New Classes! March-April 2013

This week is Class #3 for the current session of workshops, so it’s time to plan the next set. After some planning sessions, here’s what Ty has decided on for his own classes (we’re still planning out classes to be taught by other teachers, including some aimed at kids and teenagers–keep an eye on the site for those):

WRITING FOR COMICS (PART ONE)

Wednesdays 7-10pm, March 13-April 24 2013

FEES:  $300 (for students who have taken this class before, and would like to repeat it, the price is $250)     Payment accepted by cash, cheque or PayPal (There will be a fee for NSF cheques).

REGISTRATION/INQUIRES:  email comicbookbootcamp@gmail.com to book a space, and to make payment arrangements. Please note that spaces are limited for each class; registration is on a first-come first-reserved basis.

Plot, tale, character, dialogue, set pieces, scenes  and act structure —we cover it all.  Seven intensive workshops, will teach you the basic language of fiction, with an emphasis on comic and graphic novels as a script form.  This is a writing class like no other writing class you`ve ever had.

Students are expected to create stories, plots, pitches and scenes in the workshops.  Bring a pencil (with a healthy eraser) and a willingness to dig in and write, write, write!

Most of my industry awards were for my many years writing for Batman.  As a result, this course is my favourite to teach, and a favourite with students.  This class generally fills very quickly–so reserve a spot as soon as possible..

(This course is followed by  Writing for Comics Part Two, which focuses on world building, continuing series, genre, comedy, tragedy, and a study of classical story forms.)

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Drawing the Human Figure From Your Head

Mondays 7-10pm, March 11 – April 22 2013

FEES:  $300 (for students who have taken this class before, and would like to repeat it, the price is $250)     Payment accepted by cash, cheque or PayPal (There will be a fee for NSF cheques).

REGISTRATION/INQUIRES:  email comicbookbootcamp@gmail.com to book a space, and to make payment arrangements. Please note that spaces are limited for each class; registration is on a first-come first-reserved basis.

Visualizing the human form in three-dimensional space is one of the basic skills needed to make comics, and our bootcamp class makes this often difficult skill surprisingly easy, with a unique geometric approach to skeletal and muscular systems.  In seven weeks, you’ll understand the movement  of the elbows, shoulders, hips, knees and hands, basic human proportions, the muscle system, and balance (yes, in just seven weeks!) without needing a model to see it in your head.   Previous drawing experience is not required, we can teach this method to anyone willing to learn.

Bring lots of paper and pencils, this is a class for drawing, not for listening to lectures.

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COMIC BOOK BOOTCAMP PART TWO

Tuesdays 7-10pm, March 12-April 23 2013

FEES:  $300 (for students who have taken this class before, and would like to repeat it, the price is $250)     Payment accepted by cash, cheque or PayPal (There will be a fee for NSF cheques).

REGISTRATION/INQUIRES:  email comicbookbootcamp@gmail.com to book a space, and to make payment arrangements. Please note that spaces are limited for each class; registration is on a first-come first-reserved basis.

For students who have completed COMIC BOOK BOOTCAMP PART ONE, the layout/scripting/anatomy lessons continue, with a new emphasis on dialogue, character, pencilling and inking the final page, facial features, cover design, body language, expressions and “acting” with a pencil.  Students will write and draw their own short comic story by the end of the seven week course.

Bring paper or a sketchbook, pencils and erasers for drawing lessons; a notebook or laptop or whatever you need to write down lessons.

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PLEASE NOTE:

Ty will do his best to help students catch up on any lessons missed if they miss a class; a makeup class won’t be the full three hours (as in-class instruction includes class participation, exercises, etc.) but will include all knowledge passed on.

The 24 HOUR COMIC CHALLENGE MARATHON…

…ENDURANCE CONTEST OF WILLS is now over and we’re in recovery mode over here!

24 hour comic day logo_header

logo designed by COMIC BOOK EMBASSY’S Brice Hall

On Saturday, January 5 2013, more than thirty creators showed up at The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery and Guerilla Printing for an event hosted by us (Comic Book Bootcamp!), and our studio-mates,Comic Book Embassy.

And So It Begins...JoePhoto

(photo by Kevin Boyd) This was from the first few minutes; people continued to stream in over that first hour. A couple turned up in the late afternoon!

Our event was inspired obviously as a take off on Scott McCloud’s 24 Hour Comic Day, which was held back on October 20. As Ty said over on ART LAND!!, at that time, we were still getting our class space organised, and there were still many comics-related events taking place, keeping a lot of creators fairly busy. So, we decided to run our own in January as a great start to the new year–a chance for one last fun holiday event before everyone is “officially” back at work and school, a chance to jump in and do the comic book you’ve always wanted to do.

boystable_Tyronephoto

(photo by Tyrone McCarthy)

I said in an email to participants,

“The original intention of Scott McCloud’s 24 Hour Comic was to win a bet with a fellow creator and show him that it was possible for a single person to make a comic, from start to finish, in a single 24 hour period. My hope for this event was a little different–I wanted everyone to find out that it was possible for ANYONE to make a comic if they wanted.”

The participants’ list for the event fluctuated quite a bit–we kept it restricted to 30 figuring people would turn up at the last minute hoping to join in. So, even though three people didn’t turn up and three more cancelled, we still ended up with 34 people participating during the entire event…although that number is low as there were some who came in throughout the 24 hours and sat down and joined in for anywhere from thirty minutes to several hours. A couple creators had to leave unexpectedly, and a few came in knowing that they wouldn’t be able to stay the entire time-period but still wanting to participate–one actually finished her 24 page comic in the first seven hours, having carefully planned it out at the beginning of the day. But all in all, we were pretty amazed to see the turnout–with creators from all across the GTA, from as far afield as Hamilton, St. Catherines, and Barrie.

Ty at 24comicjam_Joephoto

(photo by Kevin Boyd) Ty turned up to join the participants, “to show solidarity” said he. He finished pencilling and inking that day’s Bun Toon, then headed for home to digitally colour and post it.

We’re listing as many of the participants here as we can, with a link to where you can find them online. I’ll put asterisks by those who have posted their comics online. (If they post their finished comic on a different site, we’ll post that link as well.) We had originally hoped to have everyone work on the same size paper and to scan the all so we could post ALL the finished work–but the success of the event quickly put an end to that idea.

Last Stand

(photo by Darwin Santos) Many people finished their pages but left earlier. This was the crew that decided they were hanging in for the full 24 hours no matter what! Even after having finished his 24 pages AND a cover for SAD ROBOT, Chris Yao had been valiantly sketching just before time was called.

We were thrilled to host this event…and to see the comics that came out of it. I hope everyone who participated came away feeling inspired and ready to create comics–after a good night’s sleep, of course.

Aaron Broverman– AARON BROVERMAN:  WRITER, INTERVIEWER, AGITATOR

           **work in progress:  GIMP

Aaron Feldman (worked as a team with Rebecca Slack)Isn’t it Aaronic?

           **finished comic:  UNTITLED

Adam Gorham–A PRINCELY DREADFUL

            **work in progress:  UNTITLED

Adira Rotstein– Adira Rotstein

Ali Morbi (worked as a team with Shane Kirshenblatt) Morbi Design

Anthony Smerek–anthony smerek’s DEVIOUS DRAWINGS

             **finished comic: UNTITLED

Brian Evinou–Brian Evinou Comics!

Brice Hall–BRICE-INK:  COMICS/ILLUSTRATION

            **finished comic:  TWO HAPLESS CHAPS

Christopher Yao (worked as a team with writer James Cooper)— yaoza graphics studio!

             **finished comic:  SAD ROBOT

Daniel Reynolds– THE SAME PAGE

Dylan Kloepfer– Dyl’s Blog for iPod

James Cooper (worked as a team with artist Christopher Yao)— JAMES COOPER. write. direct. create.

              **finished comic:  SAD ROBOT

Jason Roussel

              **finished comic:  My 24 Hour Comic Book (on Facebook)

(also posted on deviantART) My 24 Hour Comic Book

Jeff Longstreet–Black Dot Comics

        **finished comic: BLACK DOT ISSUE 000

 

Jessika Koeslag

Joe Kilmartin

Kawai Shen– cute juice comics

**finished comic:  LEGACIES

Mansoor Siddiqui

Mark Paraiso– southpaw dragon 

         **finished comic:  UNTITLED (on Facebook)

Megan Kearney– the quietly:  the secret online home of Megan Kearney

Pierce Desrochers-O’Sullivan

Rachael Wells– Rachael Wells

**Rachael joined us to work in solidarity with her fellow creators (many fellow Bootcampers/Holmes Inc. contributors), but worked on her upcoming book STEAMPUNK VIXENS. Keep an eye out for news on it’s publication.

Rachel Primeau– WARAMPSCHICKEN

Rain Infinity– Studio Octan

**finished comic:  ALLOY

Rebecca Slack (worked as a team with Aaron Feldman)Rebecca Slack’s Illustration

                    **finished comic:  UNTITLED

Ricky Lima– KingKRule

                    **finished comic:  HUMA AM

Rob Oakman–

Rodrigo Bravo–RODRIGO BRAVO

                **finished comic:  THE LAST DAY

Sam Noir–

Sanya Anwar– art by sanya

 **Sanya was working on a story that she thinks will end up as a prequel of sorts to an ongoing comic. Keep an eye on her site for information about future publication.

Savannah MacIntosh– Savannah MacIntosh

Sari Kirshenblatt (Sari accompanied her husband Shane, but soon produced TWO different flipbooks which she then animated!)

Shane Kirshenblatt (worked as a team with Ali Morbi)kirshy.com

**Shane and Ali’s comic is being lettered, and undergoing production. When it’s available for reading, he’ll let us know!

Ty Templeton– Ty Templeton’s ART LAND!!

**Ty stopped in for a couple hours to work, in solidarity, with the creators. He pencilled/inked his Bun Toon, then went home to digitally colour and post it:  New Years Bun Toons. YAY!!

Tyrone McCarthy– Tyrone McCarthy’s ART BLOG

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Keiren

Me at 3am

(photo by Kevin Boyd) Me, attempting to fake consciousness while Debra Shelly does her best to keep me upright…