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Comics Are Great! 02 – Magic is Real

This time I have the pleasure of talking visual storytelling with two guys who are way smarter than me. Dave Roman is the creator behind Astronaut Elementary, Agnes Quill, Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden, Zuko’s Story, Comics Bakery, and more. Brandon Dayton is the artist behind Green Monk and the newly launched Feature Creeps process blog.

We get together to continue a conversation we began at Kids Read Comics 2010, during which we found ourselves nearly screaming with excitement when discussing the storytelling principles behind Avatar: The Last Airbender. We spiral that out into a general conversation about storytelling for young people. Throughout our discussion we use Pixar films and 80s adventure cartoons to highlight the difference between writing for a general audience and writing for kids and adults.

Some of the books mentioned in this episode:

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Podcasts

Comics Are Great! 02 – Magic is Real Comics Are Great! 02 – Magic is Real

This time I have the pleasure of talking visual storytelling with two guys who are way smarter than me. Dave Roman is the creator behind Astronaut Elementary, Agnes Quill, Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden, Zuko’s Story, Comics Bakery, and more. Brandon Dayton is the artist behind Green Monk and the newly launched Feature Creeps process blog. We get together to continue a conversation we began at Kids Read Comics 2010,... [More]

Comics Are Great! 01 – Syncopated Writing Comics Are Great! 01 – Syncopated Writing

By Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn, and Ernie Colón. One of the most exciting examples of comics storytelling I've ever seen. © DC Comics It’s the first episode of the Comics Are Great! podcast, a new show where I’ll be discussing with various people who make comics just why comics are so great. There’s no one better to start the new series with than Dan Mishkin, not only because he’s the inspiration of... [More]

Stephanie’s Off To School Stephanie’s Off To School

I bid Stephanie, a former student of mine, a fond farewell as she heads off to college. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Right-Click or Control-Click to Download Subscribe through iTunes My AudioBoo page Follow me on Twitter  Read More →

Video: Making non-photo blue pencils in Photoshop Video: Making non-photo blue pencils in Photoshop

I talk a lot on the Art & Story podcasts about how I don’t like to use a lightbox. It’s yet another piece of equipment to keep around in the studio, it only serves one purpose, and I’ve yet to use one that feels sturdy and resilient. I much prefer drawing on my stable and solid art desk. Yet many of my peers say how they prefer to use the lightbox to convert their graphite pencils into non-photo blue... [More]

Are we better or worse off? Are we better or worse off?

A casual wondering about the effects of social media. Were we better off when we had to struggle alone with our craft? Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Right-Click or Control-Click to Download  Read More →

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Teaching Arts

Dynamic Visual Storytelling Workshop & Sketch Night Dynamic Visual Storytelling Workshop & Sketch Night

If you’re in SE Michigan on August 27, 2010, I hope you’ll come out to the free Manga & Comic Jam held at Specs Howard School in Southfield! I’ll be leading an hour-long hands-on workshop exploring some of the techniques artists use to create dynamic storytelling in their manga (and comics). After that you’ll be able to participate in an open sketch session led by indie comics legend Sean Bieri,... [More]

Teen Graphic Novel Academy Registration Open! Teen Graphic Novel Academy Registration Open!

Announcing two new workshop series this September in the SE Michigan area! Registration is now open for my Graphic Novel Academy series (ages 9-12) as well as a Teen session. Through the 8-week class we’ll study some of the fundamental principles of visual storytelling, explore some of the techniques the pros use to capture movement and create mood and emphasis, as well as learn some design strategies to make our own... [More]

Kickstart the Up! Fair! Kickstart the Up! Fair!

Up! Fair Promotional Video from Art & Story on Vimeo. This video describes the vision and promise of the Up! Fair, an event on which I’m serving as a member of the steering committee. We recently put out a call to raise $1,000 for basic operating costs, and were blown away by the response we received. Now we’re trying to raise additional funding to cover our promotional/advertising costs, and with any luck,... [More]

Free comics workshop at the Rochester Hills Public Library Free comics workshop at the Rochester Hills Public Library

For those of you in the SE Michigan area, I hope you’ll feel free to attend my next workshop at the Rochester Hills Public Library July 24, from 2-4pm! We’ll be covering a lot over the two-hour session from character design, visual storytelling, and how to draw your character in dynamic and fluid poses. Here’s a snippet of a similar workshop I did in Saginaw last year: You can register for the workshop here.... [More]

Kids Read Comics 2010 is over, but the updates have just begun! Kids Read Comics 2010 is over, but the updates have just begun!

So I’m recovering from the wild ride that was Kids Read Comics 2010. My deepest, most heartfelt thanks to my fellow co-organizers, the Dearborn Public Library staff and volunteers, and the guests who trekked from around the world to be a part of this event. I think we wound up doing a good thing this past weekend, and it couldn’t have happened without all of their support and enthusiasm. A lot of audio and video... [More]

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