The Comics Experience Blog

CE Alums’ “Guitar Phantasy” Now Available on ComiXology!

The rock-and-roll fairy tale comic Guitar Phantasy, created by a team of CE alums, workshop members and friends, is now available from ComiXology Submit!

01 - LETTERING TEMPLATE CS5 2012 cmykGuitar Phantasy is written by CE alum Tim Bach (Gargoyle by Moonlight), with art by alum Carl Peterson (MAD Magazine), color by CE alum Robt Snyder, and lettering by Creators Workshop member E.T. Dollman. Silvio dB is the cover artist.

This project’s history with CE dates back to 2011, when Tim workshopped an early draft of the script on the Creators Workshop forum. Tim described it at the time as

“a short story that comes out of my love of music, specifically, rock guitar, but really all music. I believe music of all kinds is a powerful, enriching force in our lives, and I was compelled to weave that feeling into a story.”

After partnering with the rest of the creative team, Tim released the finished comic in 2013 through his own publishing imprint, Moonrise Comics. We featured the original launch in this blog post!

Described as a “mash-up of Scott Pilgrim and Tolkien, by way of Zeppelin,” Guitar Phantasy pays tribute to music’s ability to transform.

“Guided by the odd little shopkeeper of a second-hand music store, Kev discovers an incredible guitar and uncovers the power of music and the untapped force inside of himself. But when the devourer of all things, a wicked-looking, music-hating demon appears, can Kev play fast enough, hard enough to defeat the demon?”

Since its initial release, Guitar Phantasy has been available in print through Indy Planet, and digitally through Drive-Thru Comics.

Now, we’re excited that Guitar Phantasy can reach an even wider audience, and gain increased recognition and support, through ComiXology Submit!

Visit the Guitar Phantasy page on the ComiXology site here for more information, or to order.

Please join us in congratulating Tim, Carl, Robt, E.T., and Silvio!

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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 Nicole Boose
nicole@ComicsExperience.com
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Writer and Editor Stephen Pakula Provides CE Mentorships!

Stephen Pakula Bio ImageComics Experience welcomes writer, editor, and publishing veteran Stephen Pakula to our community! As one of CE’s professional mentors, Stephen provides one-on-one guidance for those working toward their own goals in the comics field.

Stephen joins our staff with a broad range of publishing experience. He began his career at Central Park Media, where he was introduced to anime and manga – first by working in video production, then as an editor for the company’s manga line.

Later, Stephen became an editor at Topps, overseeing the creative direction of products related to properties including World Wrestling Entertainment, NBC’s Heroes, and SpongeBob Squarepants.

Stephen is currently Senior Production Manager at Penguin Random House, where he manages the production of comics and graphic novels from Kodansha Comics and Legendary Comics. Some titles of note are Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga, and Grant Morrison’s Annihilator.

Stephen is also a writer, whose work has been published in Write Now! Magazine and The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels, and by Sequart Organization.

We’re pleased to have Stephen join us, and to share his expertise to the Comics Experience community!

To learn more about mentoring opportunities with Stephen and other comics professionals, please visit our mentoring page here!

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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 Nicole Boose
nicole@ComicsExperience.com
Twitter

Introduction to Digital Painting Open for Enrollment – Limited Seats!

Scott JohnsonComics Experience is pleased to offer a new session of Introduction to Digital Painting, led by artist-instructor Scott Johnson! Enrollment is now open, with limited seats available.

This course, beginning July 20, 2015, introduces you to the principles and techniques of creating fully-rendered artwork with a pressure-sensitive tablet. No experience is necessary, but techniques covered will benefit beginning and accomplished artists alike!

We launched Introduction to Digital Painting for the very first time in 2014, with enthusiastic responses from instructor and students:

“I had the the fantastic opportunity to take Scott Johnson’s Digital Painting through Comics Experience last year and was blown away with not only his extensive knowledge of digital painting and color theory, but also his ability to effectively pass on his knowledge in an online classroom environment. I am a professional instructional designer and teacher by day, and I was especially impressed with how Scott structured his class to facilitate learning. I had always know he was an amazingly talented digital painter, but it turns out he is also a fantastic instructor! I learned a lot from the class and have continued to use and enjoy the digital painting techniques I learned from Scott for personal projects and freelance work. Great class!”

– Kevin Volo, colorist for the Eisner Award-Nominated Meteor Men by Jeff Parker & Sandy Jarrell

With such positive feedback, we’ve been eager for the opportunity to offer the course again – and we’re thrilled that the time has arrived! This is the only time the course will be offered in 2015, so lock in your enrollment now!

Check out these other resources for more about Scott, his work, and the course:

Q&A with instructor Scott Johnson

Video demo of Scott’s work

Full course details and registration

Introduction to Digital Painting is a six-week, online course. Enrollment is limited, so reserve your place today!

Class starts July 20, 2015!

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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 Nicole Boose
nicole@ComicsExperience.com
Twitter

Guest Post: Chuck Dixon on Plotting

The following originally appeared on the “Ask Chuck Dixon” discussion thread on our Creators Workshop online forum. Our thanks to Workshop member Ryan for the question, and to Chuck for his thoughtful response – and his permission to share it here!

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Mr. Dixon, I have a question about plot, mostly how to make an original one instead of digging through your brain and putting together movies, books, and comics you’ve seen and read. John Truby, a screenwriter with a big list of movies he’s worked on, says that the only way to make an original plot is to make it personal to you, therefore original.

I would like to see what you think about plot, as I’m struggling with it a little myself.

Ryan

chuckgolf1Plotting is what separates the men from the boys (or women from the girls, to be very PC about it) in writing.

There are those who will tell you that there are only two basic plots. These people are idiots.

Shakespeare came up with at least seven enduring plots. Dashiell Hammett with two. Poe with one. Melville with two. Twain, Hugo, Dumas, all contributed mightily. Jane Austen was no slouch. The ancient Greeks and Chinese. And the Bible is loaded with them.

Avoid blanket statements from folks like Truby. Just because the story is personal doesn’t make it original. We could all write the story about the first time our heart was broken or the loss of a loved one and they would essentially be the same story. They could be touching, honest and revealing but by no means new.

Now personal EXPERIENCE is another matter. Hammett lived the stories he wrote; filled with gangsters, murders, shoot-outs and drunken depravity. He was a Pinkerton detective and didn’t know that the plotlines to The Maltese Falcon and Red Harvest were fresh. He only knew what he’d learned as a private dick. Raymond Chandler, on the other hand, was a successful lawyer who’d never been on a stake-out or been beaten senseless in a brawl. Hence, his plotlines are a mess and he is only remembered for his deft use of language and compelling characters (no slouch in either department). He had no experiences to draw from.

So, you want to write about something but haven’t been in command of pirate ship or led a charge against an enemy machine gun nest. By Truby’s lights you’d have to give up right there. So you do as Nietzsche advised and borrow from others’ intellects.

I used to write a character called Skywolf. A grizzled WWII vet still raising hell in the skies over Texas and Mexico in the 1980s. I made him my dad. I used my dad’s voice as I heard it my head, and a lot of his tropes and mannerisms. Plotlines for Skywolf grew out of that.

Now, were any of these original plotlines? Totally original? Of course not. I was being paid low rates and had a bi-weekly deadline. I didn’t steal plots. Never sink that low. But I did rely on formula as well as the expectations of the reader. You take the standard formula of any genre then stand it on its head as best you can. The hero dies. The girl goes off with another girl. The murderer gets away with it only to be murdered himself. The magician’s magic turns out to be a hallucination in the end. Whatever. Give the reader what they expect but not in the way they expected it.

dixon-bioExample. In a western, ALL conflicts must be resolved in the end with violence. If you don’t do that you didn’t write a western, you wrote a period piece with a lame ending. The ONLY exception is an excellent 50s western called Warlock in which the issues of the movie are solved without a shootout at the end. The movie ends with emotional violence and thus satisfies the viewer.

So, come up with a sturdy plotline and twist and bend it. Throw in reversals that leave the reader uncertain of how you’ll proceed. Janet Leigh was the star of Psycho but is dead within the first twenty minutes. Imagine how THAT threw the audience off!

Presentation is the key. Think of Star Wars and the Vietnam movie Platoon. They both have exactly the same basic plotline. Think about it. Really think about it. The character relationships of the principles are identical to Star Wars. There’s even a Wookiee.

So pacing, characterization and dialogue all become layers under which you “hide” your plotline. Is your plotline strong enough to entertain a six-year-old as a bedtime story? Probably not. Gussy it up with repartee, reversals and strong character relationships, brisk action, a few off-the-wall surprises and you can keep jaded adults enthralled. Don’t be discouraged, Tarantino can’t tell bedtime stories either. His movies are ALL presentation.

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Chuck Dixon is a prolific comics and prose writer, and provides professional writing critiques to members of the Comics Experience Creators Workshop.

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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 Nicole Boose
nicole@ComicsExperience.com
Twitter

Limited Time, Limited Seats: Enroll NOW for Intro to Comic Book Writing, Art and Coloring!

Comics Experience logoUpcoming sessions of our popular Introductory courses are starting on June 1st, 2015! Don’t miss your chance to take part in a fun and phenomenal learning experience – secure your spot today and start making comics!

Intro to Comic Book Writing, Art and Coloring are always quick to sell out, and with good reason: We offer well-crafted, carefully-researched curricula filled with practical, creative, and professional advice to help you identify and reach your goals as a creator.

Our instructors are working professionals with a proven aptitude for teaching, and they offer individualized attention geared toward addressing every student’s unique skills and needs.

Because of our personalized, student-centered approach, we cap each course at a strictly-limited number of seats – and they’re filling up fast! Don’t wait to guarantee your spot!

Register today for your chance to develop your craft, increase your skills, and achieve your goals as a comics creator! View details below, or visit our Courses page for a complete listing of these and ALL Comics Experience courses!

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soto-bioIntroduction to Comic Book Coloring | Starts June 1
Taught by prolific colorist Chris Sotomayor, Intro to Coloring emphasizes coloring comics with Photoshop and how to use color as a storytelling device. Details here.

 

atkins-bio1Introduction to Comic Book Art | Starts June 10
Artist Robert Atkins guides students through lessons on visual storytelling, professional standards, and building your portfolio and career. Details here.

 

Andy SchmidtIntroduction to Comic Book Writing | Starts July 15
Comics Experience founder Andy Schmidt teaches students how to tell compelling stories using the language of comics! Details here.

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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 Nicole Boose
nicole@ComicsExperience.com
Twitter

Episode #92 of the Comics Experience “Make Comics” Podcast Posted!

CE_podcast_logoA new episode of the Comics Experience Make Comics podcast has been posted! Each episode provides ~15 minutes of advice on all aspects of creating comics and breaking in to the industry.

Join Comics Experience founder and former Marvel and IDW Editor Andy Schmidt and his co-host Joey Groah as they discuss making comics!

Subscribe to our podcast via iTunes! Or check out the latest episode below or on our Podcast page!

Episode #92 – In Store Signings
Andy talks about his recent in-store signing, and how to make the most of promoting the store hosting you and your own work.

List of All Episodes

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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 Nicole Boose
nicole@ComicsExperience.com
Twitter