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Showing posts with label Workshop guests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Workshop guests. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Bunn and Hurtt Join the Workshop to Talk Collaboration, "The Sixth Gun"

Recently, writer Cullen Bunn and artist Brian Hurtt joined the Comics Experience Creators Workshop to discuss their own collaborative process on Oni Press' hit ongoing series The Sixth Gun and other projects.

During the workshop, one member asked Bunn about the scripts he writes for Hurtt, and whether the style of script is affected by their strong collaboration.

"I use a little bit of a prose approach," Bunn said. "The way I envision it is, this is the first time Brian is seeing anything for that story. It's the first time an editor is seeing anything for that story. I want them to enjoy it, and I want to paint a picture. I want to paint a mood."

By contrast, Bunn and Hurtt said, many comic scripts are written like movie shooting scripts, with multiple camera angles and specific instructions for each shot.

Bunn said he sometimes notes angles, but that it's understood that Hurtt can go in a different direction, without first consulting him. For his part, Hurtt said he loves Bunn's scripts, and compared reading them to reading a good book.

"You see the images in your head, and you get excited for that," he said.

He also said that the approach lends itself to a greater level of collaboration between artist and writer.

"I've worked with several others writers," Hurtt said. "They were talented writers, and very nice people, but there was no collaboration. They did the script, they turned it over to me, and I drew what was in the script.

"And when I can't be part of the collaboration, and can't be excited, the work suffers. I feel like my best work is when I work with Cullen, because it is collaboration."

Other topics discussed included:
* Transitioning to a full-time career in comics;
* The sacrifices required to build your craft and develop a career;
* The development of The Sixth Gun;
* The importance of setting aside ego when collaborating with an artist or writer;
* Other creative teams that Bunn and Hurtt look up to;
* How Bunn started to get work at Marvel Comics;
* And many more.
The Sixth Gun is released monthly through Oni Press, with volumes one through three available in trade paperback. Bunn and Hurtt's previous collaboration, The Damned, is also available in trade paperback form.

Creators Workshop sessions take place every month, giving members real-world knowledge that will help them succeed in their comics career. Additionally, the monthly Creators Workshop book club sessions feature guest writers and artists discussing the craft and art of comics, as well as the business side of things.

There's still plenty of time to sign up before the next session. We hope to see you there!

-- Posted by Paul Allor

[Photo of Cullen and Brian above by Jeff of Draw Me In.]

Monday, April 23, 2012

Brandon Seifert Joins Creators Workshop LIVE Tomorrow Night, April 24th!

Just a reminder that tomorrow night, Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 9pm Eastern Time, writer Brandon Seifert will be joining us live for an online Creators Workshop to discuss breaking in, his career, and his writing.

Brandon's break-out hit, Witch Doctor, was the first title published by Robert Kirkman's Skybound Entertainment, an imprint of Image Comics.

Witch Doctor is a medical horror comic written by Brandon and illustrated by Lukas Ketner, that has been called "House M.D. meets Fringe."

In the book, Vincent Morrow, excommunicated from the medical community, serves the world with both hands -- one in magic, one in medicine -- as earth's Sorcerer General.

Witch Doctor is both a sales and a critical success for Skybound, with positive coverage from IGN, Fangoria, io9, The AV Club, and many more. Writer Warren Ellis called the book "Mental."

Witch Doctor initially consisted of a four-issue miniseries and a one-shot, now collected in a trade paperback collection, "Under the Knife".

Brandon and Lukas are currently working on a second miniseries planned for 2012, titled Witch Doctor: Mal Practice.

Most recently, Brandon's writing appeared in Clive Barker's Hellraiser Annual #1, published by BOOM! Studios and in comic shops now!

Brandon has called Barker's work "a huge formative influence" on his work and on Witch Doctor.

In current Hellraiser continuity, Pinhead has became human again and Brandon's story explores that man, Captain Elliott Spencer's, adjustment to his return to humanity

Join us at the Creators Workshop to take part in what's sure to be a great discussion with Brandon on Witch Doctor, Skybound, Hellraiser and more!



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

Monday, April 16, 2012

Brandon Seifert Joins Creators Workshop LIVE Tuesday, April 24th!

On Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 9pm Eastern Time, writer Brandon Seifert will be joining us live for an online Creators Workshop to discuss breaking in, his career, and his writing.

Brandon's break-out hit, Witch Doctor, was the first title published by Robert Kirkman's Skybound Entertainment, an imprint of Image Comics.

Witch Doctor is a medical horror comic written by Brandon and illustrated by Lukas Ketner, that has been called "House M.D. meets Fringe."

In the book, Vincent Morrow, excommunicated from the medical community, serves the world with both hands -- one in magic, one in medicine -- as earth's Sorcerer General.

Witch Doctor is both a sales and a critical success for Skybound, with positive coverage from IGN, Fangoria, io9, The AV Club, and many more. Writer Warren Ellis called the book "Mental."

Witch Doctor initially consisted of a four-issue miniseries and a one-shot, now collected in a trade paperback collection, "Under the Knife".

Brandon and Lukas are currently working on a second miniseries planned for 2012, titled Witch Doctor: Mal Practice.

Most recently, Brandon's writing appeared in Clive Barker's Hellraiser Annual #1, published by BOOM! Studios and in comic shops now!

Brandon has called Barker's work "a huge formative influence" on his work and on Witch Doctor.

In current Hellraiser continuity, Pinhead has became human again and Brandon's story explores that man, Captain Elliott Spencer's, adjustment to his return to humanity

Join us at the Creators Workshop to take part in what's sure to be a great discussion with Brandon on Witch Doctor, Skybound, Hellraiser and more!



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

Monday, March 26, 2012

Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt Join Creators Workshop LIVE Tomorrow Night! (3/27)

Tomorrow night, Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 9pm Eastern Time, writer Cullen Bunn and artist Brian Hurtt will be joining us live for an online Creators Workshop to discuss their careers as well as the topic of "collaboration."

Cullen and Brian have collaborated together on two Oni titles: The Damned and The Sixth Gun.

Cullen Bunn's noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian), The Damned and the follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, were published by Oni Press.

In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; and The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press

Cullen has also written various work for Marvel and DC including several Fear Itself tie-ins and an original graphic novel for Marvel, Spider-Man: Season One.

Cullen left his day job to write full time almost exactly one year ago, and wrote a blog on that anniversary right here.


Brian Hurtt's art first made a splash during the second arc in Greg Rucka's critically acclaimed series Queen & Country.

He's since illustrated the Queen & Country spin-off Declassified, Oni's Skinwalker, DC's critically acclaimed Gotham Central, as well as the DC series Hard Time, in addition to The Damned and The Sixth Gun with Cullen.

Join us at the Creators Workshop to take part in what's sure to be a great discussion!

[Photo of Cullen and Brian above by Jeff of Draw Me In.]





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

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt Join Creators Workshop LIVE Tuesday, March 27th!

On Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 9pm Eastern Time, writer Cullen Bunn and artist Brian Hurtt will be joining us live for an online Creators Workshop to discuss their careers as well as the topic of "collaboration."

Cullen and Brian have collaborated together on two Oni titles: The Damned and The Sixth Gun.

Cullen Bunn's noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian), The Damned and the follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, were published by Oni Press.

In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; and The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press

Cullen has also written various work for Marvel and DC including several Fear Itself tie-ins and an original graphic novel for Marvel, Spider-Man: Season One.

Cullen left his day job to write full time almost exactly one year ago, and wrote a blog on that anniversary right here.

Brian Hurtt's art first made a splash during the second arc in Greg Rucka's critically acclaimed series Queen & Country.

He's since illustrated the Queen & Country spin-off Declassified, Oni's Skinwalker, DC's critically acclaimed Gotham Central, as well as the DC series Hard Time, in addition to The Damned and The Sixth Gun with Cullen.

Join us at the Creators Workshop to take part in what's sure to be a great discussion!

[Photo of Cullen and Brian above by Jeff of Draw Me In.]




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

Thursday, February 9, 2012

WORKSHOP GUEST: Paul Tobin's Tips for Writing "All-Ages" Comic Books!

Comics writer Paul Tobin is known for his extensive work on the Marvel Adventures’ "all-ages" line, along with a wide variety of other genres and publishers.

During last month’s Comics Experience Creators Workshop, Tobin shared some tips on writing comics for all ages.

Write for Your Inner 12-Year-Old
When asked if there are any children who read Tobin’s all-ages work in advance, Tobin replied that he relies heavily on his "inner 12-year-old."

"If my inner 12-year-old is excited by a story, then I know that I’m doing okay," Tobin said. "If it’s something that I want to read, if it’s something that gets me up in the morning and really wants me to hit the computer and get the story out then I know I’m doing okay."

Make Your Story About Characters
Tobin noted that when working on all-ages material, there are often restrictions on the level of violence and the use of weapons. But, he said, this is easy to work around if you focus on character.

"I consider myself a character writer, and I was really more interested in telling the character’s story, the interweaving of what people were trying to do, rather than the gunfire aspect," Tobin said. "...In the mainstream, I see a lot of writers who just open the story with a knife and a gun fight, and it closes on page 22 and nothing much has happened. So I really think a lot of writers should try to think about the characters behind them, and that’s really what I try to do."

Write for All-Ages
It’s no secret that the "all-ages" label is often used for books aimed exclusively at children. Tobin said that by contrast, he believes all-ages books should be exactly that.

"To me, all ages means a seven-year-old should be able to pick it up, and also a 70-year-old should be able to pick it up," Tobin said. "The 70 year old might say, ‘Oh, the construction of this story and the interaction between these two characters was really cool,’ and the seven year old might say, ‘Oh, that was the mostest coolest thing ever when the Hulk knocked Thor through the wall,’ which the Hulk would do, because he’s the strongest there is."

Tobin also said that writing for all ages helps ensure that you are not writing down to children.

"I don’t think you can appeal to kids by talking down to them," Tobin said. "I know that when I was a kid, if you wrote a comic specifically for a seven-to-ten-year-old age group, then I could have been five years old and felt like I was too old for it. So I really tried to avoid that."

Those interested in learning more about Paul Tobin can visit his Web site at www.paultobin.net. In addition to his all-ages work, Paul has written for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Top Shelf, among other publishers.

Creators Workshop sessions take place every month, and feature special guests giving members real-world knowledge that will help them succeed in their comics career.

Additionally, monthly Creators Workshop Book Club sessions feature guest writers and artists discussing the craft and art of comics, as well as the business side of the comics profession.

Our next live Workshop will be held Tuesday, February 28, 2012. We'll be joined by special guest Drew Gaska to discuss how he single-handedly acquired licenses to Planet of the Apes and Space 1999 from Fox.

There's still plenty of time to sign up before the next session. We hope to see you there.

-- Posted by Paul Allor


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!

Monday, January 23, 2012

Paul Tobin Joins Us LIVE Tomorrow Night! (1/24)

Tomorrow night, Tuesday, January 24, 2012, writer Paul Tobin will be joining us LIVE and online for a Creators Workshop discussion of his career and his experiences writing for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Top Shelf and more!

As Rich Johnston has pointed out, Paul is arguably the most-read superhero writer working today, when you factor in his work on the widely reprinted "all ages" Marvel Adventures line, along with many custom comics, including recent toy and fast food promotional comics.

His recent Justice League comic book, included in cereal boxes as part if a DC Comics promotion, had several million copies printed!

In addition, to his extensive Marvel work, Paul has worked on such popular properties as the Falling Skies webseries, based on the TNT television show, Conan in Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword from Dark Horse, and Batman in the Batman 80-Page Giant, to name a few.

Paul has also published creator-owned work such as the critically acclaimed Gingerbread Girl with artist Colleen Coover, from Top Shelf.

Join us at the Creators Workshop to take part in this sure-to-be great discussion with Paul!




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

Monday, January 16, 2012

WORKSHOP GUEST: Comic Book Writer Paul Tobin Coming Soon!

We're pleased to announce that on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, writer Paul Tobin will be joining us for a Creators Workshop discussion of his career and his experiences writing for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Top Shelf and more!

As Rich Johnston has pointed out, Paul is arguably the most-read superhero writer working today, when you factor in his work on the widely reprinted "all ages" Marvel Adventures line, along with many custom comics, including recent toy and fast food promotional comics.

His recent Justice League comic book, included in cereal boxes as part if a DC Comics promotion, had several million copies printed!

In addition, to his extensive Marvel work, Paul has worked on such popular properties as the Falling Skies webseries, based on the TNT television show, Conan in Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword from Dark Horse, and Batman in the Batman 80-Page Giant, to name a few.

Paul has also published creator-owned work such as the critically acclaimed Gingerbread Girl with artist Colleen Coover, published initially online by Top Shelf and now collected as a graphic novel.

Join us at the Creators Workshop to take part in this sure-to-be great discussion with Paul!




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

Monday, January 9, 2012

Scott Snyder Joins Creators Workshop LIVE Tomorrow Night! (1/10/12)

Tomorrow night, Tuesday, January 10, 2012, writer Scott Snyder, will be joining us for an online Creators Workshop Book Club discussion of American Vampire, Volume 1 from Vertigo/DC Comics!

Volume 1 of American Vampire follows two stories: one written by Scott Snyder and the other by Stephen King, with art by Rafael Albuquereque.

In Scott's story, set in 1920's Los Angeles, we follow Pearl, a young woman who is turned into a vampire and sets out on a path of revenge against European Vampires who tortured and abused her.

Scott is the red-hot writer of Batman and Swamp Thing from DC Comics, as well as the horror title Severed from Image.

Join us at the Creators Workshop to take part in this sure-to-be great discussion with Scott!




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

Monday, December 12, 2011

WORKSHOP GUESTS: Michael Alan Nelson & Scott Snyder Coming Soon!

We have two fantastic guests joining us LIVE at the Comics Experience Creators Workshop soon, and there's still time for you to join us at these online sessions!

For our next live Workshop session on Tuesday, December 20, 2011, we'll be joined by special guest Michael Alan Nelson!


Michael is the writer of the hot new BOOM! comic book, Valen the Outcast, which has been described as an "undead Conan" story filled with sword and sorcery action.

The first issue just debuted on December 7, 2011, even garnering some controversy in the comics media related to burnings of a Joe Jusko variant cover.

Valen the Outcast is a new, ongoing series from BOOM!, but Michael has been writing comic for seven years, having produced over 120 single issues for dozens of series, including 28 Days Later, Hexed, and Fall of Cthulhu.

Michael will be joining us to discuss his path into the industry, his new work on Valen the Outcast, as well as his experiences working on a popular, licensed property like 28 Days Later.

Michael will also be critiquing a winning script, posted in December by a lucky member of the Creators Workshop.

And, we're pleased to announce that on Tuesday, January 10, 2012, writer Scott Snyder, will be joining us for a Creators Workshop Book Club discussion of American Vampire, Volume 1 from Vertigo/DC Comics!

Volume 1 of American Vampire follows two stories: one written by Scott Snyder and the other by Stephen King, with art by Rafael Albuquereque.

In Scott's story, set in 1920's Los Angeles, we follow Pearl, a young woman who is turned into a vampire and sets out on a path of revenge against European Vampires who tortured and abused her.

Scott is the red-hot writer of Batman and Swamp Thing from DC Comics, as well as the horror title Severed from Image.

Join us at the Creators Workshop to take part in these sure-to-be great discussions with Michael and Scott!




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

Monday, November 28, 2011

WORKSHOP GUESTS: Jim Zub's Tips on Creating Great Fight Scenes

Skullkickers, an ongoing title from Image Comics, is known for its fast-paced action and wild fight scenes.

In the last Creators Workshop Book Club session, Skullkickers writer Jim Zubkavich talked about the book’s development, and gave some advice on writing effective fight scenes.

Zubkavich noted that Skullkickers moves along at a quick clip, as his main characters move from one violent situation to another.

“I love writing action scenes,” he said. “That’s the fun part.”

But Zubkavich also noted that many people struggle with fight scenes, and offered some advice for making them work.

1. Use the environment to provide interesting details

Zubkavich said he tries to write fight scenes that rise above “punch a guy, kick a guy,” by using objects and details from the environment to create interesting fights, whether they’re killing a werewolf with a silver spoon, or knocking a pot off a goblin’s head.

“It’s all about using the environment, and using the opponents, in interesting ways,” Zubkavich said. “How can these characters interact?”

2. Build toward something on every page

Zubkavich said that he’s fairly methodical about the pacing of Skullkickers fight scenes, and tries to have something important happening on every page of action, providing a good payoff for the readers.

As times this is a huge moment, a splash page or even a double-page splash. But, he said, it could also be a character getting knocked out, or a “big ridiculous moment.” The point, he said, is to keep the audience attached to the big visual moments, and give them something to remember beyond just “and then he punches a guy, and we’re off to the next scene.”

3. Think visually, but recognize that comics are a partnership

Zubkavich noted that due to his background in art and animation, he visualizes the fight scenes as he is writing, staging them in his mind. In the scripts, he tries to give artist Edwin Huang all the information he needs, while still giving him room to build upon the script if he so desires.

At the same time, comics are generally a collaborative medium, with the exception of creators who perform every job. And so, Zubkavich said that “once you get the artwork, you adjust your expectation, usually in a good way.”

Fight scenes were just one topic discussed by Jim Zub in the two-hour question-and-answer session. A recording of the full session will be available to workshop members for the next few weeks.

And you can read more about Skullkickers or order your copy at www.Skullkickers.com.

For our next live Workshop session on Tuesday, November 29, 2011, special guest Mark Waid will be on hand to discuss his thoughts on the "digital revolution" in comics, as it relates to people creating new works today.

Then, on Tuesday, December 6, 2011, writer/artist Terry Moore, will be joining us for a Creators Workshop Book Club discussion of Echo, The Complete Edition. Terry Moore is a legendary creator who writes, draws and publishes comic books through his own imprint, Abstract Studio.

Creators Workshop Book Club sessions take place every month, featuring guest writers and artists discussing the craft and art of comics, as well as the business side of things. Additional live Workshop sessions take place every month, giving members real-world knowledge that will help them succeed in their comics career.

There’s still plenty of time to sign up before the next session. We hope to see you there.

-- Posted by Paul Allor

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

WORKSHOP GUESTS: Mark Waid & Jim Zub in November!

We have two exciting guests coming up in November at the Comics Experience Creators Workshop, and there's still time for you to join us at these live, online sessions!

On Tuesday, November 15, 2011, our next guest will be writer Jim Zubkavich (aka Jim Zub), where we'll be having a Book Club discussion of the runaway Image hit Skullkickers, Volume 1!

Skullkickers is a sword & sorcery action-comedy comic about two hard-headed mercenaries killing monsters and causing havoc in their search for money, fame and adventure.

With Skullkickers , Volume 2 arriving in stores the very next day (November 16th), it's a perfect time to check out Volume 1 and discuss it with the writer!

Jim Zub has also kindly agreed to be our guest script critiquer for the upcoming cycle, with Robert Atkins doing a review for artists. Plus, Andy Schmidt will be doing reviews of scripts and art as well.

And, for our next live Workshop session on Tuesday, November 29, 2011, we'll be joined by special guest Mark Waid!

With over twenty years of experience in his field, Mark Waid has written a wider variety of well-known characters than any other American comics author, from Superman to the Justice League to Spider-Man to Archie and hundreds of others.

We'll be discussing a wide range of comics-related topics with Mark, but in particular we'll be discussing his thoughts on the "digital revolution" in comics, as it relates to people creating new works today. Mark has been vocal (and fascinating) on this topic at this year's ICv2 Conference and at SDCC. He pulls no punches, so it should be quite a conversation! (Photo of Mark Waid by Luigi Novi.)

Join us at the Creators Workshop to take part in these sure-to-be great discussions with Jim and Mark!



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

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