In March - Faith Erin Hicks joins Creators Workshop; Andy Schmidt discusses comic art storytelling & dynamics!

In March, we'll have two great live, online sessions at the Creators Workshop: a Book Club discussion of Friends with Boys with writer/artist Faith Erin Hicks...

AND a Workshop session with former Marvel and IDW Editor Andy Schmidt discussing "Comic Art: Storytelling & Dynamics."

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On Tuesday March 12, 2013 at 8pm Eastern Time, we'll be discussing Friends with Boys with writer/artist Faith Erin Hicks .

Friends with Boys is a coming-of-age tale with a spooky twist, about Maggie McKay, who, after an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and rough-housing with her older brothers, must face the outside world all on her own.

But that means facing high school first. And it also means solving the mystery of the melancholy ghost who has silently followed Maggie throughout her entire life.

Friends With Boys is a 211-page graphic novel published by First Second Books.

A free 20-page preview is available right here.

Faith Erin Hicks is a writer and artist in Halifax, Canada. Her first two graphic novels, Zombies Calling and The War at Ellsmere, were published by SLG Publishing. Most recently, she illustrated First Second’s Brain Camp. Hicks has three brothers and was homeschooled until high school, but has never seen a ghost.

Hicks began drawing comics and putting them on the internet in 1999. Since that time, she's drawn more than 1600 pages of comics including her first online comic, Demonology 101, The Adventures of Superhero Girl, and Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong.

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Then, on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 9pm Eastern Time, we'll have a nuts and bolts comic craft discussion with Andy Schmidt!

Andy will be reviewing artwork -- both classic and more recent -- and discussing what works and what doesn't for comics storytelling.

This will be a session of great value to BOTH artists and writers!

Andy is a former Senior Editor at IDW Publishing, a former Editor at Marvel Comics, and writer of such comics as 5 Days to Die and Challenger Deep.

Andy worked with nearly every major character in the Marvel pantheon during his time there, and edited titles such as X-Men, X-Factor, Alias, Secret War, and the Annihilation saga. At IDW, Andy oversaw both the Transformers and GI Joe franchises.

Andy is also the founder of Comics Experience, which he launched to help educate people who want to make comics, work in the comics industry, or just want to know more about the fantastic medium of comics.

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We're looking forward to two great discussions!

There's still time to join us at the Creators Workshop before these live sessions. We 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
Twitter / Facebook

Tim Daniel Gives Hints for Using Design to Promote Storytelling

When evaluating a comic book, creators often look at writing, art, coloring and lettering. But design is a crucial and often-overlooked part of the final package.

Recently, designer and writer Tim Daniel joined the Comics Experience Creators Workshop to discuss design principles, and ways of using design to tell the best possible story in the best possible format. Daniel is a noted comic-book designer, and has worked with creators including Brian Michael Bendis, Robert Kirkman and Comics Experience alum Nick Spencer.

He is also the writer of Enormous, an oversized one-shot scheduled for release next week from Image imprint Shadowline.

During the session, Daniel provided several pieces of fantastic advice, focused on using comic-book design to extend the story, and promote the creators' vision.

Give the readers something on every page

Daniel noted that with some comic books, everything outside of the story itself -- from the logo to the indicia to the back cover -- feels like an afterthought.

Instead, Daniel said, creators should aim for an immersive experience that carries the reader throughout the entire issue. Good design, he said, is a way of accomplishing that.

By working with the creators' vision, Daniel said, you can extend the storytelling experience "from the logo all the way to the back cover," so that readers "have some sort of visual reward on every single page."

Daniel cited Jonathan Hickman as a creator who is very design driven, and provides a front-to-back storytelling experience.

"You can see his vision fulfilled on every single page," Daniel said. "It creates an immersive experience. You're not just going through it and thinking, 'I'll get past that credits page for example, and I'll move on.'"

Let character drive design

When designing a book, Daniel will often look at the characters, and try to find an "element" of them that speaks to him as a reader.

As an example, he said that in Nick Spencer's Shadowline book Existence 2.0, the lead character is inhabited by another consciousness. So, Daniel sought to visualize that duality wherever he could.

"The main character (Marco) has a great silhouette," Daniel said. "So I would add a shadow to it, and cast that shadow out from him. It's just a way to communicate to the reader that there was Marco, and there was the person inside Marco."

Tell a story on the cover

When planning a cover, Daniel said that many creators simply aim to create something that's cool to look at.

"Cool to look at is great," he said. "Cool to look at can probably sell a book. But something that tells the story -- that's worth pursuing."

For example, he said, take the standard image of a character standing with two guns.

"What if the guns are already smoking?" Daniel said. "Or what if the emotion on the character's face is something we see near the end of the issue. He feels remorse, or he's glad he did it. We won't know until the end of the issue why he's looking that way, or why the guns are smoking or who he shot."

By thinking in this way, he said, "the cover becomes an extension of the story, not just something cool to look at."

Work with the art

When creating a logo, Daniel said, he seeks to create "a really solid relationship between the logo and the art."

Sometimes, he noted, that means he takes a minimalist approach that gets out of the artist's way. For example, Morning Glories features cover art by Rodin Esquejo. Daniel noted that "there's nothing that's gonna sell that book more than (Esquejo's) work."

"However," he added, "there are books where the art sort of invites more of a graphic approach," Daniel said. "It may be whimsical, it may be haunting and kind of horror driven. I feel like there may be a little more latitude there."

He said the choice often depends on instinct, and on the creators' vision.

For those interested in seeing more of Daniel's work, Enormous is set for release on July 11. With art by Mehdi Cheggour, Enormous is a 64-page, oversized treasury edition one-shot from Shadowline/Image.

The story follows Ellen Grace as she leads a search-and-recovery team saving children amongst the ruins of a city destroyed by gigantic monsters run amok.

Enormous recently received coverage of a special prelude story in USA Today which can be viewed right here.

Comics Experience 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

Comics Experience - C2E2 Report!

The 2012 C2E2 Convention was another great one for Comics Experience staff, alums, and Creators Workshop members!

On Friday, Comics Experience founder Andy Schmidt (former Marvel and IDW Editor) and our art instructor (and pro penciler) Robert Atkins held two art-focused panels: Comic Art and Storytelling and Building Your Art Portfolio.

In the Storytelling panel, the panelists discussed the elements of "Visual Success," from communication and action, to dynamics. There was also conversation about how to "read without words," the concept of active reader participation, and even the topic of photo reference. You can read a more detailed account of this panel on CE alum Joe Sergi's Cup of Geek website.

In the Portfolio panel, Andy and Robert discussed all the ins and outs of building and showing your portfolio -- what to include, what to exclude, and even how to physically present it!

Also, quite a number of Comics Experience alums were in attendance, and several were exhibiting, including Amy Chu (alum & Workshop member) showing off Meridien City (1 and 2 in one volume!) and Girls Night Out. And artist and alum Carl Peterson was another member displaying his artwork in Artists Alley!

Of course, no major convention would be complete without a Comics Experience meet-up, which took place Friday after the panels.

The meet-up was attended by (clockwise, from left): Amy Chu, Jim Murray, Andy Schmidt, Joe Sergi, Brian Gilman, J.D. Oliva, Craig Schmidt, and Carl Peterson, as well as (not pictured here) Robert Atkins and Paul Allor.

We hope to see you at the next convention!

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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

Comics Experience at C2E2!

If you're going to the C2E2 Convention this weekend, make sure to check out the Comics Experience panels, as well as exhibiting instructors, alums and Workshop members!

Here's where you can find everyone:

• Art instructor and pro penciler Robert Atkins will be exhibiting at table N5
  
• Writer Amy Chu (alum & Workshop member) will be at table D6, with copies of her comics Meridien City (1 and 2 in one volume!) and Girls Night Out. That latter volume is edited by CE staffer Paul Allor, who will also be in attendance at the show.
  
• Artist Carl Peterson (alum and Workshop member) will be at table A14.
  
• Writer and IDW Editor Bobby Curnow (alum and pro critiquer on the Workshop) won't be there in person, but you can pick up an ashcan preview of his new Battle Beasts series at Diamond Select Toys, booth 311.

Plus, don't miss our panels hosted by Comics Experience founder, and former Marvel and IDW Editor, Andy Schmidt along with Robert Atkins!

Comics Experience: Comic Art and Storytelling
Friday, April 13, 2012
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM in Room N426b
The greatest Comic book minds of our time divulge the greatest secrets of all time. Join us for the top tips for telling a clear and great story in comics. How, as an artist, do you approach great looking art and telling a story? How's it different from illustration work? What is the process used by most working professionals? These insights are not to be missed.

Comics Experience: Building Your Art Portfolio
Friday, April 13, 2012
3:45 PM - 4:45 PM in Room N426c
The most useful panel you’ll ever attend as an artist. Let’s cut through everything else and get right to getting you work! How to prepare your portfolio: what to include, where to get good scripts to draw from, what NOT to include, and how to handle a portfolio review in a professional manner (in other words, how to turn a negative into a positive!).

We hope to see you there!

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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

C2E2 Comics Experience Convention Panels!

If you have an interest in making comics and will be attending the C2E2 comic convention in Chicago, April 13-15, 2012, make sure to check out our Comics Experience convention panels!

Both panels will be hosted by Comics Experience founder, and former Marvel and IDW Editor, Andy Schmidt.

And both panels will include a number of special guests, including professional penciler and Comics Experience art instructor, Robert Atkins!

Mark your schedule for these sessions!

Comics Experience: Comic Art and Storytelling
Friday, April 13, 2012
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM in Room N426b
The greatest Comic book minds of our time divulge the greatest secrets of all time. Join us for the top tips for telling a clear and great story in comics. How, as an artist, do you approach great looking art and telling a story? How's it different from illustration work? What is the process used by most working professionals? These insights are not to be missed.

Comics Experience: Building Your Art Portfolio
Friday, April 13, 2012
3:45 PM - 4:45 PM in Room N426c
The most useful panel you’ll ever attend as an artist. Let’s cut through everything else and get right to getting you work! How to prepare your portfolio: what to include, where to get good scripts to draw from, what NOT to include, and how to handle a portfolio review in a professional manner (in other words, how to turn a negative into a positive!).

We hope to see you there!

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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