Additions to the Creators Workshop and Andy Starts a New Job!

As many of you know, I'm in the midst of a move across the country--back to the east coast for my family and me. This is part of the reason for the silence on the blog lately. Sorry about that, folks.

Tomorrow morning, I start my job as a Creative Director with Hasbro in Rhode Island. I'm excited and ready to dig into the work. But it will mean some changes for the Comics Experience website. My esteemed colleague John Barber will be making some of those changes in the weeks to come.

The most readily apparent will be the lack of my voice on the blog. I'd effectively be acting as a representative of Hasbro with whatever I say even if it has nothing to do with my work there, so I'm going to have to stop blogging directly. That said, I'm hoping to put together some guest bloggers that will blow your mind. Consider the Comics Experience Blarg under construction for the time being.

You'll notice some other changes to the site and services soon, but since this is a blog and you're reading it, I thought I'd just address the blog itself.

Courses and the Creators Workshop will continue uninterrupted and continue to spectacular places of learning for creative people who want to learn about comics and how to create them. No change there. We're the best now and we're going to continue on being the best.

Speaking of changes: Now on the Creators Workshop there are four "Ask an Expert" threads. One that goes directly to me, another for writer/editor/digital comics creator John Barber, a third for Robert Atkins--penciler on Amazing Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four, and G.I. Joe--and the last one is with Chris Sotomayor--colorist of... well... everything. The four of us check our threads regularly and answer questions with depth and honesty. There's no greater resource than that one, and it's a pretty inexpensive buy-in. Consider that along with the Workshop meetings, the critiques, the monthly challenges, and the guest critiques and you've got yourself a veritable amusement park for comics creators.

The lettering course will being soon. Don't miss that. It's a great way to save yourself tremendous cost on your project if you can do it yourself.

The Introduction to Writing course starts again in August. Learn to write comics with me. It's an intense course that has served many well--including the soon-to-be-legendary comics writer Nick Spencer. Come on in!

In the meantime, wish me luck at my new place of residence in Rhode Island and at my new home in Hasbro.

Thanks so much for reading. Comics Experience would be nothing without all of your support--and it's definitely something awesome.

Thanks again.

Andy

WE ARE EVERYWHERE!!!

I was putting a bunch of comics away this weekend--you know you have to do it too--and I was shocked at how many comics have been produced by Comics Experience alumni. I didn't stop to do a full count, but the variety of content as well as the variety of creators is staggering.

Comics Experience became very real to me as I filed away copies of MORNING GLORIES, WITCH DOCTOR, IRON MAN 2.0, GREAT ZOMBIES THROUGH HISTORY, TALES FROM THE COMICS EXPERIENCE, ANIMAL CONTROL: SPECIAL CREATURES UNIT, TRAIN ME, GAMBLE, SKY GIRL (novel), EXISTENCE 2.0 (and 3.0), and on and on...

These are real projects by real creators who love comics. And they've been published at (in alphabetical order) DC Comics, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, one creators is even LAUNCHING the Sky Bound imprint at Image, Shadowline (Imprint), Marvel Comics, and more! And that's just the writers.

The Comics Experience artists and colorists are working everywhere. I've seen them at Boom!, IDW Publishing, and Marvel Comics.

When I see a solicitation that has a member of the Comics Experience Creators Workshop or a course alum, I make sure I snag a copy--but colorists are almost never listed, and I'm sure I don't catch every name. I do try to stay in touch with as many alumni as I can, but the group is growing so large, I'll need to spend some real time (and money--which I'm proud to do in this case) to make sure I get a copy of everything that Comics Experience has helped produce!

And let's not talk about editors and staffers--because there are Comics Experience alumni ON STAFF at both Marvel Comics and IDW Publishing (and I don't just mean me, at IDW). And that's awesome, too, as many students are interested in becoming an editor.

I can honestly say that this weekend, filing comic books, actually filled me with a sense of pride--first time for everything! Ha ha. Watch out, folks, we're everywhere now...

If you've thought about creating a comic--writing, illustrating, coloring...whatever. And if you're reading this--then I think you've come to the right place. Join us for the Creators Workshop or an online course now!

In the coming weeks, I hope to get some of these talented and resilient creators here to talk with you directly about their comic adventures--both the books they're creating and how they worked their butts off to get on them and publish them!

Andy