May 29, be sure to pick up your copy of DC’s Dog Days and show your support for Comics Experience alums Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Kenny Porter! The anthology stars DC Comics’ animal characters having fun in the sun with summer hijinks.
Kenny’s story centers on the rage kitten Red Lantern Dex-Starr, and he’s joined by Paul Fry on art, Mick Gray on inks, Ivan Plascencia on inks, and Andworld Design on letters.
“I’m so happy to be able to play in the Lantern sandbox with these creators,” Kenny says.
Phillip’s work on Aquaman and in the DC’s Writer’s Workshop nurtured in him a love and appreciation for the publisher’s rich history, characters, and worlds.
“When it came time to choose a character [for Dog Days], Animal Man was the obvious choice. He’s under-utilized, has a really interesting backstory, I found the Lemire run completely inspiring, and I was anxious to put my stamp on the character,” he says.
“I pitched several ideas for the book, each one more crazypants than the next. The one they went for has a horror vibe, which anyone who knows my webcomics work will know I’m SUPER stoked about.”
The Creators Workshop provided both men with the education and skill sets needed to pursue such a fun and engaging project.
“One of the greatest benefits of the Creators Workshop is that it gives you a place to work with other creators. Obviously the mechanics of writing, drawing, coloring, lettering, etc. are all hugely important, but equally important is the art of collaboration,” Phillip says.
“The abilities to take criticism well, to give productive feedback, to understand how people perceive you, to help your colleagues do their best work, to take the lesson from every collaboration… these are just as important as the skill you bring to a creative team. The Creators Workshop is a perfect lab for not only getting better at your craft, but for building your skills as a member of a team.”
Kenny adds, “Comics Experience helped me prepare way back when I took the Intro to Writing Course with Andy. The practice we had writing a 5-page comic really translates to anthology work. The smaller the page count, the more story you usually have to fit in and have it flow naturally.”
Make sure to pick up your copy of DC’s Dog Days on May 29!
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