Ghastly Award nomination for anthology featuring SIX CE alums!

Indie Comics Horror #1, the anthology series from Aazurn Publishing which features work from SIX Comics Experience alums and Creators Workshop members, has been nominated for a 2012 Ghastly Award for Best Horror Anthology 2012!

The Ghastly Awards recognize outstanding achievements in horror comics over a range of 15 different categories. The nominees are chosen by other horror comic book professionals and winners are chosen by a panel of judges, along with votes by creators and fans.

Voting is open from January 1, 2013 - January 31, 2013. You may only vote once and you can do so right here:

http://ghastlys.blogspot.com/p/2012-voting.html

Indie Comics Horror is a 48-page black and white comic book featuring six complete stories in the nominated issue.

This issue features stories by the following CE alums and members:

* Minister to the Undead written by C.M. Beckett
* The Standard written by Glenn Møane
* Immortal Resistance written by Rob Anderson
* The Belt written by Joe Sergi.
* and BOTH Rob and Joe's stories featured art by DaFu Yu and lettering by E.T. Dollman!

Indie Comics Horror #1 was also recently nominated in the Horror News Network 2012 Best Anthology category!

You can view a trailer of the issue right here:

Congrats to all our alums and members appearing in this issue of Indie Comics Horror!

A holiday gift From CBLDF -- produced by Comics Experience creators!

For the holiday season, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) released a special treat, and it was produced by Comics Experience alums and Creators Workshop members!

"A Comics Carol" is written by Joe Sergi (alum & Workshop member), with art by DaFu Yu (art alum), and lettering/design by E.T. Dollman (Workshop member).

In the minicomic -- available for free on the CBLDF site, Messr. Fredric Wertham is visited by the Ghosts of Comics Past, Comics Present, and Comics Yet to Come!

And you might recognize some of those ghosts...

Read it right here: A Comics Carol or click on the image below to go to the CBLDF site...

Congrats to Joe, DaFu, and E.T. -- and Happy Holidays to all!

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If you want to make comics, write or draw comics, or improve as a comics creator, you'll find like-minded friends and colleagues in our online workshops and courses. We hope to see you there!

Posted by Rob Anderson
rob@ComicsExperience.com
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"Curse of the Thirteenth Baktun" releases just in time for the 12/21/12 apocalypse!

Comics Experience alum and Creators Workshop member, Marta Tanrikulu is ready for the 12/21/12 apocalypse -- with a special short comics story called Curse of the Thirteenth Baktun!

In addition to Marta's writing, the story also features the artwork of CE alum and Workshop member Jorge Donis, and the lettering of long-time Workshop member, E.T. Dollman!

In the story, two local experts in ancient Mayan scripts are pressed into service by an ambitious archaeologist who locates a lost ruin. But what they uncover in the jungle on December 21, 2012, the date when the 13th Maya baktun ends, is a nightmare.

In light of the impending apocalypse, the story has been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish and Japanese, in addition to the English version.

Before time runs out, you can read the story for only 99-cents at the Red Stylo Media website or at Drive-Thru Comics!

Marta is a writer and contributor to Red Stylo Media's anthology series Poe Twisted and Shakespeare Shaken, and you can check out links to all her work on the ViZYON Entertainment website.

Congrats, Marta, Jorge, and E.T. on the release of the story!

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If you want to make comics, write, draw, letter, and color comics, or improve as a comics creator, you'll find like-minded friends and colleagues in our online workshops and courses. We hope to see you there!

Posted by Rob Anderson
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San Diego Comic-Con 2012 - Comics Experience Report

Another San Diego Comic-Con International is in the books, and we hope you had as great a time as we did!

Our FIVE panels on breaking in and comics craft were a hit, and we want to thank everyone who attended.

The Writing for Comics 01 panel, in particular, was packed.

The audience had the opportunity to hear Andy Schmidt, Josh Fialkov, and Peter David discuss all aspects of the comics writing craft.

Just a couple hours later, Andy and Josh continued the discussion in Writing for Comics 02.

And because it was the last panel of the day, we ran *very* long, with Andy and Josh doing their best to answer every audience question.

On Friday, we had two great sessions on Digital Art, both from the business side and from the craft/creative side.

Andy's guests for these two sessions were David Marquez (Ultimate Spider-Man), Brian Haberlin (Spawn, Anomaly), Comic-Rocket.com founder Tim Shields, and ComiXology co-founder John Roberts.

Plus, on Thursday, Andy did his ever-popular panel on Breaking In!

As far as the convention itself, Comics Experience instructors, alums and Creators Workshop members in attendance included: Allen Edger, Amy Chu, Andy Schmidt, Bobby Curnow, Brandon Seifert, Dave Castelnuovo, Joey Groah, Jon Witmer, Rob Anderson, Sean Chen, Shaun Manning, Tim Shields, Timothy Simmons, and Tracie Burch. Folks were attending or participating in panels, doing signings, pitching projects, covering the news, or just soaking it all in!

A good-sized contingent of Comics Experience folks also made their way over to Trickster for their various symposia and other events.

This is a shot of the "Character Development and the Shaping Of Emotion" session, attended by Allen, Amy, Rob and Joey, and that huge panel at the front includes Ed Brubaker (Fatale, Criminal), Matt Wagner (Grendel, Mage), Jimmy Palmiotti (Creator-Owned Heroes, The Pro), B. Clay Moore (Hawaiian Dick), Ivan Brandon (Viking, The Cross Bronx), Scott Morse (Strange Science Fantasy, Brave), Marc Andreyko (Torso, The Lost), and Ande Parks (Capote In Kansas, Union Station). This was a great, conversational session, and notes are available on the Workshop.

Finally, no major con would be complete without a Comics Experience Meet-Up.

We had a nice dinner on Saturday night with (clockwise, from left) Carl Peterson (& Libby, not pictured), Rob Anderson, Andy Schmidt, Tim Shields, Mike Costa, Allen Edger, Alberto Veloso & Elana, and Joey Groah. Good times, good comics talk!

We look forward to the next convention and hope to see you there!

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If you want to make comics, write or draw comics, or improve as a comics creator, you'll find like-minded friends and colleagues in our online workshops and courses. We hope to see you there!

Posted by Rob Anderson
rob@ComicsExperience.com
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CE Alums Rich Douek & Paul Allor Write for Oxymoron Hardcover!

Oxymoron is the Kickstarter-funded new graphic novel from ComixTribe, collecting stories about a supervillain psychopath obsessed with contradiction.

And this 100-page hardcover will include stories written by TWO Comics Experience alums and Creators Workshop members: Rich Douek and Paul Allor!

The book, debuting in October at New York Comic Con, also features stories by up-and-coming writers and artists, including Jason Ciaramella (The Cape, Godzilla), Joe Mulvey (Scam), Mark Poulton (Avengelyne, Savage Hawkman), and more, and is edited by ComixTribe publisher Tyler James.

Rich Douek's story in the Oxymoron hardcover, with art by Rafer Roberts (Plastic Farm), is "Act Naturally."

"Act Naturally" -- The Royal Shakespeare Touring Company's debut of Romeo and Juliet at Swanstown's prestigious Woodmire Hall is taken under the Oxymoron's psychotic direction - that is, until superhero Red shows up. But, is she just playing her part in Oxy's latest tragic comedy?

Rich is also the creator/writer behind the forthcoming miniseries Gutter Magic, which tells a tale of sword, sorcery and sixguns in an alternate history where a magic-fueled World War II drove the world to the brink of apocalypse. Rich recently released a trailer promoting the planned five issue miniseries, with art by Brett Barkley, colors by CE alum Donna Gregory, and edits by CE staff member Paul Allor!

Paul Allor's story in the Oxymoron hardcover, with art by Aaron Houston (Clockwork), is "Quiet Riot."

"Quiet Riot" -- The Oxymoron holds all of Swanstown hostage in terrifying silence, as one cop struggles to stop the madman before her city burns to the ground.

Paul will also be writing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #8 featuring Fugitoid from IDW, and is the author of the Clockwork anthology, which contained 12 original stories on cross-genre characters such as space-faring gorilla pirates, heart-broken robots, a beautiful gunfighter, and even a man on death row. Paul also works as a comics editor on upcoming or released projects such as Girls' Night Out, Gutter Magic, Deluge, and Rex, Zombie Killer

As of this writing, the Oxymoron Kickstarter is already at over 95% of its funding goal, with 24 days to go! So, it's a huge success, but there's still plenty of time for you to pre-order your copy and partake of the great incentives including signed copies, original art, t-shirts, and more!

Check out the Oxymoron Kickstarter right here!

And congrats to Paul, Rich, and all the creators!

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If you want to make comics, write or draw comics, or improve as a comics creator, you'll find like-minded friends and colleagues in our online workshops and courses. We hope to see you there!

Posted by Rob Anderson
rob@ComicsExperience.com
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CE Alum Janine Frederick Launches "Quandary" Kickstarter

Comics Experience alum and Creators Workshop member Janine Frederick has launched a Kickstarter campaign for her comic book project, Quandary.

And one of the key artists on the project, Ken Frederick, is not only Janine's husband, but a CE alum and Workshop member as well!

Quandary is a digital comic of a story that takes place twenty years in the future.

In this future, everyone lives in a "police state" and the U.S. has been at war in the Middle East for thirty years. Protesters in the "We the People" movement are regarded as terrorists, hunted down and executed for challenging the system. Then, one event -- an accidental death -- inadvertently sets in motion the wheels of a revolution, and tyranny begins eroding from within.

As Janine puts it herself, "If Quandary were a mixed drink, the recipe would be: 2 parts George Orwell's 1984, 2 parts Life as We Know It, and 1 part Occupy movement."

With 31 days to go (as of this writing), the project has reached nearly 70% of its funding goal.

As incentives, supporters can choose PDFs of the comic, special edition prints and t-shirts, sketches -- or even receive a special price on a 3-month membership in the Creators Workshop!

For comic book writers, there's also a script critique available from Paul Allor, the CE Book Club Manager and writer of the upcoming IDW TMNT Micro-Series featuring Fugitoid!

More rewards are being unlocked when certain support levels are reached. For example, just today it was announced that every person who contributes will also receive a PDF of the independently produced one-shot zombie apocalypse-themed comic called The Forgotten Dead, penciled and inked by Ken Frederick and written by CE alum Chris Murphy!

If you'd like to hear more about the Kickstarter, you can also listen in on Janine's recent appearances on Kevin Smith's SmodCo's Smorning Show podcast with Ming Chen and Mike Zapcic (of AMC's Comic Book Men)! Or her appearance the same day on Mike and Ming's I Sell Comics podcast. Just click the links or download them on iTunes to check out the June 21, 2012 episodes for more info!

Good luck to Janine on her exciting project!

If you'd like to support her Kickstarter campaign, check out more info here: www.readquandary.com.

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If you want to make comics, write, draw, letter, and color comics, or improve as a comics creator, you'll find like-minded friends and colleagues in our online workshops and courses. We hope to see you there!

Posted by Rob Anderson
rob@ComicsExperience.com
Twitter / Facebook

CE Alum Jody LeHeup Joins Valiant Entertainment!

Comics Experience alum Jody LeHeup was recently named to the position of Associate Editor at Valiant Entertainment.

In his new role, Jody will contribute to Valiant's relaunched line, which includes X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, and Archer & Armstrong.

LeHeup joins Assistant Editor Josh Johns and Executive Editor Warren Simons on the Valiant editorial staff.

"Valiant is already off to a roaring start and I'm thrilled to be joining such a talented team," said LeHeup.

Jody previously spent four years as a Marvel editor where he managed many bestselling and critically lauded titles during his tenure, including Uncanny X-Force, Age of Apocalypse, Deadpool, and X-Factor. His work on the acclaimed anthology Strange Tales garnered him a Harvey Award nomination in 2011.

"When we began our search for a new Associate Editor, Jody's name was at the top of my list," said Simons. "I had the opportunity to share an office with Jody at Marvel, and I saw firsthand how dedicated he was to creating amazing, innovative stories. He has a tremendous love for our medium, and I know he'll be an exceptional addition to our hardworking team at Valiant."

In 2007, prior to his time at Marvel, Jody took the Comics Experience writing class, when it was still being taught in person in New York City. (Courses are now taught live, online.)

“The Comics Experience writing class is a fantastic environment in which to hone your
storytelling skills and I recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about the craft of comic book writing. Whether you’re looking to begin or improve your work, Comics Experience has something to offer you. Not to mention the fact that the networking I did there played a part in getting me my first interview for work in the industry.”

Valiant Entertainment is a character-based publishing and licensing company that owns
and controls some of the most cherished comic characters ever created across all media worldwide. Since their creation in 1989, Valiant characters have sold 80 million comic books and have been the basis of a number of successful video game franchises.

We want to congratulate Jody on his new position!

COMMUNITY NEWS: CE Alum Bobby Curnow's Godzilla Legends #5 on Stands Today!

Writer Bobby Curnow has a new book on the stands today: Godzilla Legends #5!

Bobby is both a Comics Experience alum and a member of the Creators Workshop, where he offers members pro critiques on their work.

Godzilla Legends #5 has a story written by Bobby with art by comics great Dean Haspiel. In the story, an old adventurer comes out of retirement to climb Godzilla!

The issue is on stands right now with covers by both Art Adams and Bob Eggleton.

Bobby's new creator-owned miniseries, Night of 1,000 Wolves, is solicited for pre-orders in the current March Diamond PREVIEWS catalog and will be in stores in May. That title features artwork by Eisner-nominated artist Dave Wachter.

Bobby is also an editor at IDW where he began by editing titles like Robert Bloch's That Hellbound Train and John Layman and Alberto Ponticelli's Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths before moving on to his current position working on both the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Godzilla franchises.

Congrats on your Godzilla tale hitting the stands, Bobby!

GUEST BLOG: Paul Allor uses lessons learned to produce Clockwork

A guest blog by Paul Allor discussing his new anthology, Clockwork, Volume 1

In less than a week, my first comic book will come off the printers, and begin a 1,000-mile journey to my home. A few days after that, I’ll hold a copy in my hands for the first time.

This is, to put it mildly, a pretty awesome feeling. Clockwork, Volume 1 contains twelve stories, each drawn by a different artist, including JM Ken Niimura (I Kill Giants), Brett Weldele (The Surrogates) and Nikki Cook (Memoir).

A year ago, a project of this scope, with this artistic talent on board, this early in my career, would have seemed impossible. But the knowledge, skills and support I’ve gained through Comics Experience made the impossible possible.

My Comics Experience involvement began in Andy Schmidt’s Intro to Writing class, where each student completes a script for a five-page comic. Andy taught us that writing a five-page story is more difficult than a longer work, and that if you can tell a complete and compelling story in five pages, you can also do it in twenty-two.

After the class ended, I decided to put those lessons to use. I figured that if writing short comics is more difficult than longer works, then I should continue to hone my craft on five-page stand-alone stories. Fast forward to less than a year later, and I’ve written twenty-four of them. The first twelve appear in Clockwork, Volume 1.

The stories are all over the genre map, from wacky sci-fi action to quiet slice-of-life, and everything in between. But they have one thing in common: every one of them incorporates the lessons I learned from Andy Schmidt. Every one of them is a call back to my writing class, where, step by step, Andy took us through the process of developing, plotting and scripting a comic story.

Andy taught us the basics of story and the importance of character. He taught us about conflict and turning points and the rules of good dialogue. Whether I’m writing about space pirates, Old West cowboys or monster hunters, those same building blocks apply.

But my Comics Experience involvement didn’t end there. I also took the Lettering and Production class, taught by veteran letterer Dave Sharpe. This class gave me a newfound respect for letterers, and allowed me to letter nearly every story in my book.

I also recently completed the Introduction to Comic Art class, taught by Robert Atkins. I’ll never be a great artist (or even a good artist!), but I took the class to learn about the fundamentals of sequential storytelling, and Robert provided exactly that. I believe the insight I gained in that class will make me a better writer, and a better collaborator.

Finally, I’m also a member of the Comics Experience Creators Workshop. The workshop is a true community, where writers and artists come together to critique each other’s work, trade industry news, and discuss collaborations.

I met two of the artists in Clockwork, Ken Frederick and Carl Peterson, through the workshop. Additionally, several of the stories in Clockwork were put through the workshop, and I’m continually amazed by the depth and quality of the critiques I’ve received there.

If you want to be a comics creator, Comics Experience is the place to start. Trust me, I know.

If you’d like to check out Clockwork, you can read it for free in Web comics form at www.clockworkcomic.com, and purchase the hardcopy at govtcomics.bigcartel.com. Drop Paul a line at paul@govtcomics.com to let him know what you think!

Posted by Rob Anderson
rob@ComicsExperience.com
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Comics Experience Community News 7/12/2011

It's been a great month for Comics Experience alumni and Workshop members -- from a Harvey Award nomination to free online comics, our community of creators has been on the move!

Congratulations to Nick Spencer (Comics Experience Writing alum) who received a 2011 Harvey Award nomination in the category of "Most Promising New Talent," for his work on his hit title from Image, Morning Glories. The Harvey Awards recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art, and are the only industry awards both nominated and selected by fellow comic book professionals.

Brandon Seifert (Comics Experience Creators Workshop member) had his new book from Image, Witch Doctor, appear as a flipbook in the back of Walking Dead #85, and followed that up with the release of the #1 issue on June 29th. Described as House M.D. meets Fringe, the book looks to be a runaway hit! Witch Doctor is the first original title from Robert Kirkman’s new Image imprint, Skybound, which will also be launching a new title, Thief of Thieves, written by Nick Spencer!

A new anthology comic book, The December Project, was just released recently, and it was created by a group of Comics Experience Writing alums! The book features stories written by Marta Tanrikulu, Chris Lewis, Monika Smyczek, and Elizabeth Amber Love, plus three of the stories were lettered by Comics Experience Workshop member, E.T. Dollman. The book contains a wide variety of stories, from science fiction to magic, and from trippy to heart-wrenching. Pick up your copy of The December Project via IndyPlanet right here.

Comics Experience Writing alum Rich Douek, is offering a free, online preview story from his forthcoming book, Gutter Magic. Rich collaborated on the preview with Jason Baroody, Paul Little and E.T. Dollman, and the zero issue, coming this Fall, will feature art by Renae De Liz (Womanthology, Servant of the Bones), Craig S. Yeung (Runaways, X-Factor) and JC Grande (Johnny Monster, Necessary Evil). Download a PDF of the preview story at SixGunComics.com right here.

Congrats to all the members of the Comics Experience community, and keep making comics!

If you have Comics Experience-related alumni news, drop me a note!

Posted by Rob Anderson
rob@ComicsExperience.com
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