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!

"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
rob@ComicsExperience.com
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Comics Experience Community Supports Aurora Rise Benefit

Aurora Rise is a benefit event dedicated to assisting the victims and victim’s families of the tragic shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado last month.

The benefit organizer, Jason Farnsworth, Manager of All C's Collectibles, wrote that all proceeds from the event will go directly to the victims, their families and/or designated charity or foundation.

As stated on the Benefit's Facebook page:

"As the sole comic and collectible store in Aurora we have been directly impacted by the tragic event on July 20th, as several of our customers, friends, employees, and families were involved in the tragedy.

Our customers, their families and friends are dedicated, hard working people, and as such we’re going to support them by organizing the Aurora Rise: Benefit Event here at our store, All C’s Collectibles, within the coming weeks."

An in-store silent auction, along with in-store signings, will take place on August 25 and 26, 2012, with featured guests like Mike Mignola, Matt Fraction, Steve Niles and more.

Comics Experience Book Club Manager, Paul Allor, organized a donation effort on the Creators Workshop to gather together work from Comics Experience alums and Workshop members for the upcoming auction. As you can see from the photo showing most of the donated work, the packages will contain more than 30 titles. Comics Experience will also be donating a three-month free membership in the Creators Workshop to the winner of the auction package.

If you'd like to learn more about the Aurora Benefit effort or donate, please visit their Facebook page.

CE Alums to Launch "Deluge" with Moonshot Digital Comics!

On July 29, 2012, MoonShot Digital Comics announced that a project by two Comics Experience alums -- writer J.D. Oliva and artist Richard P. Clark -- would be amongst the first to launch its new digital comics product line.

The project, titled Deluge, is a crime thriller set in New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

In the story, an undercover FBI agent tries to outrun a group of rogue cops who have taken to the flooded streets, picking off stranded criminals.

In an interview with the website Pipedream Comics, J.D. explained the origins of the idea:

I was shooting a short film in New Orleans in the summer of 2008 and while at a bar one night the locals started telling Hurricane Katrina stories. One of them was about a group of cops who decided to pick off criminals stranded on their rooftops.

That story always stuck with me, but it took me a few years to figure out how to make it work beyond just the concept. Then in the summer of 2010 while in Andy Schmidt’s Comics Experience Advanced Online Writing course, I had to come up with a miniseries pitch and that was the first thing that popped in my head...

Deluge was the subject of a successful Kickstarter project which raised more than $6,000 at the end of 2011.

J.D. is a writer and documentary filmmaker from South Elgin, Illinois. He's directed several short documentaries and three feature length documentaries. J.D. wrote a Comics Experience guest blog on Deluge back in late 2011 which you can read right here.

Richard is an artist based in upstate New York. His illustration career began in 1993 while still an undergraduate at The Columbus College of Art and Design, and since then, he has worked for a variety of clients in the editorial, book, advertising, institutional and comic industries, including The Wall Street Journal, Playboy, HBO, Sports Illustrated, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, Marvel Comics and many more.

The two creators met in the inaugural online Introduction to Comic Book Writing course in 2009, and both of them continued to develop their writing skills in the 2010 Advanced Comic Book Writing course. Their collaboration on Deluge followed thereafter.

In yet another Comics Experience connection, the book is also edited by CE staff member and alum, Paul Allor.

According to the publisher's website, MoonShot Digital Comics is a creator-owned publisher who "seeks to discover, develop, and publish new talent" with a focus on digital publishing.

MoonShot is the brainchild of George Lentino, a former Nickelodeon executive. You can read an interview with George in a SciFi Pulse interview right here.

Congrats to J.D. and Rich on Deluge!

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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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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
Twitter / Facebook

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

COMMUNITY NEWS: Comics Experience at Baltimore Comic-Con 2011

The 12th Annual Baltimore Comic-Con took place on August 20-21, 2011, and Comics Experience alums and Creators Workshop members were everywhere!

At one point, Workshop member, Joey Groah, tweeted that the BOOM! Studios panel audience had "@ComicExperience member overload" because we had so many folks there!

Baltimore Comic-Con is a fantastic show for comics creators on both sides of the table, with crowds that seemed record-breaking to us, perhaps due to the appearance of Stan Lee. But the large Artists Alley portion of the convention still allowed for lots of direct interaction with creators.

Saturday night, we held a Comics Experience Meet-Up at Tir Na Nog on the Inner Harbor with alums, workshop members, and friends.

It was great to have a "real world" get-together with friends who we interact with on a daily basis in our online classes and forums, but don't always get to see face-to-face (unless you count webcams)!

As you can imagine, much of the conversation centered around making comics, and it was clear a lot of exciting work is in the pipeline.

Members/alums in attendance included Paul Allor, Rob Anderson, James Babbo, Gannon Beck, Amy Chu, Scott Dubin, Janine Frederick, Ken Frederick, Joey Groah, Elizabeth Amber Love, Dan Rivera, and George O'Connor (who joined us after the picture shown here).

Thanks to everyone who joined us, and we look forward to the next Comics Experience meet-up at New York Comic-Con 2011!

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Posted by Rob Anderson
rob@ComicsExperience.com
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