Pro writer Chuck Dixon joins faculty & offers critiques on Creators Workshop!

We're pleased to announce that comic book writer Chuck Dixon has joined the Comics Experience faculty, where he will be providing script critiques to members of our Creators Workshop community and answering questions about all aspects of the craft and the industry!

Chuck Dixon is recognized across the industry as the most prolific writer working in comics today. His resume includes thousands of scripts for iconic characters like Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Iron Man, the Punisher, The Simpsons, Spongebob Squarepants, GI Joe and many others.

Chuck currently writes two monthly titles featuring GI Joe for IDW and The Simpsons for Bongo Comics as well as various other projects fro comics and motion pictures. He is also a partner with Gary Kwapisz at History Graphics Press where they are publishing an ambitious series of graphic novels about the American Civil War.

He is (along with artist Graham Nolan) the creator of the Batman villain Bane, the first permanent addition to the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery in forty years and for which he won 1993's Wizard Fan Award for best new character. His unprecedented 100 issue run on DC Comics Robin is considered to be a classic in the comics medium. Chuck’s contributions to Marvel Comics’ The Punisher are widely acknowledged as integral to that character’s development.

Chuck was nominated for an Eisner for El Cazador, a pirate epic created for CrossGen comics with Steve Epting. Along with Jordan Gorfinkel, Chuck created the successful comics series Birds of Prey for DC Comics which was developed for television by Warners.

The Creators Workshop is an on-going community of writers, artists, colorists, and letterers all dedicated to getting published and improving their craft. It's a community focused on making comics!

Our members post their work, critique each other, and discuss all aspects of creating comics in our members-only forums. But in addition to all that, members are eligible for critique by our instructors and pro members!

Chuck has now joined our regular line-up that includes working comic book editors, writers, artists, colorists and more.

Welcome to the Workshop, Chuck!

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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

Comics Experience helps TMNT writer on his journey

Today we have a Guest Blog from Comics Experience staffer, alum, and Workshop member, Paul Allor.

Paul wrote a new comic book for IDW Publishing which hits comic shops across the country next week. Below he talks about how Comics Experience has helped him in his comics career.

You can also check out an interview Paul did on the book -- where he discussed Comics Experience as well -- over on Comic Book Bin right here.

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Guest Blog by Paul Allor
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Next Wednesday, comic shops across the nation will receive their copies of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #8, a comic book I wrote. This absolutely would not have happened without Comics Experience.

I've talked a lot in the past about the impact Andy Schmidt and Comics Experience has had on my career; about the industry insight Comics Experience has given me and the writing skills it has helped me develop. But it's given me more than that. It's given me a community.

Since this project was announced I've been talking to a lot of people -- readers, fellow creators, comics media -- and one question keeps coming up, in different forms: "How did you manage to break in?"

It's a question that kind of amuses me, because the answer seems pretty obvious: I didn't. The Turtles book is my first big work-for-hire gig, and an incredible opportunity. But at the same time, it's one of many, many steps along the way (albeit a very big step). These days, making comics isn't a binary proposition. You aren't in or out, a pro or an amateur.

Like most journeys, this isn't one you want to travel alone. And that's where Comics Experience comes in. The Comics Experience classes, and the Creator's Workshop, has given me a community of people -- writers, artist, colorists and letterers -- all on that same journey.

I can not even begin to tell you how much I've learned from the men and women I've met in Comics Experience. Together, we discuss and dissect the craft and art of comics creating. We trade tips on publishers and printers. We discuss legal issues and career developments. We're there for each other when we succeed, and when we fail.

When I was working on my first book, Clockwork, I workshopped several of the stories through Comics Experience, and asked approximately 12 billion questions about printers, paper stock, marketing and distribution.

Two of the artists in the book (Ken Frederick and Carl Peterson) are people I met in the workshop, another (ET Dollman) did my imprint logo, and yet another (Rich Douek) helped design the front cover.

The folks in Comics Experience are my friends, my coworkers and my collaborators. They played a direct role in giving me the skills, the experience and the confidence to pursue and write an issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for IDW Publishing. I absolutely couldn't have done it without them, and I hope they know it.

I look forward to the next step of our journey.

-- Paul Allor

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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!

Brian Wood on Creating a "Sense of Place" in Stories

Writer Brian Wood is known for creating a sense of place in his stories. Whether it's war-torn New York, Viking-age Europe or scattered cities across North America, Wood's stories invite readers in by creating a place that feels real and lived-in.

In the last Creators Workshop Book Club session on Northlanders, Wood talked about the purpose of this technique, and the drawbacks that come with it.

"It sort of comes naturally to me, and that's not always a good thing," Wood said. "A lot of it is really the artist's work, and what I ask the artist to do. In certain books like DMZ, Ricardo [Burchielli] and everybody that worked on that book deserves a lot of praise for killing themselves on cityscapes and backgrounds. It was very, very difficult stuff I asked them to do, in order to be accurate to the real world, and to communicate all this history in the making."

Wood said he has come to expect "a certain kind of comic to come out of my brain that requires a lot of the artist, and that's kind of not really fair. So I've tried to rein it in a bit."

Still, he said, place can play an important role in a story, and in building a readership.

"I think one of the keys to writing anything is to give the reader a point of access," Wood said. This helps them relate to the story, and "accept it as being real or as being real enough. And I've found it's been very effective to use place for that. When you create a world that does feel so real and believable, that has a level of detail that the characters live in, I think that helps the reader buy into it."

Other topics Brian discussed include his journey into comics, the origin of Norhtlanders, writing shorter stories vs. longer arcs, research, fight scenes, and the differing markets for retail and digital comics.

Brian has several works out now or coming soon, including the original series' The Massive, Anthem, and Mara, as well as Conan for Dark Horse Comics and The X-Men for Marvel.

Our next guests on the Creators Workshop Book Club are Jeff Parker and Steve Lieber discussing their miniseries, Underground, published by Image Comics!

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

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

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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!

Pro Writer David Gallaher Offers Critiques on Creators Workshop!

We're pleased to announce that comic book writer David Gallaher has joined the Creators Workshop, providing script critiques to members. David has already provided his first script critiques to several members he selected.

David was named "Breakout Creator of 2008" by Comic Foundry Magazine.

He's received multiple Harvey Award nominations and won the "Best Online Comic Award" for his work on High Moon, a high-energy, deeply researched fusion horror/western webcomic for Zuda Comics, a part of DC Comics.

David is currently a Manga and graphic novel editor at Random House, where he edits many titles for the Random House / Kodansha Comics Manga line, including the popular Sailor Moon.

David has also written for Marvel Comics on both Hulk: Winter Guard and the Darkstar & the Winter Guard miniseries.

In addition to his work for Marvel, Random House, and Zuda/DC Comics, David has written Box 13 for comiXology / Red 5, and both Johnny Dollar and Vampire: The Masquerade: Blood and Shadows for Moonstone Books, among other titles.

The Creators Workshop is an on-going community of writers, artists, colorists, and letterers all dedicated to getting published and improving their craft. It's a community focused on making comics!

Our members post their work, critique each other, and discuss all aspects of creating comics in our members-only forums. But in addition to all that, members are eligible each month for critique by our instructors and special guests!

David Gallaher has now joined our regular line-up that includes working comic book editors, writers, artists, colorists and more.

Welcome to the Workshop, David!

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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

Brian Wood Joins Creators Workshop LIVE Wednesday Night! (2/8)

Just a reminder that this Wednesday night, February 8, 2012, writer Brian Wood, will be joining us for an online Creators Workshop Book Club discussion of Northlanders, Book Four from Vertigo/DC Comics!

Set in Viking Russia in A.D.1020, and with story elements from crime, history and survival fiction, Northlanders, Book Four: The Plague Widow follows the life of a remote settlement under siege by a contagious outbreak.

The residents of the village are so focused on shutting the outside world out, that they don't consider who they're shutting themselves in with...

Brian Wood has focused his career almost entirely on creator-owned work, with such original series as DMZ, Northlanders, Demo, and Local. He released his first series, Channel Zero, in 1997 to critical acclaim and has continued to produce comics and graphic novels ever since.

He’s become one of the most notable creators of the last decade, earning multiple Eisner Award nominations. Editions of his work have been published in close to a dozen foreign languages.

This year, Wood kicks off the second major phase of his career with the original series' The Massive, Anthem, and Mara, as well as Conan for Dark Horse Comics and The X-Men for Marvel.

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

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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

WORKSHOP GUEST: Brian Wood Joins Creators Workshop LIVE 2/8/12!

On Wednesday night, February 8, 2012, writer Brian Wood, will be joining us for an online Creators Workshop Book Club discussion of Northlanders, Book Four from Vertigo/DC Comics!

Set in Viking Russia in A.D.1020, and with story elements from crime, history and survival fiction, Northlanders, Book Four: The Plague Widow follows the life of a remote settlement under siege by a contagious outbreak.

The residents of the village are so focused on shutting the outside world out, that they don't consider who they're shutting themselves in with...

Brian Wood has focused his career almost entirely on creator-owned work, with such original series as DMZ, Northlanders, Demo, and Local. He released his first series, Channel Zero, in 1997 to critical acclaim and has continued to produce comics and graphic novels ever since.

He’s become one of the most notable creators of the last decade, earning multiple Eisner Award nominations. Editions of his work have been published in close to a dozen foreign languages.

This year, Wood kicks off the second major phase of his career with the original series' The Massive, Anthem, and Mara, as well as Conan for Dark Horse Comics and The X-Men for Marvel.

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

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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

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!

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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

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!

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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

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!

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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