The Comics Experience Blog

Join Us at C2E2, April 25-27!

Going to C2E2? Then join us as Comics Experience founder Andy Schmidt hosts 5 panels and appears on 2 more!

Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo takes place THIS WEEKEND, April 25-27, 2014, in the South Building at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL.

comicsexperience-logoHere are all the details about the panels Andy’s HOSTING:

Closing The Deal: What You Need To Know About Publishing Deals & Contracts
Date: Friday, April 25
Time: 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Location: S401AB
Speakers: Andy Schmidt, Joe Sergi

Your project is going to make millions of dollars–but you have sign this CONTRACT first–yikes! Join Andy Schmidt (Comics Experience, Marvel, IDW Publishing), and  Joe Sergi, attorney at law and author of “Comic Book Law: Cautionary Tales for the Comic Book Creator” for an in-depth look at comics contracts!

Breaking Into Comics and Staying In!
Date: Friday, April 25
Time: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Location: S401AB
Speakers: Andy Schmidt, Robert Atkins, Paul Allor, Joshua Williamson, Kyle Higgins, C.B. Cebulski, Scott Allie

With the shifting landscape of the comics industry, this is your INVALUABLE guide to breaking into the comics industry. Join Comics Experience founder Andy Schmidt, with writers Josh Williamson, Kyle Higgins, Paul Allor, artist Robert Atkins and Marvel VP CB Cebulski for the best panel on breaking in ever!

andy-bioPitch Perfect: Crafting a Comic Book and Media Pitch that Sells!
Date: Friday, April 25
Time: 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM
Location: S404AB
Speakers: Andy Schmidt, Joshua Williamson, Kyle Higgins, Paul Allor, Jim Gibbons

You’ve got a great story to tell that has great media potential. But you have to get it down to a page? Impossible! Join experienced editors and writers of multiple media, Josh Williamson, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Kyle Higgins, and Andy Schmidt for pro-tips on how to create pitches that sell!

The Moving Target: What Publishers Want and How to Give it to Them
Date: Saturday, April 26
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: S404AB
Speakers: Andy Schmidt, Joshua Williamson, Mike Perkins, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Paul Allor, and Jim Gibbons

Get your project Green-Lit! What is it you need to improve, change, rethink? Join Comics Experience founder Andy Schmidt, comics pros Joshua Fialkov (The Ultimates), Josh Williamson (Ghosted), and Mike Perkins (Captain America) and get the inside scoop that helps improve your chances of getting accepted in just one hour!

Creating Great Characters: From Your Brain to the Page!
Date: Sunday, April 27
Time: 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
Location: S401AB
Speakers: Andy Schmidt, Robert Atkins, Mike Perkins, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Kyle Higgins

Learn real strategies and techniques for creating engaging characters with unique and iconic looks that connect with your audience! Join writers Kyle Higgins (Nightwing, The COWL), Josh Fialkov (The Ultimates, The Bunker), artists Robert Atkins (G.I. Joe, Spider-Man), Mike Perkins (Captain America). Hosted by Comics Experience founder Andy Schmidt.

These are the panels that Andy will be APPEARING ON:

How to Be a Nerd for a Living: Careers Within Nerd Culture for Everyone
Date: Friday, April 25
Time: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Location: Room S404AB

Turning Your Art Into an Online Business: Branding & Marketing for Creators
Date: Saturday, April 26
Time: 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
Location: Room S404AB

We look forward to seeing 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 Nicole Boose
nicole@ComicsExperience.com
Twitter

CE Alum Kevin Lintz Completes First Arc of “TEAM S.L.U.G.”!

Issue_1_Cover-200x300CE Community member Kevin Lintz recently wrapped up the fourth issue of his original series, the all-ages action/adventure title  TEAM S.L.U.G.!  Issue 4  marks the conclusion of the series’ first arc, and will be available in print on May 9 — just in time for the creators’ appearance at Dallas Comic Con.

Kevin is a member of the CE Creators Workshop, where he’s been sharing the  book’s progress with fellow members  on an ongoing basis. He’s also an alum of the Intro to Writing, Advanced Writing, and Lettering & Production courses. Kevin says, “the lettering class certainly paid off, because I did the lettering for all four TEAM S.L.U.G. books.”

TEAM S.L.U.G. follows “an elite team of combat slugs which fights against the tyranny of the hedgehogs!”

Kevin is a software engineer and writer whose comic credits include stories in Tales from the Comics Experience, Great Zombies in History, and Armed & Fabulous. He co-wrote TEAM S.L.U.G. with Shannon Thomas, with art by Matt Kaufenberg. The team launched the project in 2011, making their premiere issue available in print and digitally through the series website.

When Kevin joined the CE Creators Workshop, he began sharing TEAM S.L.U.G. for critique on our online forum, receiving feedback and encouragement from fellow Workshop community members.

This fourth and final issue of TEAM S.L.U.G.’s first arc will be in print on May 9, and all issues will be available at the creators’ table at Dallas Comic Con, May 16-18. The book is available in print and on  iTunes, Kindle and Nook  through the TEAM S.L.U.G. website.

Congrats to Kevin and his collaborators!

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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

New Course: COMIC BOOK LAW FOR CREATORS!

We’re rolling out a new course unlike any we’ve offered before — and as far as we know, it’s the first and only one of its kind!

This October, Comics Experience brings you a class on Comic Book Law.

This is really exciting news for us, because we believe that it fills a void in the comics community. The law is a topic that many comic creators, from aspiring newcomers to seasoned pros, are eager to understand better. But until now, very little information has been publicly available to address and clarify legal issues from a creator’s perspective.

comicsexperience-logoThis class does not and should not replace legal counsel. Instead, it’s designed to help artists, writers, and others understand and navigate the basic legal aspects of making comics. The goal is to help creators make informed decisions during every step of the creative and business process.

Instructor Joe Sergi is an attorney, an award-winning writer, and a longtime member of the Comics Experience community. Joe’s background makes him uniquely qualified to teach a course like this, as CE founder Andy Schmidt explained on our Creators Workshop Forum:

The idea for this course is one I’ve had for a long time, but I’ve always had a problem finding the right instructor. I want a course that empowers YOU–the CREATOR–not one that scares you into needing a lawyer all the time. So, it was important to find someone who could talk about this from a creator’s perspective. […]

The key for me, was that I didn’t want someone who would have the potential conflict of interest of hoping to get clients out of the class–so I needed an attorney who knew this stuff backwards and forwards, but wasn’t practicing IP law.

As it turns out, our very own Joe Sergi is the guy. He cannot take clients, and that’s a GOOD THING. He’s also a comic creator! And with his new book coming out on real court cases about comics, he knows this stuff better than just about anyone else. He’s perfect for this–perfect at understanding what a creator NEEDS TO KNOW. So that creators can evaluate contracts and such intelligently, know their rights, and so on–BEFORE legal fees start stacking up or they sign an unfair deal without knowing it.

This course has no prerequisites — we welcome anyone wanting to learn more about the legal considerations specific to making comics. You only need a computer with high-speed internet connection and a desire to learn!

joe-sergi-bio
Instructor Joe Sergi

Visit our course page for details about Joe, course content, and a thorough FAQ! The course starts in October and enrollment is limited, so save the dates and secure your place in this groundbreaking course now!

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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

Episodes #64 and #65 of the Comics Experience “MAKE COMICS” Podcast posted! Special Guests!

MakeComicsPodcastTWO new episode of the Comics Experience Make Comics podcast have been posted — both featuring special guests!

Episode #64 features ZAC ATKINSON, whose Introduction to Animation Writing course starts TONIGHT, April 10, 2014 —  limited spots still remain!

Episode #65 features KYLE HIGGINS, whose Live Workshop on Starting a Creator-Owned Comic is available as a recording to Creators Workshop members!

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

Episode #64, “Adapting Comics to Animation with Zac Atkinson”
Writer Zac Atkinson (Transformers: Rescue Bots, G.I. Joe: Renegades) talks about adapting comics to animation, visualization of story and plot, and teaching the first Comics Experience Introduction to Animation Writing Course.

Episode #65, “Starting a creator-owned title with Kyle Higgins”
Andy and Joey are joined by writer Kyle Higgins (Nightwing, Batman Eternal, Batman Beyond 2.0) to discuss Kyle’s first creator-owned book through Image Comics, C.O.W.L., including the role of the editor on creator-owned titles, including the editor on C.O.W.L…. Andy Schmidt!

Each episode provides ~15 minutes of advice on all aspects of creating comics and breaking in to the industry.

Subscribe to our podcast via iTunes! Or check out the latest episodes on our Podcast page!

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

LAST CHANCE TO ENROLL! INTRO TO ANIMATION WRITING STARTS THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 10

This Thursday, April 10, 2014 marks the start of our new course, INTRODUCTION TO ANIMATION WRITING with instructor Zac Atkinson.

Limited space is still available! This course will cover everything you need to know to start writing your own screenplay.

TF_RescueForce_FinalThis is the first time Comics Experience has offered a class of this kind, and we’re excited to have Zac Atkinson among our faculty. Zac is a working professional in the Los Angeles animation industry, and his credits include Transformers Rescue Bots and other Hasbro Studios projects.

This six-week, limited-enrollment class will cover creative and practical aspects of writing an animation script. Many more details are available on our course page  and blog! You can read more about Zac and his approach to this class in his recent interview with Script Magazine.

Enrollment remains open, but time and seats are limited! Introduction to Animation Writing  starts April 10 – sign up today!

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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

CW Live Workshops: Panel Count and More Lively Discussions!

CE’s latest Live Workshop took place on March 25, when CE founder, CEO and instructor Andy Schmidt led the group in one of our lively monthly discussions!

With each session, the Live Workshop focuses on a different topic relevant to anyone who makes comics — or wants to! The March 25 discussion was about panel count.

andy-bioEarly in the session, Andy noted that comic creators often discuss and debate how to choose the ideal number and arrangement of panels on a page. But despite it being a hot topic, there’s little information widely available about how those choices affect the reader’s experience. This Workshop topic was a way to address those considerations in more detail.

The March 25 session was just one of our ongoing series of live sessions available to Comics Experience Creators Workshop (CW) members. As part of their membership, participants are eligible to take part in these monthly discussions about a variety of comics industry topics. These are substantive, in-depth talks, and offer insight that creators at every level can put to use in their own work!

The Live Workshops happen once per month, and are available ONLY to Creators Workshop members. Attendees in the live sessions are always encouraged to participate, offer questions and comments, and interact with peers via chat.

comicsexperience-logoWe also post recordings of every Live Workshop session, so that members can continue to watch (or re-watch!) at their own convenience.

If you’re already a Workshop member, remember that you always have access to those recordings! You can view them at any time, and can choose from the list of past recordings to choose the ones that interest YOU!

To learn more about joining the Creators Workshop, all the details are available at the CW page of our site. Membership includes access to the Live Workshops AND our online forums. The forums are a place where you can share and receive constructive critiques of your work, and participate in lively, informative, and supportive discussions about the comics industry!

Stay tuned for details about our next Live Workshop session, which will feature artist Reilly Brown in a discussion about the differences between creating print and digital comics.

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 Nicole Boose
nicole@ComicsExperience.com
Twitter