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Saturday, August 29, 2009

Decatur Book Festival in One Week

One of the real treasures of Atlanta's cultural offerings is the annual Decatur Book Festival, held in downtown Decatur. It's the largest independent book festival in the country, with hundreds of authors, illustrators, publishers, and readers reveling in all things print. The folks in charge are also very comics-friendly, usually bringing in a number of cartoonists to do workshops, lectures, and panel discussions.

It's also completely free.

Below is a chronological schedule of the comic-related events going on at this year's DBF. I strongly recommend any SCAD comics students in the area to take advantage of these opportunities. Though any of you are (of course) welcome at my solo workshop, if you're only to able to come for one day, or otherwise need to prioritize your time, then please attend the workshops and talks given by someone who is NOT your regular professor; you've got me year-round, so be sure to take full advantage of the folks with whom you have less proximity.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Writer’s Workshop: Creating the Graphic Novel
Chris Schweizer (Crogan’s Vengeance)
SCAD instructor and cartoonist Chris Schweizer discusses approaches to creating a graphic novel, from planning to execution, including character design, layout, and storytelling. Agnes Scott Campus, Buttrick Hall room 219
Friday, September 4 @ 4pm


Minicomics Masterpieces
Eleanor Davis (Stinky, Secret Science Alliance), Chris Schweizer (Crogan’s Vengeance) Drew Weing (Set to Sea, The Adventures of Wulf and Merl), Joey Weiser (The Ride Home, Tales of Unusual Circumstance), Kevin Burkhalter (Kevin Days a Week), Jarrett Williams (Lunar Boy, SuperPro K.O.!), and Allen Spetnagel (Dr. Eisenbart)
Think drawing and assembling your own comics to amuse your family and friends doesn't count as making "real" comics? Think again friends! Come hear these mini-comics masters discussing the highs and lows of the mini-comics world, and give you some tips on your own masterpieces!
Saturday, September 5 @ Noon


Art Comics
Brian Ralph (Cave-In, Daybreak), Eleanor Davis (Secret Science Alliance)
A conversation between two of art comics' most versatile cartoonists about creating graphic novels and art for kids and adults.
Saturday, September 5 @ 1:45


Davis, Krosoczka, Vernon
Eleanor Davis (Stinky, Secret Science Alliance), Jarrett Krosoczka (LunchLady), Ursula Vernon (Digger)
Three cartoonists discuss their current works.
Saturday, September 5 @ 4:00


All Hail the Lunch Lady
Jarrett Krosoczka
Award-winning published author/illustrator Krosoczka will read from and discuss his latest work
Saturday, September 5 @ 5:00


Fear of a Black Marker: Race, Humor, Politics, & Cartooning
Keith Knight (The K Chronicles, the Knight Life)
Join Harvey Award-winning cartoonist Keith Knight as he presents his world-famous slideshow tackling race, censorship, politics and the media. A frequent contributor to Salon.com, Funny Times, MAD magazine and daily newspapers nationwide, Knight's work is guaranteed to make you laugh, cringe, gasp, and most of all, THINK!!
Sunday, September 6 @ Noon


The location of the book festival is immediately outside the Decatur MARTA station, on the East train line. It takes anywhere from 20-40 minutes to get there from Art Center Station.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Method Cartooning = Scenes Like This

FYI, doing this doesn't cut it. 



 Still plugging along. Today was a significantly less productive day than I've BEEN having (too distracted), but I still filled my daily quota.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Working out the details

As I get further and further into the book, I have less and less plot detail from which to work. This is intentional; the beginning MUST have certain elements in order to set up what will happen later. But, while this leads to a freedom of pacing, some good spontaneity of action, etc, it presents me with occasional problems when I get to bits in my outline that say things like "Crogan escapes from being chained to the post." That's a lot more easily thought of than executed. My protagonists, while in possession of decent athleticism, are hardly Cirque du Soleil material, so they can't do anything that a regular person wouldn't do... In these situations, I sometimes have to put myself in whatever situation they are in physically in order to figure out the logistics of how the scene will play out.


 Luckily, my wife is a patient and kind assistant when it comes to these matters, and is kind enough to be around in case I, say, break my arms or something. She also snaps reference shots! Where would I be without her? Anyway, now I know how he escapes! Just a little behind-the-scenes-process stuff, if anyone's interested.

New Panel

Is Pete Crogan angry because I haven't posted like ANYTHING lately?


 Could be! Sorry, I'm on the internet a grand total of 10 minutes a day lately, as I'm (as has previously been mentioned, many times) doing nothing but working on the book. I used to at least ride my bike to Java Monkey to do my thumbnails, so I'd get SOME exercise, but I haven't done that since Liz got back from Kentucky. Anyway, the book's coming along well and sort-of-on-schedule(?); so long as I don't let up I should be finished with the main story by the Decatur Book Festival (more on that next week) and with the framing sequence by the time classes start back.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

The Longest Day(s)

Liz pointed out that I now have 35-hour days. I wake up, work for about ten hours, take an hour nap, then work another ten-fifteen, sleep for eight, and repeat. Because of this, I have no concept of when things have or will happen, but I'm getting work done. The fact that Liz has been out of town this week makes the highly productive but peculiar schedule possible; she gets back on Sunday, so I don't know how things'll work then. Here's a panel: 


Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Entre le Fort

Here's a couple of pages from the current scene, where the Legion arrives at Fort Mayne.  Sorry they're small, but these blog sites cap width at 400 pixels.  My solution for dusk turning to night was this feathering with stars thing.































More to come!  I'm doing kind of okay with the however-many-per-week thing... I've GOTTA be... and I'm needing to do only fifteen pages a week (roughly) instead of twenty.  Not having the slightest idea as to how long the book actually is going to BE, I'm sort of guessing, but even so...