Comics Are Great! 67 – Scary Stories

Writing horror with Jon David Guerra, Paul Storrie, and Dave Carter.

It’s a Halloween-themed episode with a talk on what characterizes a scary story, and we’ve got a full roundtable of people well-suited for the job! I’m joined by Jon David Guerra, Paul Storrie, and Dave Carter, who help to draw the line between “disturbing” and “frightening,” and how telling a story visually presents a unique challenge when creating scary stories.

We close, as always, with a bunch of great comics recommendations when we’re joined by Erin Helmrich of the Ann Arbor District Library.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

• RL Stine video on what makes a scary story
• The Saturday Supercast Halloween specials, Part 1 | Part 2
• Dr. Zaius
• It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
• Ben Cooper Costumes
• Zatara
• The William Shatner Mask is Michael Myers’ mask!
• The Steve Miller “Spider” mask
• The Jump Scare
• Horror Manga
• The Woman in Black
• Resident Evil
• H.P. Lovecraft
• Invasion of The Bodysnatchers
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• The Horror, Etc. Podcast
• The Ring
• Jon Lovitz as the Devil
• Parents
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• The Mist
• Titanic
• John Carpenter
• Soylent Green
• Planet of The Apes
• Werewolf by Night
• The Shining
• Twisted Journeys
• My Boyfriend is a Monster
• Bram Stoker’s Dracula
• Creepshow
• Doc Macabre
• Ted Cassidy
• 30 Days of Night
• Anathema
• Gravity Falls
• Magic
• The Hunger

Comics Recommendations (some affiliate links):

• Peculia and the Groon Grove Vampires
• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
• The Rick Geary series of non-fiction comics
• Uzumaki

Live streams every other Wednesday at Comicsaregreat.tv and on Google+!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy, Jon, Dave, and Paul on Twitter!
Find us on Google+

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Comics Are Great! 66 – The Difference Between Story and Backstory

World building! Backstory! Writing! With Dave Roman, Brandon Dayton, and Paul Storrie.

What’s the difference between story and backsory? It’s a tricky question, so I was lucky to assemble a rather impressive roundtable of comics people to help sort this one out. Brandon Dayton, Dave Roman, and Paul Storrie all return to the show to help determine how to know what information belongs within and supports your story, and what information is world building material to inform the choices you make when constructing your story.

Sharon Iverson of the Ann Arbor District Library shows up later to share some more book recommendations and comics events happening in the Southeast Michigan area.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

• Steel Cut Oats
• Romney vs Big Bird
• Wikipedia’s definition of Backstory
• Wikipedia’s definition of Exposition
• The Incredibles
• Batman’s origin
• Dungeon Masters
• Memento
• Spidey’s Uncle Ben
• Finding Nemo
• John Carter
• The Emperor’s New Groove
• Lost
• American Flagg!
• Orson Scott Card
• Goofus & Gallant
• The Silmarillion
• Jaws
• The Empire Strikes Back
• Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
• Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
• The Legend of Korra
• Supernatural
• The Name of the Wind
• Game of Thrones S1
• The Paper Wings Podcast
• Kevin Costner
• Ben-Day Dots
• Dear Teen Me (and check out Dave’s appearance in the trailer video)

Comics Recommendations (some affiliate links):

• The Dreamer
• Robyn of Sherwood
• Three Shadows
• Hilda and the Midnight Giant
• Broxo
• Binky the Space Cat (A Binky Adventure)
• City of Spies
• Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography
• Ernest and Rebecca
• Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden

Live streams every other Wednesday at Comicsaregreat.tv and on Google+!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy, Brandon, Dave, and Paul on Twitter!
Find us on Google+

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Comics Are Great! 65 – Behind the Scenes of Publishing with Gina Gagliano

Publishing, Pitching, First Second Books!

Some of us have come face-to-face with the grim reality of getting our work published. It’s not quite as glamorous and easy as the fantasy we might have constructed as a kid. But Gina Gagliano of First Second Books stops by the show to lend a bunch of great insights on what happens behind the scenes at one of the top-flight comics publishers in order to better equip those of us who wish to see our books shelved along side of graphic novels like Laika, Vampire Love, Koko Be Good, and Feynman.

Check out Gina’s Behind the Scenes blog for even more terrific and useful info!

Erin Helmrich of the Ann Arbor District Library shows up later to share some more book recommendations and comics events happening in the Southeast Michigan area.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

• First Second Serials: Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong
• The First Second Books FAQ
• First Second Top Sellers
• Editorial Anonymous
• Order of the Stick
• Gina’s post on Publishing vs. Kickstarter

Comics and Book Recommendations (some are affiliate links):

• Mr. Big: A Tale of Pond Life
• A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel
• Lio: There’s a Monster in My Socks
• Sailor Twain: Or: The Mermaid in the Hudson
• Friends with Boys
• Broxo

Live streams every other Wednesday at Comicsaregreat.tv and on Google+!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy and First Second on Twitter!

The CAG! Google+ Page
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Comics Are Great! 64 – SPX 2012 Wrap-Up

Chad Sell, Sally Carson, and the Small Press Expo!

I’m back from the Small Press Expo and ready to share some of the exciting things that happened while I was there. I’m joined by two other SPX 2012 exhibitors, Chad Sell and Sally Carson. Together we talk about the unique tone the convention has, offer some tips on tabling at conventions, and take a brief look at setting up your table from a User Experience Designer’s point of view.

Erin Helmrich of the Ann Arbor District Library shows up later to share some more book recommendations and comics events happening in the Southeast Michigan area.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

• Chad’s webcomic running on the RuPaul’s Drag Race Facebook page
• Manta-Man
• Sally’s Trapped in the Comic project
• Toronto Comics Art Festival
• Alternative Press Expo
• Chicago Alternative Comics Expo
• Michael David Thomas
• Eden Miller
• Mike Birbiglia
• Cap’n Cat: Former Shark Hunter
• Ram-Man, part of my He-Man Reimaginings series
• Quentin Blake and his drawing process
• Visual fixations between Men vs Women (Possibly NSFW)
• The 501st – Vader’s Fist
• Neil Kaplan’s Voice Acting Presentation at Kids Read Comics 2012
• Rob Stenzinger
• Lean Into Art
• Sally’s Tips for Tabling at Conventions

Comics and Book Recommendations (some are affiliate links):

• School of World
• Disappearance Diary
• Salad Days
• Runner Runner
• Overboard
• Indestructible Universe
• Heinrich Kley
• Elephant Can’t Play Piano
• Rat Bastard Comics
• Hugo Tate
• Darth Vader and Son
• Chi’s Sweet Home, volume 1
• Get Jiro!

Upcoming Comics Events in Southeast Michigan:

• The Ann Arbor Comics Artist Forum with James Anderson, October 7
• Drawing Lab: Sketching the Human Head September 22

Live streams every other Wednesday at Comicsaregreat.tv and on Google+!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy, Sally, and Chad on Twitter!

The CAG! Google+ Page

Subscribe through iTunes
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Comics Are Great! 63 – The KRC LIVE Show!

It’s the never-before-seen-on-the-Internet live CAG show recorded at the Ann Arbor District Library during Kids Read Comics 2012!

I’m joined by a live studio audience and a panel of excellent guests of KRC including:

• Dave Roman
• Raina Telgemeier
• Rob Stenzinger
• Joe Foo
• Sharon Iverson

We start out with some reflections and stories from KRC 2012 as it was happening, then take on some questions from the audience.

Links mentioned (affiliate links):

• A Parent’s Guide to the Best Kids’ Comics
• Balloon Toons: Zoe and Robot, Let’s Pretend
• Owly, Vol. 1: The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer
• Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge: “Only a Poor Old Man” (Vol. 1) (The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library)
• The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion
• Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume
• Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels
• Toon Books
• Scratch9
• Teach Mentor Texts
• Team Cul de Sac
• The Kids’ Comics Revolution Podcast
• The Lean Into Art Cast

Live streams every other Wednesday at Comicsaregreat.tv and on Google+!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy, Dave, Raina, Rob, and Joe on Twitter!

The CAG! Google+ Page

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Comics Are Great! 62 – Writing Visually with Dan Santat

Topics: Writing, sketching, and finding your voice as an author.

As counter-intuitive as it may seem, illustration is only one small part of the overall effort in making comics. What really defines what a graphic novelist, cartoonist, or comics artist does happens at the thumbnail level. It’s there that you decide on the panel sizes, compositions, moment choices, character acting, and pacing of your story. A lot of visual writing happens when you’re thumbnailing! We’re lucky to be joined by Dan Santat this week, who offers some of his process and thinking that happens during this trying part of the comics-making procedure.

Erin Helmrich of the Ann Arbor District Library shows up later to share some more book recommendations and comics events happening in the Southeast Michigan area.

And we announce a CAG contest! You can enter to be a guest on an upcoming episode by participating in the #dramaday event happening September 1 and running through September 8. Details on Raina Telgemeier’s website.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

• Dan Santat’s Kel Gilligan special sale for the benefit of independent bookstores
• Sidekicks trailer
• Drama trailer
• Dan “wins” a Caldecott
• Dan’s “clones”
• Acid-washed jeans
• Vicks VapoRub
• Thumbnailing example by Matt Fraction
• Climbing Mount Everest – this is what making a graphic novel is like
• Wax on, wax off
• Citizen Kane
• Alfred Hitchcock films (for later “Hitchcocking”)
• Onomatopoeia
• Drawing Words & Writing Pictures
• Pictionary

Comics and Book Recommendations (affiliate links):

• Stickman Odyssey, Book 1: An Epic Doodle
• Best of the Three Stooges #1

Upcoming Comics Events in Southeast Michigan:

• Creating Noir Comics with Shawn Martinbrogh, August 29
• The Ann Arbor Comics Artist Forum with James Anderson, September 9

Live streams every other Wednesday at Comicsaregreat.tv and on Google+!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy and Dan on Twitter!

The CAG! Google+ Page

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Comics Are Great! 61 – Talking Korra, Pt 2 with Gene Yang and Kevin Coppa

Topics: The Legend of Korra, cartoons, writing, storytelling

Podcast (comicsaregreat): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:25 — 52.7MB) | Embed

Spoiler alert! If you haven’t finished watching the first season of The Legend of Korra, you might want to do so before enjoying this episode. But even if you’re not a Korra fan, there’s some fun storytelling talk and analysis on this edition of CAG, as I’m joined by Gene Yang (Prime Baby, The Eternal Smile, Level Up, American Born Chinese and more) and Kevin Coppa of the Puppetbenders YouTube series. Together we evaluate how the first season of Korra turned out, focusing on the great character writing, terrific world development, and some of the problems that can arise when you try to fit too much into too little a package.

We’re joined at the end by Sharon Iverson of the Ann Arbor District Library for another round of book recommendations.

And if you haven’t yet, check out our first discussion on this series held right after the launch of the season.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Tom Smith and Kevin Coppa for collecting them!):

• Flickr Group of Avatar/Korra Panel Meetup
• Avatar Fan Panel YouTube video series
• Public reading of Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise (written by Gene Yang)
• Legend of Korra official Panel at SDCC
• Bryan Konietzko Tumblr mentions – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Puppetbenders in Entertainment Weekly
• Doctor Who Costumes on MTV
• Kevin Coppa on DeviantArt
• Gamespot 360 Costume Cam
• The X-Men Family Tree
• Thien Pham on Twitter
• Mythomania, a web series about cartoonists by Derek Kirk Kim

Comics and book recommendations (affiliate links):

• Hilda and the Midnight Giant
• Monster Mess
• Friends with Boys
• Long Tail Kitty

Upcoming Comics Events at AADL:

• Comics Digital Coloring 101 – August 21 and August 22
• Creating Noir Comics with Shawn Martinbrough – August 29
• The Ann Arbor Comics Artist Forum with guest speaker Jim Anderson – September 9

Live streams every other Wednesday at Comicsaregreat.tv and on Google+!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy and Gene on Twitter!

The CAG! Google+ Page
Subscribe through iTunes
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Comics Are Great! 60 – Getting Your Comics into Libraries with Erin Helmrich

Topics: Find new audiences through libraries, publishing, and self-promotion

Many of us agree that web publishing is a terrific way to build an audience for your comic, graphic novel, or comic strip. It’s an easy, low-risk way for audiences to try before they buy. And the same is true for getting your books into libraries! But how does one do it? Do you just walk in and toss your book across the information desk? And even once your book is in the library’s collection, how can you take steps to let the library’s patrons know that it’s there?

We’re joined by Erin Helmrich, Teen Librarian and Comics Selector for the Ann Arbor District Library, who drops a ton of great advice for cartoonists who hope to get their work into library collections.

And as usual, we close with some great comics recommendations!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

• The Printz Awards
• Teen Boat!
• MARC Records
• Clare, Michigan
• The Eisner Awards
• Joe Foo
• The Walking Dead
• Archie comics
• Pokemon
• Are You My Mother?
• AADL’s Hot Graphic Novel List
• Kids Read Comics
• The AADL Summer Game

Comics and Book Recommendations:

• Archie Americana Series
• Chew Volume 1: Tasters Choice
• Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb
• Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age
• PC Weenies
• Happyloo

Live streams every other Wednesday at Comicsaregreat.tv and on Google+!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy and Erin on Twitter!

The CAG! Google+ Page

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Comics Are Great! 59 – Speed Comicking

Guest: Ryan Estrada Topics: Photoshop, Art Automation, ProcessMaking comics takes a lot of time. We all understand this. But Ryan Estrada shows us that it doesn’t have to take as much time as we think it does! This time we’re treated to what is essentially an online workshop in automating much of the comics process to speed things along and maximize our time behind the desk. You might want to watch the video for this one to see how Ryan uses the Photoshop Actions Palette, Layer Groups, and the Mac program Automator in order to get lots more work done.

We’re joined later by Erin Helmrich of the Ann Arbor District Library for another great round of book recommendations!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

• The Whole Story comics ebook bundles
• Busan, South Korea
• The Kind, by Ryan Estrada
• Uni-Ball Pens
• Stylo Refill Pens
• Bone, by Jeff Smith
• The Humble Indie Bundle
• Brandon Dayton’s appearance on CAG 41
• The AADL Summer Game
• Rack My Book! A new workshop at Lean Into Art July 25

Comics and Book Recommendations:

• My Sister, the Freak
• Power Lunch
• The Intrepid Girlbot
• Friends with Boys
• Twin Spica: Volume 12
• Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 8 Library Edition Volume 1 HC
• Romeo and Juliet: The War
• Poorcraft
• Life in the Analog Age

Here’s the video from this episode’s live stream (audio player at the bottom of this post):

Live streams every other Wednesday at Comicsaregreat.tv!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy and Ryan on Twitter!

The CAG! Google+ Page

Subscribe through iTunes
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Podcast (comicsaregreat): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:25 — 53.1MB) | Embed

Comics Are Great! 58 – Writing for Kids

Whether or not one should make any special considerations when writing for kids is a topic that goes round and round on the twitters. Is it better to shield young people from the difficulties and terrors of adulthood, or should we be preparing kids for this? Are there advantages to both?

It’s a philosophical episode with a packed house of panelists as we’re joined by Dave Carter, Paul Storrie, Sharon Iverson, and Brandon Dayton. Brandon helps frame the discussion by presenting two popular models in kids’ storytelling: the Disney Model and the Pixar Model. Pinocchio gets his wish, while Buzz Lightyear learns to reconcile with a disappointing truth. Together we evaluate the differences between these models and what their strengths and weaknesses are, with plenty of interaction in the chat client!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

• Ed Catmull talks storytelling (video)
• Maurice Sendak talks storytelling (video)
• Maurice Sendak on the Colbert Report
• Vogons
• Kid Devil and KD jumps through a hoop
• The Legend of Korra
• Pinocchio
• Toy Story
• The Uses of Enchantment
• The Frog Prince
• Grave of the Fireflies
• Up
• The Graveyard Book
• University of Michigan’s Coursera online classes
• Pablum
• Megatron
• Game of Thrones
• Alfred Hitchcock
• Commando
• Serenity
• Dave Roman
• The Kids’ Comics Revolution podcast
• The Kids Read Comics Librarian/Educator/Cartoonist mixer, July 8 at 10:30 am

Comics and Book Recommendations:

• Delilah Dirk and the Seeds of Good Fortune
• Level Up

Upcoming Events and Appearances:

• Kids Read Comics July 6-8
• ALA Annual in Anaheim, CA

Here’s the video from this episode’s live stream (audio player at the bottom of this post):

Live streams every other Wednesday at Comicsaregreat.tv!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy, Paul, Dave, and Brandon on Twitter!

The Comics Are Great! Google+ Page
Subscribe through iTunes
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Podcast (comicsaregreat): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:41 — 53.3MB) | Embed

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