned for film adaptation in 2024 and has received multiple literary awards.
- The Rise: Dystopia (2023) – The first installment in The Rise dystopian trilogy. The novel was released with limited promotion and later received several literary awards.
- The Spectacular Life of Benito Martin Del Canto (2023) – A bilingual novel adapted from Towner’s earlier short story Giant Snowflakes. The work has received awards in the Americas and Europe and has been adapted for the screen.
- Robbie Larson’s Legendary Snow Day (2024) – A middle-grade novel adapted from Towner’s screenplay Snowbound.
- Hollywood and Velvet (2025) – A psychological suspense novel inspired by the thematic atmosphere of the album Trouble Will Find Me by the band The National. The novel took over a decade to complete and received multiple literary awards, including the Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for Suspense.
Awards
Military
- Army Achievement Medal (3)
- United Nations Somalia Medal
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
- Army Commendation Medal
Literary
- 2022 Readers Favorite Gold Medal for Graphic Novels (Aztec Warrior God)
- 2023 Northern Lights Book Award for Middle Grade Fiction (The Spectacular Life of Benito Martin Del Canto)
- 2025 Readers Favorite Gold Medal for Suspense (Hollywood and Velvet)
Film
- Best Feature Film (Our Scripted Life) Golden State Film Festival
- Best Feature Film (Our Scripted Life) Italian Film Festival
- Best Director (Our Scripted Life) London International Cinema Festival