Author: Jordan

  • January Comics Courses at the Boston Comics Workspace

    January Comics Courses at the Boston Comics Workspace

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    This past June, the Boston Comics Roundtable began a new project in collaboration with Whatever Floats Your Boat Studios (media artist Heide Solbrig): launching a new studio space, the Boston Comics Workspace, located near Inman Square in Somerville’s Taza Chocolate Factory building (561 Windsor Street, Studio 306A, Somerville, MA 02143). In this space, we are building a comics community center, encouraging creativity and art production in Boston, and would like to invite you to join us.

    This winter we will offer courses for comics enthusiasts, 15 and older, with artists/instructors from the Boston area, as well as guest lectures from visiting artists. These courses are great ways to start making comics, continue a practice that you have begun on your own, or get back into comics creation after a while away. Our first classes began in September—and they were met with great enthusiasm. Beginning in January, we are offering two new classes at the workspace: Introduction to Comics 1 and Comics Autobiography & Non-fiction Storytelling. The courses will be 8 weeks and offered at the low price of $185 plus the cost of materials. For more information, please see the course descriptions below.

    To sign up, or to find more information, please visit http://bostoncomics.com/education. Also feel free to contact our Education Coordinator Heide Solbrig at education@bostoncomicsroundtable.com.

    Introduction to Comics 1: Comics, Cartooning and Storytelling.

    Students will learn the fundamentals of cartooning and various approaches to visual storytelling by looking at the work of published cartoonists. Each student will be given the tools to develop their own narratives and begin to establish their own visual style, which they  can  carry  into  further  comics  projects.  By the end  of  the  course,  each student will have a working knowledge of character creation, page layout, and visual storytelling.

    Section 1:
    Duration: January 14th to March 3rd
    Thursday, 6:00pm-9:00pm
    Instructor: John Carvajal, M.F.A.

    8 week course: $185.00 + $15. Materials fee.
    John Carvajal is a graduate from The Center for Cartoon Studies. His work has been
    published in various publications including Compositional Studies and The Cambridge Historian. He has exhibited his work internationally and currently lives in Norwood, MA. You can see some of his work at jacarvajal.com.

    Comics Autobiography & Non-fiction Storytelling: Comics, Graphic Novels & More.

    Have you ever wanted to tell your own story in comics form? Do you have an unusual family story, off-kilter philosophical approach to the world, travelogue you’d like to tell in pictures? Are you an artist who would like to see your drawings become a story, a character, or a visual poem? These days autobiographical and journalistic comics are an important  and  popular  new  comics  genre.  Comics  artists  like  Joe  Sacco,  Alison Bechdel,  Guy  Delisle,  Linda  Barry,  and  many  more  have  invented  a  new  visual language for telling truthful stories about the world. In this class on non-fiction comics storytelling we will look at how some of these innovators built non-fiction worlds while also exploring the ways that comics and autobiography have migrated online on such sites  as Tumblr,  Instagram,  and  Twitter.  Tell your  own  story  and  find  a  platform  to present it to the world!

    For the first half of the class we will focus on drawing and writing for genre, technique, and story construction, while the second half of the class will focus on students’ own projects with an eye to creating an online presence with your own story world, linked to the Boston Comics Round Table’s other online platforms. This should be a really special course that kicks off Boston’s newest, hottest comics space and educational venue!!!

    Section 1:
    Duration: January 12th to March 1st
    Tuesday, 6:00pm-9:00pm
    Instructor: Heide Solbrig (Ph.D., M.F.A.)

    8 week course: $185.00 + $15. Materials fee.
    Heide Solbrig is the author of The Dandelion King, a graphic memoir about the 1970’s and has taught media art, film and communication at Wheaton College, Emerson College, Bentley University, UCSD, and SFSU. To see examples of her work, please go to www.dandyking.com and www.hydafloats.com.

    Contact Information:
    Heide Solbrig
    education@bostoncomicsroundtable.com
    http://bostoncomics.com/education

  • Comics Winter Solstice Extravaganza: A Holiday Sale!

    Comics Winter Solstice Extravaganza: A Holiday Sale!

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    Comics Winter Solstice Extravaganza: A Holiday Sale!

    Please join the Boston Comics Roundtable on Sunday December 13th from 2 to 6 PM for our Comics Winter Solstice Extravaganza. The event will take place at the Boston Comics Workspace, located at 561 Windsor Street, Studio 306, in Somerville. Are you looking for a gift for that special someone? The BCR is here for all of your holiday needs! Anthologies will be available for sale at a special discount. There will also be ample work from our members. We will have light refreshments and goodies for sampling plus plenty of fun games and stimulating conversation to be had. Come celebrate the winter season with us! We hope to see you there.

    Google Event.

    Facebook Event.

     

  • MICE Member Debuts!

    MICE Member Debuts!

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    This weekend will be the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE), located in Cambridge at University Hall at Lesley University, 1815 Massachusetts Ave (Porter Sq.). The show will be open Saturday 10am – 6pm and Sunday 11am – 5pm. The Boston Comics Roundtable will have a table there at D01. We also have a ton of members debuting lots of awesome material so be sure to check it out!

    Debut Comics

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    Hands: An Anti-Story by Kimball Anderson (A54): Kimball Anderson’s experimental new mini from Ink Brick centers on iterative drawings of hands. Each set starts with a life drawing, with subsequent entries using each other for reference. These sequences buzz with subtle flickers and glitches. Paired with stream-of-consciousness text, they’re at once beautiful and unsettling.

    Spilt Milk by Eric Boeker (D11): You’ve heard of Cops and Robbers stories, right? What about a Cows and Robbers story? “Spilt Milk” is an all-ages, kid-friendly, full-color adventure romp comic in the spirit of the Keystone Cops.

    Super Animals with Hats #5 by Eric Boeker (D11): An all-ages, kid-friendly, little coloring book featuring awesome animals wearing fantastic super-hero hats! Up, Up and Away!

    Day of the Ducks by Dan Moynihan (B81): A collection of zany all-ages comics, including some from Nickelodeon Magazine.

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    Highland Girl by Catalina Rufin (103): Ainsley is a young witch who loves fairies. Sofia is a fairy who is searching for other fairies like herself. They run into each other near Ainsley’s home in the Scottish Highlands, and bond over their mutual interest in magic, music, and the feeling of being an outcast.

    Unpleasant People #5 by Holly Foltz (D11): After a lengthy delay in new material, the fifth issue of “Unpleasant People” is complete! “Unpleasant People” is the story about the trials and tribulations of a villain, his second-in-command and their long-suffering administrative assistant. This issue contains ninja hijinks, family drama, and some plot thrown in there just for fun!

    So, You’re Going to Die by Kirk Israel, Art by James Harvey (A47): Knowing that you will die someday can be rough, especially if you’re not so sure about there being some kind of afterlife. Still, there are comforting philosophies and thoughts to be had, and “So, You’re Going to Die”, the skeptical nerd’s
    comic guide to coping with your own mortality, can help. Illustrated by UK artist James Harvey (Masterplasty, DC’s “We Are ROBIN”) this work shares ideas proven to help cope with our existential situation.

    Puddle Jumpers by Jess Semeraro (D10):3 Dogs, one owner and an animal control officer with a secret- what could possibly go wrong? All ages.

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    The Nowhere Man #1 by Jon Juniman (C117): The Nowhere Man is the story of Richard, who finds himself lost in The Dreamtime; an afterlife where dreams manifest, and thoughts become reality. Life after death is nothing like he imagined, and Richard must come to terms with a universe that is infinitely stranger than he expected. Probably best for ages 17+.

    Good Morning Gorgon by Ben Doane and Olivia Li (D02): Maddie the gorgon is your average single mother, except that her six hissing kids are attached to her head. In Good Morning, Gorgon!, she and her children navigate their everyday life of grocery shopping, freelancing, and professional wrestling (wait, what?).

    Jeremy Thomas and the Old House by Neil Johnson (D02): The explorations and adventures of a duck named Jeremy Thomas and a boy named Patrick. All ages.

    The Wampa’s Tale by Spencer Hawks (C116): A short story detailing the hitherto unknown backstory of one of the Star Wars saga’s most misunderstood characters.

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    Tree Rats! or, The Crepuscular Hobbyhorse: A Farrago by E. J. Barnes (C92): This 29-page short story is inspired by the work of Blaster Al Ackerman and a long list of true incidents improbably mashed together. If you like cranky old constipated men, supercilious neighbors with nasty dogs, road trips with unreliable friends, and backyard rodents, this story is for you.

    Infinite Loop by Nick Nazzaro (C107): Space exploration goes awry in unexpected and sudden disaster. Survival is never guaranteed. Basically a marooned tale starring an astronaut. PG-13 for graphic death scenes. No bad language.

    Black Fuska Ashcan by Roho and Ben Doane (D01): An adventure comic set in the south of Brazil on the mid-eighties. Ripped from the pages of the Outbound Science Fiction anthology! Cover art by Roho. Teen.

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    Thirteen by Roho (D01): An existential western comics about rage, life and the origins of consciousness. This is the second title on the “Moody Melodies” Series that started with the minicomic titled “El Oso”. Nothing inappropriate for kids but it’s geared toward sophisticated grown ups.

    Where Is My Head? by Mel Cartagena (C105):It’s the brief story of the construction of the android of science fiction author Philip K. Dick, the successful exhibition at a Wired Festival, and the loss of the head by its creator in a connecting flight. Was it really lost, or was it stolen, and by who? An intriguing and entertaining tale for all ages.

    Bowery Boys:Our Fathers by Corey Levine, Ian Bertram, and Brent McKee (D10): When his father is framed for murder, immigrant son Nikolaus McGovern rallies together a motley crew of street youths in a rip-roaring coming-of-age adventure based on the period history of antebellum New York City! Set against the backdrop of rampant political corruption, vicious street gangs, nascent labor reform and ardent xenophobia–can Niko and his friends triumph in a life-and-death battle against their oppressors, or will they succumb to the engines of socio-economic progress?

    Debut Art/Prints:

    Ansis Purins (A49)

    Cara Bean (A21)

  • Roundup: Creator Talk with Levon Gyulkhasyan

    Roundup: Creator Talk with Levon Gyulkhasyan

    On Sunday, September 20, Levon Gyulkhasyan shared footage, pictures, and stories of making JUMBO LOOP COMICS in his native Armenia and in Angoulême, the home of France’s leading comics festival.
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    JUMBO LOOP COMICS are, as the name says:

    • large—up to 7′ tall and 100′ long (enough for about sixteen square panels).
    • looped, so the last panel of the strip brings the reader back to the first.
    • comics, with a sequence of words and pictures together.
  • Creator Talks: Inaction Comics

    Creator Talks: Inaction Comics

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    BOSTON COMICS ROUNDTABLE PRESENTS: Inaction Comics with Kimball Anderson, Cathy G. Johnson, MJ Robinson, and Laurel Lynn Leake

    SOMERVILLE, Mass. – The Boston Comics Roundtable invites you to a conversational discussion on the genesis, process, and philosophy of the Inaction Comics anthology on Sunday October 11th at 7 PM with editor Kimball Anderson and fellow contributors Cathy G. Johnson, MJ Robinson, and Laurel Lynn Leake. Held at the Boston Comics Workspace at 561 Windsor St., Studio 306, the event is free and open to the public, though a suggested donation of $5 is welcome. The event is sponsored by Ninth Art Press.

    The talk will cover the concept and ideas behind what became Inaction Comics, rooted in the aim of wanting to diverge from action-based storytelling and the desire to allow for a wider range of representation to occur. It will also include a discussion of how artistic choices can impact the ability to represent varied experiences and identities and delve into the contributors’ shared “Art Comics” aesthetic and how this reflects in the book. The panel will go over their own individual work and how it relates to the central theme of the anthology.

    The event will allow audiences to examine the process of putting together a new kind of anthology and promises to be an engaging evening of art and comics. For more information on the anthology, or to purchase, please go to http://earnestattempts.storenvy.com/products/12243240-inaction-comics-1-productivity.

     

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    About the Panel
    Kimball Anderson is an artist and writer who draws from personal experiences of chronic fatigue syndrome and agoraphobia, which manifest in an interest in delineating the subtlest of sensation with accuracy. Kimball’s art gently but analytically probes at our automatic and seemingly uninteresting self, honoring it as something meaningful and filled with beautiful ambiguities.

    Cathy G. Johnson is an artist in Providence, RI. She grew up in Minnesota and graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2011. She was awarded the Small Press Expo 2014 Ignatz Award for Promising New Talent. Her inspiration is drawn from community and critical theory.

    Laurel Lynn Leake is drawn to the fluid communication of comics.  It’s uniquely intertwining language of words, image, and iconography comes the closest to how her own mind works, and to how she understands and perceives the world.  Through her work, she cultivates a space both for herself (a queer, mentally ill woman) and for the reader where they can not only find solace in the free expression of marginalized selves, but also the strength to challenge the way we define the world around us.”

    MJ Robinson draws stories and writes pictures in Providence, RI. Their recent art explores internal and relational power dynamics by calling out for and echoing back through the emotional resonances of things unsaid. MJ grew up in Pennsylvania (mostly) and graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio with a BA in Studio Art and Creative Writing. They currently work as an arts and museum educator, freelance illustrator, and cartoonist.

    About Boston Comics Roundtable
    The Boston Comics Roundtable is a community of independent comics artists and writers based in the Greater Boston area, acting as a resource for local creators. We encourage development and collaboration and welcome anyone interested in creating or publishing comics, at all ages and levels of experience. Our weekly meetings revolve around discussions of news in comics, showing of members’ work, and the professional development of everyone involved.

    Facebook Event.

    Calendar Event.

  • TopatoCon 2015

    TopatoCon 2015

    Are you heading to TopatoCon this weekend? If so, the Boston Comics Roundtable will be there! Yes, we are heading to the Eastworks in Easthampton to join the weekend festivities. We will be located at Table A9. The conference will be taking place from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday September 26 and 11 am to 6 pm on Sunday September 27. We will be one of 70 other exhibitors coming together to celebrate comics, podcasting, indie gaming, and music.

    We’ll have lots of BCR goodies from anthologies, including out latest Spellbound, to work from our members including Dan Mazur, Jerel Dye, EJ Barnes,  Joey Peters, Corey Levine, Neil Johnson, Olivia Li, Heide Solbrig, and so many more! Come on down to check all the sweet, sweet indie comic goodness.

    For more information about TopatoCon, please check out there website at www.topatocon.com.

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