6 Week online Course | Instructor: Phillip Sevy

Comics Storytelling Masterclass

$795.00

This advanced class meets online once a week for two hours and lasts six weeks. It’s an intensive course of study focused on breaking the mold of more traditional grid layout storytelling while digging underneath the surface of your art to find ways to add more emotion and meaning to your ideas. During the course, you’ll take your foundation in visual storytelling and be introduced to successful methods of pushing the medium.

As you can see in numerous comics on the shelves, there isn’t just one way to draw a comic. While most comics use basic techniques to communicate their story, many comics break that mold and still provide visually stimulating stories that emotionally connect with readers. You can only get a course this comprehensive and personal at Comics Experience!

Prerequisite: You must have completed the Introduction to Visual Storytelling course to enroll in the Advanced class.

  • You will work with professional comic book artist Phillip Sevy.
  • You will ink a 3-page story and complete a finished cover.
  • You will keep a sketch thread throughout the course to practice the skills discussed in class and provide a place for further instruction and critiques.
  • Course covers unorthodox storytelling methods, establishing mood and environment through page layouts.
  • You’ll have frequent opportunities for Q and A with the instructor about industry topics beyond creating artwork.
  • You’ll also learn about networking and presenting portfolios for editorial review.
  • You have exclusive access to a dedicated class member-only online forum.
  • You’ll have access to recordings of any class in the series for the duration of the class and a few weeks after its conclusion—so you never have to miss a class!

Phillip Sevy began his comics career with Heartless Dark, a weekly webcomic he wrote, penciled, inked, and colored. At its conclusion, Phillip attended the Savannah College of Art and Design where he got his MFA in Sequential Art. He was named a runner-up in the 2014 Top Cow Talent Hunt competition.

Phillip has drawn The Freeze, Magdalena, Athena IX, Poseidon IX, The Tithe vol 2 as well as contributing to Witchblade 185 (the final issue of the landmark series).He is most known for his work on Dark Horse’s Tomb Raider series, which he’s drawn 16 issues of.

He’s written and drawn Paradox (Source Point Press/Comics Experience) and Triage (Dark Horse). With artist Drew Zucker, he co-created and wrote The House (Dark Horse). Working with Actor/Writer/Director David Duchovny, he wrote and drew Kepler, an original sci-fi graphic novel for Dark Horse. 

Phillip has also worked with Z2 Comics, Upper Deck, Valiant Entertainment, IDW, Black Mask Comics, Line Webtoon, and has work published in a variety of acclaimed anthologies.

He is currently working on a variety of Marvel Unlimited, vertical scrolling Infinity comics – including X-Men Unlimited and Edge of Venomverse.

Phillip’s worked with a variety of corporate clients doing commercial illustration over the last few years, including AMC Entertainment, Discovery Channel and the Sundance Channel. He spent nearly five years teaching Comics and Sequential Art at Broadview Entertainment Arts University where he won awards for Outstanding Faculty and Excellence in Applied Learning. 

He’s been teaching online courses with Comics Experience since 2017.

Do I need to know a whole lot about comics?

Absolutely not. But this course is based on the methodology taught in the Introduction to Comics Art course, so you must have taken that course to take this one. The class has a quick pace, so if you’re very new, be prepared to work, but one thing we pride ourselves on at Comics Experience is our ability to teach to an individual’s skill level.

These courses aren’t about the instructor, and that’s why we keep them small. We have an excellent track record with our students or clients, and it’s our top aim to keep it that way. So, new to comics? Come on in, we’d love to show you around! Old pro? Let’s sharpen those skills and learn a few new tricks! Everyone’s welcome, and the group learning will help everyone improve!

Do I need to be a computer wiz for the class?

Nope. Not one bit. You need to have high-speed Internet access. We recommend that you have headphones with a microphone to plug into your computer, but that’s by no means necessary. There are call in options for the phone or you can use regular headphones and your computer mic. Ultimately, you don’t have to speak if you don’t want to, though we like hearing your voice! It’s simple once you’re in your first class, we’re sure you’ll get comfortable very quickly.

What computer programs do I need for this course?

None are an absolute necessity, however a scanner and editing program like Adobe Photoshop (Elements or full program) are very useful in posting your homework to the course message board so your instructor can critique them. We have had students simply take photos of their work and post that way as well.

When does the class meet and for how long?

The Advanced Comic Art class meets once a week for five  weeks. It meets between 9:30 pm EST and 11:30 pm EST. The course is held live.

What if I miss a class?

Don’t worry if you miss a class. All of our classes are recorded and available to view via streaming link for the duration of the course. And on top of that, you’ll have exclusive access to the Comics Experience message board set up just for the class. You’ll be able to interact with the rest of your class all week long at any time!

If I don’t live in the United States, can I still take the course?

You bet. We’ve had students jump in from Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa. Not Antarctica yet, but give us time! Many of these students have not been able to attend live, and they’ve all been happy to view the recordings and interact with the classmates online!

Learning about comic storytelling is great, but do we get any practical industry advice?

You’ll get a LOT of practical industry advice. Networking is one of our main topics in all of our courses. It’s, simply put, essential for anyone who wants a career in comics. We discuss relationship building and ways to get your foot in the door and where to go to meet the right people and so on.

If I don’t want a career in comics, and just like making comics or even just want to learn more about the art form I love, is this class right for me? Sure it is! How better to expand your knowledge and understanding of comics than by engaging with creators? And that’s what most of our clients and students are—they’re creators. It’s a great place to learn just for fun if you wish too. We’d love to have you!

What do I do after the class?

Once the course is over, you’ll have a greater foundation of understanding on how to tell stories visually. It is then up to you to find comic scripts or write stories to continue to push yourself artistically and improve your craft. Comics are a unique artistic medium that can push how stories are told with still images. The art can be as simple as a single image, a traditional grid format, or even as complex as free form layouts that accentuate the action of every panel.

The boundaries of visual storytelling are only expanded when artists push themselves and their art to experiment with the medium. A way to continue working on your storytelling methods and receive instruction and feed back is through the Creator’s Workshop.

How do I sign up?

Purchase the course and you’ll get an email confirmation and instructions within two business days giving you everything you need to get started with the course.

Go ahead and reserve your spot today! Space is limited.

I don’t really want to BE a comic book artist, but I like comic book art. Is this the class for me?

You are under no real pressure to complete the active homework assignments. We encourage you to because it enhances your own learning. But if you just want to get into the mindset or gain a better understanding of how to look at and evaluate the art you see in your hobby, then jump on in and I think you’ll be astounded by all the thought, preparation, and skill that goes into making a rock solid comic book page.

Prerequisite: You must have completed the Introduction to Visual Storytelling course to enroll in the Advanced class.

To participate in our live online sessions you will need:

What if I need to cancel my enrollment?

Unfortunately, Comics Experience cannot provide a full refund for course enrollment once the course is purchased.

  • From the time of purchase until twenty-one (21) days before the class start date, 50% of the course fee can be refunded.
  • Between twenty (20) and seven (7) days prior to the class start date, 25% of the course fee can be refunded.
  • Six (6) days or fewer before the course start date, no refund will be issued.
  • We appreciate your understanding and compliance to help us keep costs down and to continue offering high quality courses.