The Comics Experience Blog

Andy Schmidt Offering In-Person Workshop Sessions at Amazing Con!

CE founder and President Andy Schmidt will be appearing at Amazing! Las Vegas Comic Convention from June 20-22, 2014 – offering workshops derived from some of our most popular courses, in a rare in-person format!

comicsexperience-logoPlanning to attend Amazing Con? Enrollment is now open for Andy’s three programming sessions!

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BREAKING INTO COMICS
Friday, June 20 will feature a FREE program on Breaking Into Comics, where Andy will present an in-depth look at what it takes to begin a career in the comics industry. But it doesn’t stop there – the discussion will also emphasize the importance of staying in, with tips that will help you grow your body of work and keep your career thriving. This workshop will be full of valuable tips for anyone interested in building or maintaining a life in professional comic-making – and, once again, it’s absolutely FREE to all Amazing Con attendees! 6/20/2014 at 5:00 PM

WRITING COMICS
Saturday, June 21, Andy will lead a ticketed event on Writing Comics. This 2-hour workshop will provide a condensed version of Andy’s Introduction to Comic Book Writing course. The session will cover how to block out a story and take your idea from seed concept to fully realized script! 6/21/14 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM

COMIC ART & GRAPHIC STORYTELLING
Sunday, June 22 will feature a ticketed Comic Art & Graphic Storytelling session! Successful comic art isn’t just about drawing well – it’s about knowing how to use images to tell a story. In this workshop, Andy will lead attendees in the fundamentals of comic storytelling. Avoid common mistakes and get a jump start on drawing great comics! 6/22/14 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM

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Attend one, two, or all three events! The Friday session is free to convention-goers, and tickets for the Saturday and Sunday classes can be purchased individually or as a discounted bundle package.

This is a rare opportunity to gain the benefits of a Comics Experience class in a live, in-person setting! We hope you’ll be able to join us.

Visit the Amazing Con blog for more info, or visit their programming page to enroll.

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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 #69 of the Comics Experience “MAKE COMICS” Podcast posted!

MakeComicsPodcastA 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 #69: “Convention Creepiness”
Andy and Joey talk about interacting with and getting to know professionals in a convention setting.

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

Christos Gage to Teach One-Day Master Seminar on “Career Building for Comic Book Writers” – Enrollment Now Open!

On Saturday, August 9, 2014, writer Christos Gage will lead a Master Seminar on CAREER BUILDING FOR COMIC BOOK WRITERS. This is your opportunity to learn not only about starting a career in comics, but how to keep it thriving, from someone who has done it himself.

christos-gage-bioChris’ knowledge about both writing and career development is gleaned from over 15 years of professional writing in the comics, film, TV and gaming industries.

In comics, Chris’ credits include Avengers Academy and Superior Spider-Man for Marvel; Area 10 for Vertigo/DC, Sunset for Top Cow, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer for Dark Horse. His film and television work includes The Breed, Paradox, Law & Order: SVU and Numb3rs, and he’s written for video games Captain America: Super Soldier, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

While he’s worked in a range of media, Chris is first and foremost a comic writer, and he shares his enthusiasm and depth of industry knowledge with his students. This seminar lets you gain from Chris’ love for comics, and his practical insight developed over years of being in consistent demand.

In our one-day seminar, topics will include not just writing tips, but will also cover the nuances of career building topics like networking, developing pitches, collaborating, and working with publishers. Not sure how to sell yourself or your material, or how to keep publishers interested after landing that first gig? Chris will address those concerns, and more.

CE founder Andy Schmidt will co-host the seminar, which will end with a Q&A from the audience. The online classroom provides a welcoming forum for students to interact directly with the instructors.

This is a one-time-only event, offered as a live-streaming, interactive online classroom. Enrolled students will also have ongoing access to a recording of the session for two weeks after the course ends.

The session will run from 10:00 a.m. Eastern time until approximately 4:00 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break. While the course is geared toward writers, all are welcome, and there are no prerequisites.

More details are on our course page, and enrollment is open! We hope you’ll join us!

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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

Andy Schmidt on Nerd for A Living Podcast!

Nerd for a Living recently ran a podcast featuring Comics Experience founder Andy Schmidt.

In the interview, Andy and N4AL’s Adron Buske discuss Andy’s career, his path to developing Comics Experience, and more!

Nerd for A Living was founded with a mission to help people “discover fulfilling, profitable and sustainable career paths in the worlds they love.” The organization features news, articles, events and services to promote their mission.

Podcast13_01_highIn the interview, Andy explains the origin of Comics Experience, how building the business helped him combine a love of teaching and comics – and how CE was sparked by the idea of offering something different from a university course.

Andy and Adron also discuss:

  • Developing credibility and trust as a business
  • Andy’s shift from resisting online teaching… to running an all-online teaching business
  • Comics as one of the earliest telecommuting careers
  • Industry transitions from hands-on contact with original art to digital collaboration
  • Shifting focus toward creator-owned property and self-publishing
  • Democratization of the comics industry

…and that’s just the first half of the interview!

Thanks to N4AL for the podcast – and for calling Comics Experience an “incredible resource” for those interested in working in the comics industry!

Check out Andy’s N4AL interview 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 #68 of the Comics Experience “MAKE COMICS” Podcast posted!

MakeComicsPodcastA 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 #68, “Webcomics for Exposure?”
Andy and Joey discuss creating webcomics for exposure and as a way to break into comics, and discuss the webcomic The Deal.

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!

Rob Anderson’s “Legends of Oz: Tik-Tok and the Kalidah” Coming Soon From Big Dog Ink!

CE Community member Rob Anderson is releasing a new comic project, this one set in the Oz universe!

Legends of Oz: Tik-Tok and the Kalidah is a 3-issue miniseries, published by Big Dog Ink (BDI). Issue #1 appeared in the April Diamond Previews catalog and will be available in local comic shops in June.

BDI Publisher, Tom Hutchinson, wrote on Facebook, “Rob Anderson has produced an amazing story for Tik-Tok, and has even given him a kalidah for a partner.”

Tik-Tok-and-the-Kalidah-01In the story, Tik-Tok, the clockwork “one-man army” of traditional Oz lore, is a bounty hunter teamed with the patchwork Oz animal, which resembles a cross between a tiger and a bear. The mini-series is being released in conjunction with the 100-year anniversary of the Tik-Tok character.

Rob wrote the full script for issue #1, and also provided a story outline for the remaining two issues, written by Keith Thomas.

Rob comments:

“Tom Hutchinson created this great universe that mashes up the Land of Oz with a classic Western, and he has only rarely let other writers play in this sandbox over the last several years. I was very excited to have this opportunity. Right out of the gate, I pitched a ‘bounty hunter’ concept, using two of my favorite Oz characters.”

Rob Anderson is a Creators Workshop member, and alum of the Intro to Writing, Advanced Writing, and Comic Book Editing & Project Management courses. His credits include credits include My Little Pony for IDW, as well as the creator-owned mini-series Rex, Zombie Killer.

Legends of Oz: Tik-Tok and the Kalidah will be in comic stores beginning in June!

Congrats to Rob and the creative team!

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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