Background
McGowan was born in Toronto, Ontario, but graduated from the University of North Carolina with a Bachelor in English.
McGowan was born in Toronto, Ontario, but graduated from the University of North Carolina with a Bachelor in English.
Returning to Toronto he became a journalist, writing for publications such as Toronto Life and The Globe and Mail. His film Score: A Hockey Musical was chosen to open the 35th Toronto International Film Festival in 2010. He is also known as a children writer, author of books Newton and the Giant (2004) and Newton and the Time Machine (2009).
He then joined the television industry, helping create the stop-motion children"s television show Henry"s World, and then wrote and directed Saint Ralph in 2004, which won the Outstanding Achievement in Direction award from the Director"s Guild of Canada and the Writer"s Guild of Canada award for Best Feature Film.