THE BOSTON COMICS ROUNDTABLE: a community of comics creators, meeting weekly since 2006.

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Presenting Muqtatafat!

Celebrate the publication of Muqtatafat, the first anthology of independent comics from the Arab world published in the U.S.

Edited by Boston and Cambridge-based team of Anna Mudd, A. David Lewis and Paul Beran, and published by local Ninth Art Press, Muqtatafat presents to North American readers a glimpse of the vibrant and diverse world of Arab comics, featuring 15 artists from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and elsewhere. Political, personal, satirical and whimsical, these comics present unusual insights into the creativity and culture of the Middle East.

At this event, the editors and publisher will discuss and display the contents of the book, describe the process of its publication, and give an introduction to the world of Arab comics in general, including the legal and censorship problems facing Samandal, the groundbreaking Lebanese comics journal, for which all sales of Muqtatafat are a benefit.

THURSDAY FEB 4, 6:30 PM AT THE CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY, 449 BROADWAY, CAMBRIDGE.

FACEBOOK EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/678183148988279/

January 22, 2016
Submit to Boundless + The Midnight Oil!
There are many opportunities to publish floating around here at the Boston Comics Roundtable of late. If you’ve got work or ideas, consider submitting!

The Midnight Oil

The Midnight Oil is our new bimonthly newspaper showcasing contemporary cartoonists. It will be released to the general public in the Greater Boston Area, creating a great chance for cartoonists to get their work viewed by a wider audience. The submission guidelines are as follows:
- We are only accepting 1 page comics at the time. If there is something you are considering being serialized email us with the first two pages and an outline/thumbnails for the remaining story. Please note that the story will be printed 1 page at a time bimonthly.
- Image size is 10.5″ x 13.5″ with a live area of 9.75″x12.5″ Full Color CMYK
- We currently can’t do full bleed, so please plan accordingly.
- Please send files with a minimum of 300 dpi File formats we accept – JPEG, TIFF, PNG, PDF (please make sure your pdf is print ready if you submit in this format).
The deadline to submit to the inaugural is rapidly approaching on Monday February 1st, so get those submissions in! See more information about The Midnight Oil on their website here. Questions? Feel free to contact the editor at midnightoilmag@gmail.com.

Boundless

The deadline to submit pitches to Boundless, our upcoming science anthology, has been extended to Friday February 5th. The anthology will celebrate, explicate, and infuse science into stories about our (current or historical) real world and/or into the fantastical worlds of possibility, fiction, and speculation. We encourage anyone and everyone to submit from any and all backgrounds. Never written a comic before but have an amazing idea? Are you a scientist with an amazing idea? Don’t hesitate to show us your work! Some guidelines:
- For your pitch, send a developed synopsis (1-2 paragraphs) or script and/or thumbnails along with a link to a portfolio or examples of the artist’s work that will be attached to the story.
- We will accept examples of previous work, websites with portfolios, or samples of the story under consideration as evidence of story concept.
- We welcome those who write and draw and also collaborations between artists, writers, and scientists. Show us that you have the chops for both the story and the art, or if you are a scientist with a great idea ask us for assistance linking up with an artist/writer.
- Length: 1-10 pages long
- Specs: 5.25” x 8” trim size, 5.75” x 8.5” bleed
For more information about Boundless and what we are trying to achieve, please see our website.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact as at boundless@bostoncomicsroundtable.com.
January 22, 2016
January Comics Courses at the Boston Comics Workspace

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

December 7, 2015
John Carvajal Comic Art Show

The last comic-art centered Dwelltime (now Barismo) is going up today, featuring the amazing art of John Carvajal. (http://jacarvajal.com/). Featuring 7 amazing watercolor comic pages and 1 water-colored cover. You can stop by admire the original art on the walls are purchase John’s full color comics while enjoying some locally roasted, responsibility sourced tasty tasty coffee. We will be announcing a reception at some time in the next two months so check back soon.

This show will be up till the beginning of February 2016.

About the Artist
John Carvajal is a cartoonist, illustrator, and painter. His work has been published in multiple anthologies including Maple Key Vol. 2, Strangelet Vol 1.1, and a collaboration with Aaron Humphreys in Compositional Studies Vol. 43.1. Aside from his illustrations and paintings, he is currently working on his first long form graphic story.

Comics Available for Sale!
• Sunshine State
• de aqui alla
• Dust

More about John Carvajal’s comics at
http://jacarvajal.com/

About Barismo:
We’re located in the historic F.B. Hubley Auction Gallery building at 364 Broadway. Originally a small grocer, Hubley opened as an auction gallery in the 1940’s and operated until 2008. We signed a lease and began working on the space in June 2011. Working with our developer, we were able to save the tin ceiling and maple floors, and restore the facade to its original historic condition.

Facebook Event here!

December 4, 2015
Comics Winter Solstice Extravaganza: A Holiday Sale!

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.

November 24, 2015
MICE Member Debuts!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

October 17, 2015