Did you always want to make comics? How did you get started?
Growing up, my parents had lots and lots of newspaper strip collections at our house. When I was six years old, I discovered Calvin and Hobbes, and comics quickly became my favorite thing to read. I read everything we had - Pogo, Peanuts, Dick Tracy, For Better or Worse - and later things like Foxtrot, Dilbert, and Zits. I drew a LOT as a kid, and all through school, and even had a comic strip in the school newspaper all through college. I thought I wanted to do a newspaper strip, but when I noticed bookstores expanding their graphic novel sections to include all sorts of different genres, I knew that I wanted to make book-length stories.
Growing up, my parents had lots and lots of newspaper strip collections at our house. When I was six years old, I discovered Calvin and Hobbes, and comics quickly became my favorite thing to read. I read everything we had - Pogo, Peanuts, Dick Tracy, For Better or Worse - and later things like Foxtrot, Dilbert, and Zits. I drew a LOT as a kid, and all through school, and even had a comic strip in the school newspaper all through college. I thought I wanted to do a newspaper strip, but when I noticed bookstores expanding their graphic novel sections to include all sorts of different genres, I knew that I wanted to make book-length stories.
You teach comics?
Yes, I teach comics at the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD-Atlanta), which opened in 2004. All of our faculty regularly publishes professionally and each has his or her own specialty. I teach the intro class, which is kind of a comics boot-camp in which my students learn all the basic rules of making comics (and there are a LOT of rules), a lot of the writing classes, and mini-comics production, among others. We have both undergraduate and graduate programs, and they're not easy, but almost all of our grad students have left having published professionally, with book deals or monthly gigs in hand, and many of our dedicated seniors have done the same. Sometimes it's hard trying to make books, spend time with my family, and teach - all three full time jobs - but I wouldn't give up any of them.
If you're interested studying comic at our school, I've written up an informal intro to our program and the degrees we offer. Hope this helps!
Yes, I teach comics at the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD-Atlanta), which opened in 2004. All of our faculty regularly publishes professionally and each has his or her own specialty. I teach the intro class, which is kind of a comics boot-camp in which my students learn all the basic rules of making comics (and there are a LOT of rules), a lot of the writing classes, and mini-comics production, among others. We have both undergraduate and graduate programs, and they're not easy, but almost all of our grad students have left having published professionally, with book deals or monthly gigs in hand, and many of our dedicated seniors have done the same. Sometimes it's hard trying to make books, spend time with my family, and teach - all three full time jobs - but I wouldn't give up any of them.
If you're interested studying comic at our school, I've written up an informal intro to our program and the degrees we offer. Hope this helps!
I use a number of different tools, but the one I use more than just about any other is the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen. It behaves very much like a brush, but it has a very steady inkflow, a great, easy to control point, and I never have to slow down to dip it. Here are some places that you can order it:
JetPens
Wet Paint
Amazon (private seller)
What type of paper or bristol board do you use?
A lot of comic artists use bristol board - I sometimes use it for warm-up drawings, and when I do, I use Strathmore brand - but for my comic pages I use Hammermill 11x17 Color Copy Digital 80# cover stock. The aforementioned Pentel Brush Pen cartidge ink goes on it very smoothly, and dries almost instantly, which is important to me because I drag my hands all over the page, and hate to smear my work.
A lot of comic artists use bristol board - I sometimes use it for warm-up drawings, and when I do, I use Strathmore brand - but for my comic pages I use Hammermill 11x17 Color Copy Digital 80# cover stock. The aforementioned Pentel Brush Pen cartidge ink goes on it very smoothly, and dries almost instantly, which is important to me because I drag my hands all over the page, and hate to smear my work.
Do you take commissions?
Commissions are commissioned drawings, which means that you, a patron, ask an artist if they'll draw something specific. Maybe you want a picture of Zorro. Maybe you want a picture of you and your significant other as pirates. Whatever it is, if you're the one putting it in motion, it's a commission. I'm happy to take commissions when my schedule allows, which changes week to week. Shoot me an e-mail - chris@curiousoldlibrary.com - and let me know what you're thinking of. Prices change depending on how complicated the drawing is, and how comfortable I am drawing it.
Commissions are commissioned drawings, which means that you, a patron, ask an artist if they'll draw something specific. Maybe you want a picture of Zorro. Maybe you want a picture of you and your significant other as pirates. Whatever it is, if you're the one putting it in motion, it's a commission. I'm happy to take commissions when my schedule allows, which changes week to week. Shoot me an e-mail - chris@curiousoldlibrary.com - and let me know what you're thinking of. Prices change depending on how complicated the drawing is, and how comfortable I am drawing it.
What are some of YOUR favorite graphic novels?
I have a lot of favorites! Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai has 25 books in the series, but don't let that daunt you from giving it a read. Stan is a truly masterful storyteller, and you can pick up just about any Usagi book and get a great reading experience without having to read it from the beginning. Trust me, though, you'll want to read them all eventually! Bone by Jeff Smith is one of the most beautifully drawn comics ever made, and has great characters and lots of funny moments. Though it's available in color from scholastic, I still prefer the black-and-white versions, which is how I fell in love with it. It's easier to see how Jeff drew it when it's just ink on paper, and I love to learn. Tintin by Herge is another fun, adventure-filled series that's great for adults and kids alike. You can skip the first two books - the third one isn't really essential, either - but pick up Cigars of the Pharaoh and get ready for a time when when kids got shot at for meddling with with drug-smugglers. Captain Easy, Soldier of Fortune by Roy Crane is one of the great adventure characters in comics, and the Sunday adventures - surely the best work Crane did - is finally being collected, big and in color. If you like Indiana Jones, know that he's inspired about half by Captain Easy, and half by Uncle Scrooge, by Carl Barks. Now, it can be hard AND expensive to track down the Carl Barks Uncle Scrooge Comics - Barks is the guy who invented Scrooge McDuck, and turned him into a globe-hopping adventurer - but there are a few current collections with good stories in them. Also, check out Don Rosa's The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, and its Companion book. It's great historical adventure - Scrooge earning his fortune throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. And Aaron Renier's Spiral Bound is a great mystery story, with a group of kids trying to discover whether or not a monster lives in the off-limits lake.
I have a lot of favorites! Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai has 25 books in the series, but don't let that daunt you from giving it a read. Stan is a truly masterful storyteller, and you can pick up just about any Usagi book and get a great reading experience without having to read it from the beginning. Trust me, though, you'll want to read them all eventually! Bone by Jeff Smith is one of the most beautifully drawn comics ever made, and has great characters and lots of funny moments. Though it's available in color from scholastic, I still prefer the black-and-white versions, which is how I fell in love with it. It's easier to see how Jeff drew it when it's just ink on paper, and I love to learn. Tintin by Herge is another fun, adventure-filled series that's great for adults and kids alike. You can skip the first two books - the third one isn't really essential, either - but pick up Cigars of the Pharaoh and get ready for a time when when kids got shot at for meddling with with drug-smugglers. Captain Easy, Soldier of Fortune by Roy Crane is one of the great adventure characters in comics, and the Sunday adventures - surely the best work Crane did - is finally being collected, big and in color. If you like Indiana Jones, know that he's inspired about half by Captain Easy, and half by Uncle Scrooge, by Carl Barks. Now, it can be hard AND expensive to track down the Carl Barks Uncle Scrooge Comics - Barks is the guy who invented Scrooge McDuck, and turned him into a globe-hopping adventurer - but there are a few current collections with good stories in them. Also, check out Don Rosa's The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, and its Companion book. It's great historical adventure - Scrooge earning his fortune throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. And Aaron Renier's Spiral Bound is a great mystery story, with a group of kids trying to discover whether or not a monster lives in the off-limits lake.
If you're an adult, you may also want to check out Wimbledon Green, the Greatest Comic Book Collector in the World, which I reread probably three or four times a year, it's just so darn enjoyable. Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa is another favorite. I don't think it unsuitable for kids, but I've had people argue that with me. It is heavy (albeit allegorical) subject matter, and there is some nonsexual nudity, but I'll give it to my daughter in a few years. It's a beautiful, heartwrenching, uplifting book. And just about ANYTHING by the Norweigian cartoonist Jason, though Low Moon is probably a good place to start. If you like Wes Anderson or Spike Jonze, you'll like Jason.
Also, please note that while I included amazon links for convenience, I strongly recommend supporting your local bookstores and comic shops, especially if they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff. You never know what comics they might introduce you to!
If I send you my comics, will you critique them?
This one's tricky. My nice guy hat makes me want to say "good for you," and that's usually what I do outside of a school setting. But I'm a teacher, and I'll rip stuff apart if there's something wrong with it (which there almost always is, even for the very best folks), because I love this medium and want every project to be the very best that it can be. If you're genuinely interested in bettering yourself, and not just wanting a pat on the back, by all means, send it on to me - my mailing address is on the contact page. Actually, send two copies, so I can mark one up and send it back. I'm slow to do this, mind; I always have about fifteen projects happening at any given time, plus school and home, so it may be a while - months, even - so the best bet is to meet me at a comic convention. If you're serious about becoming a comic artist or cartoonist, it's important to attend these. Not the local dealer shows or the Wizard Worlds, but the ones at which comics are the focus - HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC, Emerald City in Seattle, WonderCon in San Fransisco, Baltimore Comic Con in Baltimore. There are also numerous small-press shows, which have a pretty specific reader base, but if your work fits it, go for it!
This one's tricky. My nice guy hat makes me want to say "good for you," and that's usually what I do outside of a school setting. But I'm a teacher, and I'll rip stuff apart if there's something wrong with it (which there almost always is, even for the very best folks), because I love this medium and want every project to be the very best that it can be. If you're genuinely interested in bettering yourself, and not just wanting a pat on the back, by all means, send it on to me - my mailing address is on the contact page. Actually, send two copies, so I can mark one up and send it back. I'm slow to do this, mind; I always have about fifteen projects happening at any given time, plus school and home, so it may be a while - months, even - so the best bet is to meet me at a comic convention. If you're serious about becoming a comic artist or cartoonist, it's important to attend these. Not the local dealer shows or the Wizard Worlds, but the ones at which comics are the focus - HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC, Emerald City in Seattle, WonderCon in San Fransisco, Baltimore Comic Con in Baltimore. There are also numerous small-press shows, which have a pretty specific reader base, but if your work fits it, go for it!
